• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

At the Immigrant's Table

  • Home
  • About me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Inspiration
  • Shop
  • Travel
  • Jewish Recipes
  • Russian Recipes
  • Main Course Recipes
  • Healthy Side Dishes
  • Dessert Recipes
  • Travel
  • Gluten-free Recipes
  • Paleo recipes
  • Vegan recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • Travel
    • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Roasted butternut squash on a black plate.
      Baked Butternut Squash Chips
    • A festive Thanksgiving charcuterie board that includes a delightful platter of fruit and nuts, beautifully displayed on a rustic wooden table.
      Expert Tips for a Festive Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board
    • A healthy white plate with squares of bars with granola on top.
      Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe (gluten free, vegan)
    • A pizza on a wooden plate with a slice taken out, topped with garlic, onions and sage.
      Caramelized Onion and Pumpkin Pizza with Fried Sage
    • Smoked salmon and olive eyeballs on a black plate.
      4-ingredient Halloween Smoked Salmon Canapes
    • Two halloween desserts in glasses with a rip in the middle.
      Halloween Graveyard Chocolate Mousse Cups: A Spooktacular Dessert Idea
    • A white plate with onions and fennel on it.
      Pear and fennel salad with apples and mustard vinaigrette
    • Salt-free potato leek soup with mustard
      Dairy free low sodium potato leek soup with mustard
    • A platter of fruit and cheese with a scary face on it.
      Effortlessly Impress Your Guests with This Halloween Snack Board
    • A plate of corn on the cob with a skull on it.
      Halloween Skeleton Elote Corn on the Cob Recipe
    • A slice of bread with ground cherry jam on it.
      Spiced Ground Cherry Jam (no pectin)
    • A plate with two pitas on it.
      Israeli sabich sandwich recipe with eggplant and potatoes
    Home » Recipes » Fall Recipes

    Published: Dec 19, 2013 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vegan chocolate orange cake {V}

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Flipboard
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    vegan chocolate orange cake close upWhen I decided to go to the wake, it had already been going on for an hour. It was a hot August day, and I had begun to sweat through my dress, sitting at my non air-conditioned office, basking in the light of a computer screen. I didn't have a change of clothes, but I figured I wouldn't be there for long. So I called up a friend, and we made our way to the small neighbourhood pub where the wake was taking place.

    When I entered the pub, I was taken aback by the crowded room. There was little space left to move, let alone to breathe or cool down. I made my way to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic, hoping the quickly melting ice would help quell the nausea that I was starting to feel at the prospect of spending time in this room full of strangers.

    Except they weren't all strangers. I was making small talk with some acquaintances, waiting for the speeches to start, when a familiar face caught my eye. He was pretty good looking, but I couldn't place where I knew him from. I guess I must have been staring, because he eventually made his way to the bar and stood behind me.

    vegan chocolate orange cake tea time

    "Don't I know you from somewhere?" I asked, my best imitation of confidence.

    "Yes, we met at an organizing workshop last year," he said. But as he was speaking, I had already realized that he wasn't who I thought he was. I had mistaken him for a friend from university, who, on account of being Belgian, couldn't have been in that room.

    "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," I said. If he was taken aback, he didn't let it show.

    We proceeded to exchange some commentary and witty remarks. It turns out we had worked for rivaling organizations, though our paths hadn't crossed. We had also met twice before, once at the organizing workshop he recalled, and then again at a political party convention. Our banter was quick and easy, we were both smiling, and it felt great. We talked throughout the evening, exchanging glances above people's heads. I left him my email, and he promised he would share a movie about a political activist with me. I went home smiling.

    The next morning, I had a breakfast date with a dark-haired boy.

    vegan chocolate orange cake prep

    I wish I could tell you he was the boy I met the next day, that we were inseparable ever since, or even that he was the sole reason I was smiling that night, but it wouldn't be true. We spent another two weeks locked in awkward text messages, exchanging puns about vegetables. The first time we went on a date, his friend joined us for coffee. When we decided to grab a drink, every pub was closed. When he first told me his age, I recoiled. After he kissed me, he didn't call or text for three days.

    vegan chocolate orange cake citrus ingredients

    But now, more than two years later, as that boy is celebrating his last birthday as an undergraduate student, I know that it all doesn't matter. That decisions can be instantaneous, or that they can take time to form out of the fog. That some things can happen naturally, while others will require work. That a sweaty dress and uncomfortable heels can ruin an evening, or they can take you exactly where you need to go.

    And I know that in every bit of sweetness, there can be a bitter bite.

    ED: This recipe was shared on Food Foto Gallery and Finding Vegan. If you're ever in a loss of what to cook for dinner tonight, these sites got you covered.

    Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

    vegan chocolate orange cake for two

    Recipe

    Vegan chocolate orange cake

    Vegan chocolate orange cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and candied orange slices

    Ksenia Prints
    A rich vegan cake that will satisfy even the most extreme chocolate craving, balanced with the delicate bitterness of candied orange peel. I wanted my slices to be sweet, chewy, slightly bitter and beautifully caramelized. I built on a Food & Wine recipe for candied orange slices (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/candied-orange-slices), but to achieve the perfect browning on top. This recipe makes more frosting than is needed for a 9-inch cake, but it keeps well in the freezer.
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine vegan

    Ingredients
      

    • Basic chocolate cake recipe:
    • For a 9-inch cake 8-12 slices
    • 1 ⅓ cups plain soy milk
    • ⅔ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 ⅓ cups unbleached plain/all-purpose flour
    • ⅔ teaspoon bicarbonate of/ baking soda
    • ⅔ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ cup cocoa powder
    • 1 pinch salt
    • ⅓ cup plain wholemeal/ whole-wheat flour
    • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
    • ½ cup pure maple syrup
    • ⅓ cup sunflower or safflower oil
    • grated zest of 1 orange or lemon I used half an orange and half a lemon. The cake was beautifully citrusy
    • 6 tablespoons fruit jam For an ideal chocolate-orange cake, use marmalade. I didn't have any, and used store-bought strawberry jam with 1 teaspoon of orange extract
    • 2 teaspoons rum or juice of 1⁄2 orange or lemon
    • 1 9- inch springform cake pan baselined with parchment paper and oiled
    • Chocolate-orange buttercream frosting:
    • 1 cup Demerara or other good-quality brown sugar or icing/confectioners’ sugar (I used icing sugar)
    • 1 ⅔ cups cocoa powder
    • 3 ½ cups non-hydrogenated margarine at room temperature
    • 7 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice I used the syrup that remained form cooking the slices
    • 2-3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
    • 2 tablespoons plain soy milk at room temperature
    • Candied orange slices:
    • 1.5 cups of water
    • ½ cup of sugar
    • 1 organic orange because I wanted to candy the peel as well as the orange itself, I went with organic. You don't have to

    Instructions
     

    • To prepare basic chocolate cake:
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Mix together the milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
    • Sift the unbleached flour, bicarbonate of/baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt into a mixing bowl, then add the wholemeal/ whole-wheat flour and cinnamon and mix well.
    • Add the syrup*, oil and zest to the vinegar mixture and mix well. Gently fold these into the dry ingredients with a spatula. Make sure not to mix too much, otherwise the cake might turn chewy. When everything is just incorporated, spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly with the spatula.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean (mine took a lot longer to bake, about 45 minutes). Spring open the cake pan and allow the cake to cool completely.
    • When the cake is cold, peel off the paper.
    • Slice the cake in half horizontally with a large, serrated knife. You can also cut off the top if it has domed while baking and you prefer it to be flat.
    • Put the jam and rum or juice in a small saucepan and heat until it comes to the boil. Spread this over both cake layers – this will make the cake moist and stop any frosting from seeping into the cake. Allow to cool.
    • Put the lower cake layer back in the cake pan and attach the springform ring. The cake is now ready to be topped or filled.
    • *If you are serving the cake as it is (without a filling or frosting), add a little extra syrup to the mixture, or spread something sweet over the cake after baking.
    • To prepare the chocolate-orange buttercream frosting:
    • For the cocoa buttercream, very finely grind the brown sugar in a spice mill or food processor; you should get about 2 cups powdered sugar.
    • Sift together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar in a bowl.
    • In a separate, large bowl, beat the margarine with an electric whisk until soft. Gradually add the sifted ingredients one cup at a time, together with a splash of orange juice. Beat well and continue adding orange juice and sifted ingredients until you have used them all up. Add the lemon zest and a little of the milk, if it is too dry. Continue to beat until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
    • To prepare the candied orange slices (Adapted from a Food & Wine recipe at http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/candied-orange-slices):
    • Melt sugar in water on medium-high heat, stirring occassionally. Bring to a boil.
    • Add orange slices and continue cooking on medium heat for 30 minutes.
    • Reduce to low and cook for another ten, allowing syrup to thicken.
    • Preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum paper, and oil it lightly.
    • When orange slices have cooked for an approximate 30 minutes, remove them from the syrup, allowing the syrup to mostly drip off the slices. Place the slices, with sufficient spaces between them, on the oiled baking sheet.
    • Place in oven on broil setting for 7 minutes, checking in on the slices to ensure they are not burning, but just carmelizing. When orange slices have browned on the ends, remove them from the oven.
    • Allow slices to cool slightly, and peel them off the baking sheet to ensure they don't stick.
    • Slices will keep in the fridge for two weeks.
    • To assemble cake:
    • Spread one-third of the buttercream over the bottom cake layer with a spatula. Cover with the top cake layer and spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, covering it as evenly and neatly as you can.
    • To decorate, arrange the candied cake slices neatly over the top of the cake.
    • Store the cake in the fridge, but bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, as the buttercream firms up when chilled.
    Tried this recipe?Comment + Rate Below!
    Connect on Instagram!Find us @immigrantstable

     

     

     

    More Baking Recipes From All Around the World

    • Sliced apples for baking.
      From Orchard to Oven: Best Apples for Baking
    • Baked cranberry cheesecake
    • gluten free blueberry muffin cut in half and more around
      The best gluten free blueberry muffins recipe with a touch of lemon
    • close up on gluten free chocolate chip muffins
      Fluffy gluten free chocolate chip muffins

    Join me At the Immigrant's Table

    Receive updates, exclusive recipes and helpful tips by email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Mom says

      December 19, 2013 at 3:51 pm

      A love story is nice.....)

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    peeling squash on cutting board

    Privet, I am Ksenia Prints! A food and travel blogger, photographer and storyteller. I help adventurous home cooks explore the world through healthy, beautiful immigrant recipes.

    More about me →

    Follow

    INSTAGRAM 

    PINTEREST

    YOUTUBE

    FACEBOOK

    Popular

    • The best eggplant shakshuka of your life
      The best eggplant shakshuka, or how to make friends with breakfast
    • samosas with sauce
      How to make easy gluten free samosas with a sweet & spicy chickpea filling
    • How to Make the Ultimate Middle Eastern appetizer platter with our best mezze recipes {V, GF, Paleo}
    • vegetarian empanada on a plate with chimichurri dipping sauce
      Authentic Argentinian vegetarian empanadas - 3 Ways! {Vegan Empanadas Option}

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About me
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Media Kit
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This site occasionally uses stock photos from Depositphotos.

    Copyright © 2023 Ksenia Prints At the Immigrant's Table. All rights reserved

    Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.