Really Good Chocolate Cake
I’m the first to admit that i really have a sweet tooth – especially when it comes to Chocolate ! I have fond memories of when I used to work as a pastry chef – making chocolate truffles, cookies, tarts and the most wonderful chocolate cakes. Recipes and knowledge handed down from the French Sous chefs Michelle + Eves in charge of the very first pastry kitchen – to Bert and Brett who inspired me how to become a better chef and allowing me to experiment, play and create.
When baking cakes and muffins, try replacing butter with unsaturated fats like light olive oil or macadamia nut oil. You can also reduce the amount of fat by replacing half or the oil with a fruit puree such as apple , orange or banana. The puree will add moisture to the cake of muffin, it also add sweetness , so you can reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. Use 100 % wholemeal or spelf flour instead of highly processed white flour. Spelt flour has about 30% more protein than wheat and up to 65 % more amino acids. It can also be tolerated well by people with wheat allergies.
For 100% gluten free I love using nut meals in my recipes such as almond or walnut. They add good texture, moisture as well as adding extra protein, Vit E and omega 3. I’ve also added whole steamed orange which make it very luscious and indulgent – perfect to serve at a dinner party with a side of fresh segmented oranges + dark chocolate ganache.
what it’s good for:
Almonds are packed full of protein + good monounsaturated fats that can help lower cholesterol. They are also a great source of Vitamin E that research suggests can slow premature cellular ageing. Cocoa powder contains compounds that act as stimulants believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. The stimulants theobromine and caffeine can increase alertness and give you a pleasurable sensation similar to the high people get after exercise or sex.
2 whole oranges
1 cup pure organic maple syrup or agave or (3/4 cup honey)
6 organic free range eggs
pinch of sea salt
4 cups ground almonds or walnuts
3/4 cup good quality dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Steam the oranges for about 30 40 minutes until soft. Allow to cool then chop them up (SKIN AND ALL) and place into a food processor or a good high speed blender like a VitaMix. Process all the orange until smooth along with the maple syrup and salt, vanilla then add the eggs and process again. Pour the mix into a bowl and fold in the almonds or walnuts if using, cocoa and cinnamon. Spoon into a baking tin lined with greaseproof paper and bake for about 50 60 minutes in a moderate 175 C oven until cooked through. Test with a skewer to check. The cake should be lovely and moist. Remove from the oven and cool completely then remove from the tin. Store for 1 week covered in the fridge. Serves 16
Nutritional info per serve:
Kilojoules: 1005 / 240 calories
Protein: 8g
fat: 15g
carbs: 16 g
wow this looks like such and interesting recipe! I’ve never made choc/orange cake as I don’t like oranges, but I didn’t know this was how it was done! I think I might make it for morning tea at work – the hoards will eat it and I’ll have a tiny slice
Ps I’m a huge fan of almonds in baking… infact I’ve an apricot almond tea slice in the oven at the moment!
Looks divine, and healthy too ! I’m making it this afternoon ! It will be perfect to brighten up this wintery rainy day in Perth. I absolutely love ALL of your recipes Teresa !! xx
PS: all I need is to win this VitaMix competition to make my job easier in the kitchen ! Fingers crossed !
Hi,
This cake sounds wonderful Teresa, could you please tell what size and shape tin you used.
Thanks
20cm round cake tin is lovely ! TX
Hi Teresa, thank you very much for this recipe, I can’t wait to try it! Do you think it will work if I substitute the maple syrup with rice malt syrup? Or would it need the extra sweetness of the maple syrup?
Hi Lara..If you want to substitute maple syrup then use agave instead. Rice malt doesn’t work that well with baked goods. TX
Hi Teresa,
Is there some way to make the cake fructose free? I haven’t experimented with rice syrup yet, so thanks for the tip that its not great with baked goods. Would natvia or stevia work ok do you think? I’m always worried it will get that bitter taste. Or if you have another suggestion it is more than welcome!
Thank you
You could try with stevia Brook, but don’t use rice syrup. Rice syrups don’t work too well in baked goods. My other no bake chocolate cake is delicious too !
HI Teresa
This will definately feature in my kids lunch boxes! I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. My son is wheat intolerant so I sometimes substitue wheat flour for spelt in cake recipes when baking. I have notice however that a straight 1:1 substitute sometimes leaves the cake too moist. What is a good ratio to substitute wheat for spelt. Hope ou can help
Jo
Hi Jo – I always use a straight 1:1 ratio when I try and convert one of my wheat flour based recipes to spelt. ….I use whole meal spelt flour, which absorbs a little more liquid….maybe try using a whole meal in place of white. Also adding a few tablespoons of LSA or ground linseed to your spelt will help bind and stablilze the cake dough. hope this helps. T
Hi
Thanks for your response I will try using wholemeal and the LSA. I baked the choc cake yesterday and I have one word for you…YUMMY!!. Jo
Hi Teresa
Really silly question – but should one peel the oranges or leave with skin?!
Thanks
Veronica
Also, those outside Australia (ie UK) cannt enter Vitamix competition can we?
Definately would love to make this! I was wondering though if I could substitute the oranges for another fruit puree since my father is allergic to oranges? If so what amount would I use? Also, I was wondering if I could use honey or golden syrup instead of the maple syrup, I know it probably wouldn’t be as healthy but unfortunately maple syrup is on the can’t eat list and agave is ridiculously expensive where I am. Sorry for all the question, my family is so odd with allergies
Hi Teresa
Do you peel the oranges or blend them whole?
Cheers, Rhianne
Hi Rhianne you blend them all together without peeling.
Oh wow!! This recipe is amazing!! Just had a piece straight from the oven. Incredible!!
Thanks for your awesome recipes Teresa :-p
Sallyl
Hi Teresa,
Enjoyed your recipe this afternoon with a strong cup of certified organic coffee from PNG! It was a great hit and the steamed oranges made my kitchen smell incredible. Look forward to your recipes every week keep up the great work
Julie
Hello Teresa
I can’t wait to make this. What baking temp and time you would recommend for mini cakes – say cupcake size?
Thank you so much for your amazing recipes.
K
I would set a timer for 20 minutes. That should be a good amount. Test to see from there. Cupcakes firm to touch but still moist in the centre. T:)
Gorgeous recipe, I adore the combination of orange and chocolate and the fact that this is gluten-free makes it even more perfect! Looking forward to trying this soon
I made this recipe as cupcakes instead of a whole cake and it turned out perfect. The whole family loved them and they are really quite filling (one is definately enough).
My oven took 30mins if that helps anyone who was thinking of cupcakes.
Thanks again for a lovely recipe Teresa, I look forward to seeing what you come out with each week although my favourites are still the apple poached salmon and cauliflower and white bean soup!
Tara
Was absolutely delicious! I’m so glad I came upon your website. Simple, healthy delicious food without hard to find ingredients. If only I could live closer to your cafe! x
Thanks Charlotte, so happy you enjoyed it. T:)
Can I use almond meal instead of ground almonds? – or are they the same thing?
Same thing Charley. Happy Baking
How do I steam an orange?
Hi Teresa
I use raw cacao powder for my chocolate recipes now. Can I use this instead of cocoa? It sounds really yummy, thanks
Julie
As do I Julie, it is the best !
x
Hey Renae, This cake has quite a mature and rich cocoa flavour and it’s not too sweet either. May not be the best kid friendly cake for a first birthday party. I’m designing one that is more suited for younger kids shortly so stay tune:)
Teresa, just to let you know I’m a Mum of 4 and my 3 kids smashed this cake!!! 6, 4 and 2yo mind you on theirs I did drizzle some chocolate ganache with fresh cream & berries. They thought it was Christmas all over again
Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. I’m sure you cooked up a feast!!!! Much love and appreciation for all that you do, you’re simply the best!!!! Xox Dani
Hi Teresa, if I wanted to make this in a loaf tin would you reduce cooking time? I’m going to halve ingredients.
Hi,
If i double the recipe, for 1 cake tin, do I also double the baking time? Would I need to reduce the temperature to cook for a longer time?
No you would never double the baking time, it’s too much…however if you double the recipe use a larger tin that’s not too deep….the deeper the tin, the longer the cooking time. I may take an extra 5 – 10 minutes but I would test it with a skewer before I remove it. Remember it needs to be moist…and will continue to cook a little when you remove it.
Hi Teresa,
Would it be possible to substitute the oranges with beetroot? I’m really interested in finding a healthy chocolate beetroot cake/brownie recipe.
Thanks
Yes you can ! it will be delicious.
Don’t usually like a choc orange combo. Is it very strong? Could a different fruit, like apple or pear purée be used in place?
Hi Teresa,
I’m sugar free and so was wondering if I could substitute the Maple Syrup for Rice Malt Syrup and if so roughly what amount I should use?
Sounds DELICIOUS and can’t wait to try it!
Jo
Hey Jo, rice malt should work in this…but it’s sometimes tricky to work with. Use half the amount and see…then add the other half if needed.