Dark Chocolate Cake with Bitter Orange Jam

It’s a classic, we all love it and dream about it… It’s the chocolate cake!!
I’m a lover of super dark and intense chocolate but I still enjoy a decadent and sweet cake from time to time… So since I went vegan I tried so many recipes and different variations to create the perfect balance between the two. I finally found that the combo of dark chocolate with some bitter orange jam was a total winner! The flavors combine together perfectly and it’s a party in your mouth!

Ingredients:

• 450ml plant-based milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 320g semi-wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 60g cacao powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 100g chopped almonds or hazelnuts
• 170ml maple syrup or agave nectar
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
• zest of 1 organic orange

Preparation:

1. Start by preheating the oven at 180C degrees.

2. Then whisk the milk and the apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes (don’t worry, you will not taste the vinegar at the end).

3. Sift the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, the cacao powder, and the cinnamon together in a large bowl.

4. Add the salt and the nuts and give it a big stir.

5. Mix the oil, the orange zest, and the sweetener of your choice with the milk and vinegar, then gently combine the liquid ingredients to the dry. Don’t over mix or the cake will result gummy.

6. Place the mixture in a greased baking pan and cook for about 40 minutes.* To make sure that the cake is ready, use a toothpick and insert it in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.

7. Remove it from the pan and let it cool down.

Enjoy it with some bitter orange jam and you can thank me later 🙂

*Remember that with vegan baking the cooking time is very variable and it depends on your oven or on the baking pan that you’re using, so make sure to check on the cake after the first 30 minutes.