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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake

    Published: Jan 29, 2021 · Modified: Feb 27, 2022 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links

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    This vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake is our go-to dessert when blood oranges are in season. Who can resist an orange chocolate cake? This upside-down cake is soy-free, nut-free, and is easy to make for the chocolate lover in your life!

    Chocolate and citrus are the perfect flavor combination, especially over the winter when it's citrus season!

    I can find a certified organic blood oranges bag here in Arizona for two dollars. Depending on the variety, they are deliciously sweet with a hint of raspberry. I love the taste and unique fragrance of this citrus fruit!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Equipment
    • How to make this Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • Top tips
    • Storage
    • More recipes
    • Recipe

    Ever since I was a child, I have enjoyed dark chocolate and orange around the winter holidays. Does anyone else remember those round chocolate oranges?

    I have fond memories of getting those orange chocolate spheres around the holidays. I still love chocolate and orange together, especially in this rich chocolate cake, a flavor combination that seems ideal for winter or Valentine's Day!

    For more delicious and elegant desserts featuring fruit, try my Vegan Plum Cake, Poached Pears in Red Wine, and Vegan Chocolate Fig Cupcakes.

    Ingredients

    Here's what you'll need to make this vegan chocolate orange cake. This recipe is similar to an olive oil cake, but I chose to use grapeseed oil for its milder taste which is my preference.

    If you love the flavor of olive oil in cakes, feel free to use it. The specific amounts are in the recipe card below.

    ingredients for orange chocolate cake
    • Plant-based buttery stick - Use plant-based buttery sticks for greasing the cake pan, such as Earth Balance, Country Crock, or Miyoko's.
    • Grapeseed oil - I chose this oil for its neutral flavor profile. 
    • Sea salt - Himalayan or Celtic, as long as it's finely ground.
    • Coffee - This enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
    • Baking soda and apple cider vinegar help the cake rise.
    • Vanilla extract - essential for most dessert recipes!
    • 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.

    Equipment

    Here is what you will need to make this recipe:

    • 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan or tarte tatin pan. If you use an 8-inch pan, the baking time may take a little longer.
    • Large bowl and separate small bowls
    • Spatula
    • Sifter

    How to make this Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake

    This cake is simple to make; here is how to make it:

    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.

    Prepare the oranges

    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.

    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!

    Prepare the wet and dry ingredients

    • 1. 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.
    • 2. Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, cane sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together and make a well in the middle.
    Small bowl with grapeseed oil and orange zest on marble surface.
    Large bowl with dry ingredients on marble surface.

    Combine the ingredients

    • 3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.
    • 4. Mix vigorously with a whisk until combined.
    • 5. If adding chocolate chips, add them after the wet and dry ingredients have been combined.
    • 6. 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.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

    Bake

    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.

    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 longer, up to 55 minutes or more.

    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.

    overhead of blood orange chocolate cake

    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.

    Top tips

    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.

    Try to obtain a variety of fresh and high-quality blood oranges to get different colors for the top of your cake. Otherwise, you can use whichever oranges are available, such as navel oranges or Cara Cara.

    Storage

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

    More recipes

    • Blood Orange French 75
    • Vegan Cranberry Sauce with Orange
    • Blood Orange Pomegranate Margarita
    • Vegan Chocolate Fig Cupcakes

    In the mood for more dessert recipes? Try this Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Skillet Cookie or these Poached Pears in Red Wine.

    If you make this vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake, let me know what you think by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. You can follow me on Instagram and Facebook and share your creation with me! Just tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.

    Recipe

    overhead of blood orange cake on a plate

    Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake

    Emily Miller
    This Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake is our go-to dessert when blood oranges are in season. Delicious and easy to make with my step-by-step instructions, it's the perfect flavor combination!
    5 from 89 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 55 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 people
    Calories 288 kcal

    Equipment

    • 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan or tarte tatin pan
    • Large and small mixing bowl
    • Spatula
    • sifter

    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

    Instructions
     

    • Mix the grapeseed oil with zest of one blood orange and set aside.
    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of organic cane sugar on bottom of pan, tilting the pan to get an even coating of sugar, avoiding the sides. Layer the sliced blood oranges on the bottom of the pan.
    • Sift the flour, cane sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle.
    • Mix the coffee, grapeseed oil with orange zest, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
    • Pour the wet ingredients into the well of dry ingredients. Mix vigorously by hand with a whisk until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips if desired. Pour batter into the greased cake pan.
    • Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs clinging to it.
    • Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before gently flipping it onto a cooling rack. Loosen the edges first with a butter knife or a plastic knife.

    Notes

    • Calorie calculation is done without chocolate chips.
    • If you are using an 8-inch cake pan, the baking time may be slightly longer.
    • Let the cake cool completely before storing it in the fridge. Store in fridge for up to 5 days in a covered container.
    • If your oranges are especially juicy the baking time may take a bit longer than the recommended time. Check for doneness every 5 minutes.
    • To make this cake fudgier and even more chocolatey, double the amount of cocoa powder and add the chocolate chips!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 288kcalCarbohydrates: 48.3gProtein: 3.4gFat: 10.3gSaturated Fat: 1.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.3gSodium: 206.3mgPotassium: 175.4mgFiber: 2.8gSugar: 31.9gVitamin A: 200IUVitamin C: 33mgCalcium: 23.4mgIron: 0.5mg
    Keyword citrus, fruit, holiday, nut-free, soy-free, spring, winter
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Resplendent Kitchen offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy. Although resplendentkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information from online calculators, these figures are estimates.

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    • Vegan Cherry Coconut Popsicles
    • Vegan Plum Almond Cake
    • Strawberry Lemon Gin Granita
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Brian

      January 29, 2021 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      So pretty and delicious!

      Reply
      • Emily

        January 29, 2021 at 11:55 am

        Thank you so much, Brian! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    2. Amora

      March 05, 2021 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      Hi, this looks like an amazing recipe and I can't wait to try it! Do you if using Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free flour will change the consistency?

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 05, 2021 at 10:36 am

        Hi, thanks so much! Although I haven't tried using a 1:1 gluten-free flour, it's been on my to-do list. It might change the texture. I hope you give it a try and let me know how it turns out.

        Reply
    3. Kayla

      September 06, 2021 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      I seriously can't get enough of this blood orange cake! It is so delicious and tart! I love the chocolate in it as well!

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 06, 2021 at 3:01 pm

        Thank you for your review, Kayla! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this Chocolate Blood Orange Cake. It really is one of my favorite recipes from the blog!

        Reply
    4. Freya

      September 06, 2021 at 1:53 pm

      5 stars
      Such a lovely sounding cake, I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 06, 2021 at 3:02 pm

        Hi Freya, thank you so much for your review! I'm glad to hear that you're excited about this cake. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Andrea

      September 06, 2021 at 7:27 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, this cake looks amazing! How yummy!

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 06, 2021 at 11:52 pm

        Thank you for your kind words, Andrea!

        Reply
    6. Anaiah

      September 07, 2021 at 1:41 am

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

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 07, 2021 at 8:09 am

        Thank you for the kind words Anaiah! I love how coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate!

        Reply
    7. Chris

      September 07, 2021 at 2:39 am

      5 stars
      Orange and chocolate? Just wow! Who would thought, that this combination is so delicious! Thanks for an amazing recipe! It turned out so good!

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 07, 2021 at 8:10 am

        Thank you for your review, Chris. I'm glad to hear that our cake was a hit!

        Reply
    8. Joshua

      September 07, 2021 at 2:51 am

      5 stars
      I would have never thought to use blood oranges this way. It looks amazing and is edible art!

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 07, 2021 at 8:12 am

        Hi Joshua, thanks for your review and kind words!

        Reply
    9. Natalia

      September 07, 2021 at 4:42 am

      5 stars
      This cake looks really great. I wanted to eat it right now. My family loves oranges, so I will definitely be trying this. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 07, 2021 at 12:07 pm

        Thank you for your review, Natalia! I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I enjoyed making it!

        Reply

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    Emily Miller

    Hi, I'm Emily, the photographer, writer, and cook behind Resplendent Kitchen. My goal is to show you how easy it is to cook delicious seasonal vegan recipes that are healthy for you, the animals, and the environment!

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