Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake
This moist gluten-free vegan Chocolate Orange Cake is a delicious combination of fudgy chocolate, fresh orange & a delicious hint of spice. It's the perfect easy, elegant dessert for the holidays!
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Servings: 10 -12 servings
Ingredients
For the Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cup Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour* (150 grams)
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder* (40 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
For the Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar (200 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Orange Zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 1 1/4 cup Almond Milk, Warmed (or your favorite dairy-free milk)
- 1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
For the Orange Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips (Or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips)
- 1/2 cup Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk can sub 1/4-1/2 cup other non-dairy milk
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Orange Zest (optional, for extra flavor)
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk to combine, then set flour mixture aside.
- Rub Zest Into Sugar. In a large bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon orange zest with the granulated sugar. Use clean fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until it's a light orange color and it smells citrusy and fragrant.
- Combine Wet Ingredients. To the orange sugar mixture, add warm almond milk, 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients and stir until just evenly combined, with no big lumps or dry patches remaining.
- Bake. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and gently tap on the counter to remove any extra air bubbles. Bake cake in preheated oven 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool & Turn Out. Let the cake cool 5 minutes in the pan. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. I place the top side of the cooling rack face down on top of the cake, then flip it over so the cake is on top of the cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely before adding ganache.
- Make Ganache & Decorate The Cake. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat coconut milk, 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil, and orange zest to steaming in the microwave. (It should be near a simmer or boil.) Add chocolate chips and stir to combine until the chocolate chips are melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. Pour over the top of the cake and smooth the ganache with an offset spatula. Let the ganache set. (I like to add garnish right before serving.)
- Serve & Store. Enjoy cooled cake with your favorite garnish. Store leftover cake in an airtight container 1-2 days at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 months.
Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour. I recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend. If you use another 1:1 blend, be sure it contains xanthan gum for the best texture. Do not substitute almond flour or coconut flour into this recipe.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Use natural cocoa powder (like Hershey's or Ghirardelli) rather than Dutch processed cocoa powder/dark cocoa powder.
- Decorating Ideas To Try. For these photos, I decorated the cake with the chocolate ganache and some dehydrated orange slices, but you can also use shaved chocolate, segments of chocolate oranges (the candy), candied orange peels, etc. I don't recommend fresh oranges for decorating, since they can make the ganache soggy or slide off the cake.
Video
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.