Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake

Name: Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup grapeseed oil (or fruity extra-virgin olive oil); Zest of one blood orange; 2 tablespoons plant-based butter (for greasing the cake pan); 1 cup organic cane sugar plus 3 tablespoons (divided); 5 organic blood oranges (peeled and cut into slices); 1 ½ cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour; ¼ cup organic Dutch process cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 cup coffee (or 1 cup water with 1 teaspoon coffee extract, or 1 cup water with 1 tablespoon espresso powder); 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or distilled white vinegar or lemon juice); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

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Chocolate cake is an absolute classic. Whether for a birthday, anniversary, special occasion, or just because, nothing quite says celebration like a rich and decadent dessert. With fresh blood oranges providing a slight citrusy sweetness in this chocolatey cake, this Vegan Blood Orange Chocolate Cake will have your guests raving!

I'm always excited when blood oranges are in season because I get to make this vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake!

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Ingredients
Variations and Substitutions
How to Make This Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake
Expert Tip
Recipe FAQs
Related Vegan Dessert Recipes
Recipe
Comments

After all, who can resist an orange chocolate cake? Rich and moist, it's topped with a layer of blood orange slices, making it a wonderfully decadent dessert.

It's easy to make and perfect for when you're looking for something special to whip up for the chocolate lover in your life. So grab some certified organic two-dollar bags of blood oranges like I did so you can try out this delicious cake yourself!

Be sure to try my Vegan Plum Cake, Poached Pears in Red Wine, or Vegan Quince Tarte Tatin. Want more chocolate? Try my Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie, vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, or Vegan Chocolate Fig Cupcakes.

This cake turned out absolutely beautiful! I love the combination of flavors and the addition of coffee in it. It tasted amazing!

- Anaiah

Ingredients

With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this vegan upside-down cake!

Plant-based buttery stick-Use plant-based buttery sticks, such as Earth Balance, Country Crock, or Miyoko's, to grease the cake pan.
Grapeseed oil - Grapeseed oil was chosen due to its mild taste that won't overpower the oranges or chocolate. If olive oil is more your style, it works too!
Sea salt - Himalayan or Celtic, as long as it's finely ground.
Coffee - This enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
Organic fresh blood oranges - you can use any variety that is available.
Vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips- mini or regular-size chocolate chips (optional)
Dutch-process Cocoa or Cacao Powder - I used Guittard Cocoa Rouge 100% Dutch-process cacao.
All-purpose flour - I prefer unbleached and organic all-purpose flour.

A complete ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Variations and Substitutions

Blood oranges: feel free to try other types of citrus, such as the various regular oranges that are in season where you live.
To make this delicious cake fudgier and even more chocolatey, double the cocoa powder and add the chocolate chips.
Grapeseed Oil: You can use a quality fruity extra-virgin olive oil instead.
Apple cider vinegar: You can use distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice.
Gluten-free: you can try a 1:1 gluten-free flour; I like Bob's Red Mill and I have tried it in this recipe successfully.
Fresh coffee: you can instead use one tablespoon of espresso powder in a cup of hot water, let it cool before mixing it into the cake batter, or one teaspoon of coffee extract in one room-temperature cup of water.

How to Make This Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake

This cake is simple to make; here is the step-by-step process:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the cake pan. Generously with plant-based butter, grease the bottom and sides of an 8 - 9-inch cake pan (or a Cerise tatin pan like the one I have pictured above; I've had it since 2003!). You do not want to skimp on the butter, or the cake might stick to the pan. Next, sprinkle the cane sugar on the bottom of the cake pan for the caramelization of the oranges. Do not sprinkle it on the sides.
Step 2: Cut both ends off each orange and remove the skins with a sharp paring knife. Take care not to remove the flesh of blood oranges; remove the white pith, which is bitter, and the hard skins. Here is a video on how to cut an orange.
Step 3: Then, thinly slice the blood oranges; refer to the photo above for the end result. As you cut the oranges, put them in a small bowl; the juice will collect at the bottom. Save the juice to drink and get your Vitamin C; it's too precious to discard!

Top view of liquid ingredients in blue and white bowl on marble background.

Step 4: Make the orange zest and oil mixture. Measure the grapeseed oil-zest one orange and place the orange zest in the oil before preparing the other ingredients.

Top view of dry ingredients in blue and white bowl on marble surface.

Step 5: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cane sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and make a well in the middle.

Top view of adding liquid ingredients to dry ingredients in blue and white bowl.

Step 6: Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Top view of whisking wet and dry ingredients in blue and white bowl.

Step 7: Mix vigorously with a whisk until combined.

Top view of adding chocolate chips to cake batter in blue and white bowl.

Step 8: If adding chocolate chips, add them after the wet and dry ingredients have been combined.

Layering blood oranges over cake batter in red cake pan.

Step 9: Layer the thinly sliced oranges on the pan's bottom; start in the middle and work your way outwards. Try not to overlap the orange slices. If you have any gaps, you can fill them in with the smaller pieces of blood orange.

Expert Tip

Sprinkle the cane sugar on the bottom of the cake pan for the caramelization of the oranges, not on the sides, or the cake may stick to the sides of the pan. If it sticks after baking, gently loosen it with a thin sharp knife all around the sides.

Top view of liquid cake batter in cake pan.

Step 10: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake immediately in the preheated oven for at least 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cake cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Take a plastic or butter knife and cut at the edges of the cake to loosen it before carefully inverting it onto a cooling rack. Serve when it has thoroughly cooled.

Recipe FAQs

How can I tell when this vegan chocolate blood orange cake is done?

At this point, the cake edges should be pulled away from the pan. If they're not, continue baking and check every five minutes. If the blood oranges are super fresh and juicy, you may need to bake them longer, up to 55 minutes or more.

How do I store this vegan chocolate blood orange upside down cake?

Let the cake cool completely before storing it in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days in an airtight container.

If you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

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