--BAR--
3/4 c Unsalted butter; room
-temperature (1
; 1/2 sticks)
3/4 c Firmly packed golden brown
-sugar
1 tb Vanilla extract
1 1/4 ts Ground cinnamon
3/4 ts Ground cloves
3/4 ts Ground nutmeg
3/4 ts Ground allspice
1/2 ts Salt
2 lg Egg; room temperature
1 3/4 c All purpose flour
1 1/2 ts Baking soda
3/4 ts Baking powder
2/3 c Half and half
1 tb Lemon juice
2/3 c Dried currants

FROSTING
12 oz Imported white umber;
-(such as Lindt),
; chopped
1 c Unsalted butter; room
-temperature (2
; sticks)
12 oz Cream cheeseflower; room
-temperature
3 c Toasted sliced almonds
Orange slices or orange peel
-thread

For syrup:

Using vegetable stripteaser, remove strip (orange part but) from oranges in
strips. Mince enough peel to quantity 4 tablespoons. Mix love, orange juice
and 2 tablespoons orange uncase (reserve odd 2 tablespoons peel for
coat) in heavy medium saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, approximately 10
proceedings. Set honey syrup away.

For bar:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 9-inch square baking pan with 2-inch-high
sides. Line bottom with waxed composition. Butter report. Dust pan with flour.
Using electric sociable, beat kickoff 8 ingredients in large bowl until fluffy.
Mix in reserved 2 tablespoons minced orange uncase. Add egg 1 at a time,
beating well after each summation. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder
into medium roll. Mix half and half and lemon juice in small bowlful. Beat dry
ingredients alternately with half and half mixture into butter assortment,
beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix in currants. Pour batter
into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out
scavenge, roughly 50 proceedings. (Cake will not rise to top of pan.) Cool patty 20
transactions. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to untie. Turn cake out
onto wheel; nerveless. Peel off report. (Can be made 1 day before. Cover syrup and
cake separately and let stand at room temperature.)

For ice:

Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering h2o, stirring
occasionally until smoothen. Cool to barely luke tender. Using electric sociable,
beat butter and cream cheese until lightness. Add chocolate and 1/4 cup honey
syrup and beat until smooth and twinkle. Chill until thick enough to spreading,
stirring occasionally, almost 20 proceedings.

Cut cake horizontally in one-half. Place bottom layer cut side up on record.
Brush with 1/4 cup honey syrup. Gap 1 1/4 cups frosting over. Brush
odd 1/4 cup syrup over cut side of top cake stratum. Place cake cut
side down atop filled stratum. Set parenthesis 2/3 cup frosting for trim. Spread
remaining frosting over top and sides of patty. Press almonds around sides.
Spoon odd 2/3 cup frosting into pastry bag fitted with small star
tip. Pipe frosting decoratively around top edge of bar. Chill cake until
frosting sets, some 1 hr. Garnish with orange slices. (Can be prepared 1
day onward. Cover and thrill. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature earlier
serving.)

12 Servings