It’s citrus season in the Deep South. All along the highways of southern Louisiana and Mississippi, vendors are setting up stands selling local satsumas and oranges. I noticed them when D, E, and I were driving back from New Orleans at Thanksgiving, but I didn’t need to stop because we were already en route to my parents’ house, where we’re fortunate enough to get to pick our fill of fruit off their trees.
If this all seems familiar to you, it’s because we did the same thing last Thanksgiving and I took photos of it. Invariably we take more fruit than we can actually use, so I’m constantly on the lookout for good citrus recipes.
And I found a great one, in an article all about citrus in a local magazine. The recipe that caught my eye was a decadent-looking dessert containing one of my favorite flavor combinations, chocolate and orange. I love creamy dark chocolate spiked with tangy bits of orange, though it’s far from a fat-free food. But as I looked at the cake recipe, I thought, “I can do this–and make it fat-free and vegan!”
So I took the basic idea for the cake–to add orange juice and peel to a chocolate cake–and used it with my standard chocolate cake recipe, the one I pull out for birthdays and celebrations. In order to keep the cake low-fat, I needed to substitute something for the 3/4 cup of oil that the recipe calls for. Lately I’ve had excellent results using soy yogurt instead of oil, so that’s what I did.
The verdict? Best fat-free cake ever! While it’s not as light as a normal cake, the denseness contributes to the dark chocolate feel. It sparkles throughout with the taste of orange, and because it’s not a super-sweet cake, the icings provide just the right accent without being cloying. I served it to my daughter and her friend without mentioning the lack of fat (or the inclusion of whole wheat flour) and they both loved it. I wouldn’t hesitate to serve this cake to guests.
See those orange pieces in the first cake photo? I put them there just for decoration, but my daughter insisted on squeezing some over her cake. I didn’t try it, but she says it tastes great that way. She and her friend ate a whole orange along with their cake. Now that’s one way to get children to eat fruit!
Chocolate-Orange Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup soy yogurt or other non-dairy yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons grated orange peel
Chocolate Icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa
- 2 teaspoons orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp. if double strength)
- extra orange juice as needed
Orange Icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp. if double strength)
- extra orange juice as needed
Instructions
- Spray a Bundt cake pan with non-stick spray and dust it lightly with unsweetened cocoa. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, vanilla, balsamic vinegar, water, and orange juice. Beat by hand or with a mixer on low speed just until well-combined, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the grated orange peel, and pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert it onto a serving platter and cool completely.
- When the cake is cool, make the icings. For each icing, mix the ingredients in separate small bowls. One half teaspoon at a time, stir in enough extra orange juice to make a drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle the chocolate icing over the cake, wait a few minutes for it to set, and then drizzle the orange icing.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
April
Hi Susan,
I am looking forward to trying this beautiful bunt cake.
Do you think it will make a difference if I use soft white wheat for both flours?
Thanks for your great recipes.
Natalie Roos
Does this recipe call for sweetened cocoa or unsweet cocoa?
SusanV
Unsweetened cocoa, also known as Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, is used for this recipe. Popular brands are Hershey’s, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger. See this webpage for more info about cocoa powder.
Amelia
Hi Susan, I’ve just stumbled across your website and I just wanted to thank you for so many delicious-looking recipes – I’m not actually vegan but I can’t wait to try out some of them! (Especially this chocolate-orange cake… yum yum!)
efusjon
it really looks very delicious. can’t wait to try it this weekend during family dinner.
Carolyn @ EatWell. LiveWell. BeWell.
Hi Susan. I made this cake for my husband’s birthday yesterday. It was a big hit! Thanks for all your hard work to contribute to the vegan community.
I blogged about it here, and I included a link (and lots of praise) to your site.
http://eatlivebewell.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/chocolate-orange-birthday-cake/
Be well,
Carolyn
Carolyn @ EatWell. LiveWell. BeWell.
I also subbed almond extract for vanilla; I used strawberry-banana soy yogurt since the store didn’t have plain; and I cooked it for 40 minutes.
Kim
Hi Susan,
I’ve been a vegetarian for over 20 years (since I was 12) and just wanted to congratulate you on your website. All your recipes look wonderful and I love the descriptions and tips you provide before each recipe. It’s so helpful. The fact that most of the recipes are fat free is just a huge bonus. Your children are very lucky to have you cooking for them.
Thanks again.
Kim.
Alison
I’m allergic to oranges but this cake looks so fantastic!
Do you think I would be able to substitute the orange juice for, say, apple juice or soya milk?
SusanV
Can you use lemon juice? You need a little acidity, so if you can, use a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice in with the apple juice. If you can’t do lemon juice, then vinegar will also work.
Vera
I want to try this cake tonight. I am wondering if I can use plain yogurt instead of soy yogurt?
SusanV
Yes, dairy yogurt will work just as well as soy yogurt. It just won’t be vegan. 😉
Vera
Thx dear. My hubby doesn’t eat eggs, so I want to try this one tonight. Sorry to bother, but want to ask another question. Can I use butter instead of yogurt?
Vera
Wow, wow, wow! The best cake I have ever tasted, much better than any cake prepared by eggs. I just LOVED it. I have guests today, let’s hear their comments. I did use butter instead of yogurt and its PERFECT! Thank u Susan! U made my day!
LisaGG
I made this 2 weeks ago for a dinner party. We had an experiment: one high-fat, French recipe chocolate poudding, and then yours. Our guests were made to guess which was which…. one guessed right, and the other guessed wrong! It was very good, and not too sweet. Also the denseness makes it good for slicing and stacking with cream, ganache or fruit for a trifle like dessert!
Vera
Perfect! PERFECT with capital letters. Everyone loved it! One of the tastiest cakes I have ever baked. Thx dear Susan!
shell
hi does anyone have the UK measurements for the cup? Thanks Shell 🙂
Bert
1 US cup is equal to 236.588 ml by volume
1 US cup of flour is equal to 120 to 130 grams by weight depending on the type and brand of flour.
1 US cup of sugar is equal to 225 grams by weight
I hope this helps!
-Bert
Bert
I didn’t have a bundt pan and I wanted to portion control, so I halved the recipe and filled 12 cupcake cups, following the rest of the recipe to the T. They baked in just under 20 minutes and come out to be just over 110 calories without the icing. Susan, they are phenominal, well what’s left of them anyway. You are the best! Thanks.
-Bert
Shauna
I know this completely defeats the whole point of the cake but could I sub orange juice for apple juice or similar? It looks so goooooooooood.
SusanV
You can try. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to increase the acidity so it will rise properly. Let me know how it comes out!
Ann
If you bake this in a small souffle bowl and underbake it, it makes a much richer dessert since it would be exactly like a lava cake! (At first I did it by mistake, but it turned out so decadent!)
maryb
Wow, this cake looks delicious!
I have one question though, if I use regular dairy yogurt, should I use fat free or regular yogurt? I’m afraid the consistency of the cake would be different if I use the wrong one!
SusanV
It will probably be a little richer and closer to mine if you use the regular yogurt, though I don’t think that fat-free would be terrible.
maryb
Thanks for your answer! I’m looking forward to cook it for tonight
Sarah
How much of the flour do you think I can safely replace with almond flour?
Thanks!
SusanV
I’ve never baked with almond flour so I don’t know. I hope someone else will help with this question.
Rebecca
I made this recipe recently because I wanted to have something to serve at a function with some friends who are vegan. I didn’t have soy yogurt so I substituted coconut milk, which made it not fat free, but still very yummy!
It was a big hit!! Even the baby, 10 months, got to have some because it didn’t have anything in it that he couldn’t have yet!!
Thank you!!
Mindy
This cake is FANTASTIC. I’m baking my second one right now. I baked the first one for my boyfriend’s mother’s birthday on Thursday and it was a hit. We were all stuffed from dinner but seconds of cake was still necessary. Between leaving a few pieces for the bday girl and the bf and I polishing off the rest today, I needed to bake another half batch to share with my neighbors! I can’t wait for them to try this delicious vegan cake 🙂 THANK YOU
kitkat
Made this yesterday with dairy yoghurt instead of soy, and it turned out perfect!!! Next time, I will make it with the icing!! Thank you so much for sharing : )
Elisabetta
Fantastic!!! I baked this cake yesterday and I definitely satisfied, it’s delicious and beautiful! I love healthy and vegan food and your recipes inspire me so much. Thanks for sharing and… Greetings from Italy!
Praemdass Ramlagan
This is truly wonderful and VEGAN so nice I am definetly going to try this at my birthday on february 12 I know it will be a hit.
Valerie
Tip for the icing. Mix each in ziplock bags. squeeze and mix, then cut corner of baggie and squeeze onto cake.
Anna
Thanks for all the great recipes!
PLEASE could you come up with another one? Tasted an amazing vegan fat free flourless orange cake but my friend won’t give up the recipe.
Christina
Holy cow was this ever divine!! My daughter made it last week. Very simple and very tasty!! I really had to exercise restraint not to eat half the cake! Lol. We couldnt find plain soy yogurt and used vanilla soy yogurt , would that change the nutrition values on this much?
K
If I use spelt do you think this could hold together–maybe if I added one flax egg??
What do you think. I mustt make because this looks amazing!
Susan Voisin
I’m sorry, I’ve never used spelt flour, so I’m not sure how it would work.
Agne
Tommorrow is my Birthday and I would like to make this cake, but I do not have soy yogurt and there is no such thing in my country… Would it work if I squeeze some lemon juice or vinegar into soy milk and then use it? By the way, would it make a difference for the rising and texture if I use water or soy milk instead of orange juice? I do not like those from supermarket..
Thank you, whoever will answer to me!
Agne
I made it and I can say that I love yo for this recipe! It was the first time when I was making a “normal” vegan cake and it was a success! I used a combination of wheat, spelt, and gluten free flour, added less sugar (because I forgot about it), and made something like soy yogurt from soy milk+vinegar+cornstarch 🙂 Thank you!
Payla
My family enjoys this cake very much. My husband is always requesting it, since discovering the recipe about a year ago I have made it more than a dozen times! For variety I have added walnuts to the batter, at times sprinkled the icing with sliced almonds or have served with berries – great every time. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
kamila
Delicious cake, thanks so much for the recipe! For less calories & fat, I used carob powder instead of cocoa, and it came out great, too.
jason hill
hi in the uk whole wheat is wholemeal flour,i can only find self raising wholemeal flour,not white wholemeal self raising,is it ok to use the wholemeal self raising or is a normal white self raising flour ok instead
thankyou the recipe looks great
Susan Voisin
I’m afraid that any type of self-raising flour won’t work. Can you get regular flour?
jason hill
hi yep is regular flour just plain flour,sorry i’m new to baking
thanks again
Sharon
I just want to thank you for all of your recipes. My husband & I have tried a lot of them since we became vegan last year, and everything we have tried we have enjoyed. I credit your blog and the recipes in it for the fact that we are still vegan, and I recommend you to everyone! And this chocolate cake is one of our very favorite deserts–vegan or not. My husband requests if often & every time I make it it turns out great!