Rich, soft chocolate cake with a hint of orange taste, this Vegan Orange Chocolate Cake is one of my favourite desserts. It’s delicious and wholesome, without any added sugar, naturally sweetened with dates and fruits!
Preparation: Grease a 6” or 7” (15 or 18 cm) cake tin** with coconut oil, or line the bottom of the cake tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 176 °C (350 °F).
Blend the wet ingredients: Add pitted dates (without the soaking water), apple cider vinegar, orange juice, and 35 ml of the date-soaking water to a small blender. Blend until mostly smooth. Then add apples to blend again until smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a big bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest.
Combine wet & dry: Pour the wet mixture to the dry one. And mix to combine. Use a spatula to scrape all sides to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
Prepare to bake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin. Use a spatula to smooth it out. Gently drop the cake tin against the counter a few times to remove air bubbles inside.
Bake: Place the cake tin into the preheated oven to bake at 176 °C (350 °F) for 20~25 minutes. Insert a cake tester or a toothpick in the cake centre to check. When it’s done, it should come out clean.
Cool: Transfer the cake tin onto a wire rack to cool down for at least 30 minutes. Then carefully remove the cake from the cake tin to a plate.
To make the topping
Use your finger to break the chocolate into small chunks and place it into a bowl. If it’s hard to break, use a sharp knife to chop.
Add the coconut oil to the chopped chocolate. Melt them together by using a double boiler (bain marie) or microwaving for 30 seconds. Stir to combine.
Pour the melted chocolate evenly on top of the chocolate cake. Then grate more orange zest on top if you want. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*Cocoa powder: Here I use Dutch processed cocoa powder to give this cake a deeper taste and colour. You can use natural cocoa powder if you prefer its taste.
**Cake tin: Here I use an 7"/18 cm Spring form Cake Tin with doughnut shape bottom. I cut out some uneven part on top when removing the cake from the pan and then flipped the cake upside down, so the bottom can face up. (See the recipe video)
Storage: Store the cake in a container in the fridge for 4–6 days, or 2 weeks in the freezer.