This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
This vegan chocolate torte has a fudgy, dense crumb with a wonderful fragrance from the orange. There is a grown-up hint of bitterness from the olive oil and orange zest alongside the rich chocolate, and a pinch of sea salt really boosts the flavour.
Servings
6
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
40
minutesCalories
406
kcalTotal time
1
hour10
minutesI served this torte as a dessert with berries and creme fraiche.
Ingredients
3 oranges
½ tbsp cider vinegar
100g self-raising flour
60g cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of sods
30g ground almonds
180g caster sugar
80ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
180ml water
salt
Directions
- Finely zest all 3 oranges. Add the zest to a small saucepan with the olive oil – 80ml is just over 5 tbsps if that helps. Gently warm the oil until it is bathwater-hot. Leave to one side for at least 20 mins to infuse. (Overnight is even better).
- Meanwhile, grease a 20cm cake tin with a little olive oil and line it with baking parchment. Turn your oven to 180 /Gas 4 to preheat.
- Juice enough oranges to give you 80ml of juice. Place the juice in a bowl with the water, vinegar and a generous pinch of salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Add the ground almonds and sugar, and mix well so everything is evenly distributed.
- When the olive oil is ready, transfer it all, along with the zest, to the bowl of orange juice. Give it a quick whisk, and then pour it all into the bowl of dry ingredients. Fold together gently but firmly until everything is incorporated and you no longer see any dry lumps.
- Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level it with the back of a spoon. Transfer to the oven. Bake for 35-40 mins, or until firm, risen and starting to crack slightly at the sides. A skewer or knife tip inserted in the middle should come out clean.
Notes
- You need to make sure that you bring the wet and dry ingredients together without overmixing for the lightest results. Avoid using an electric mixer for this part; use a spatula or wooden spoon instead.
- This recipe came from Riverford Organic Farmers in my weekly box. I received the exact amount of ingredients, and the recipe card with easy instructions, as above. Click HERE for the Riverford website.
