I needed this vegan chocolate cake recipe in my life. Mostly because: cake, but also because its inherent virtuousness (still talking abut cake) really uplifted and inspired me.
I used to focus a lot of energy on making vegan desserts that were also somewhat virtuous. I would exasperate myself beyond belief doing it! (see these cookies) I don’t have the patience for the trials and errors of baking, especially when you start taking away gluten, sugar etc. I told myself that if I was going to enjoy a treat, I would just make it an all caps, full-on, sugar and everything T-R-E-A-T.
But this cake. It’s fudge-y, dense, undeniably chocolaty with so much beautiful fragrance from fresh orange, and it’s easy to make! It’s also entirely sweetened with a mix of dates, applesauce, and orange juice. Another thing: it’s gluten-free! And vegan, obviously. The level of achievement this cake ascends to… it’s exhausting and awesome.
And of course I can’t even take credit for it! The recipe is from the brand new cookbook by Anya Kassoff of the Golubka Kitchen blog, with transcendent photography by her daughter Masha Davydova. I’m very bad at staying up to date with everything in blog land, but I always check when Anya has updates. Her recipes hit the right note of produce-focused, perfectly attuned to what level of satisfaction the season demands, and very smart flavor pairings.
I had seen an earlier galley of Simply Vibrant, but I didn’t know how much I needed this dose of inspiration until the physical book showed up at my door. We’re in that deep, lingering last stretch of Winter, and I’m admittedly slipping into a staid routine with all of our meals. Anya’s style speaks to exactly what we’re all craving I think: seasonal shifts on international flavours, streamlined and intuitive cooking methods, and a nourishing plant-powered undercurrent that is present but not in-your-face.
Even the section breakdown of the book speaks to the way that I think a lot of us find ourselves eating these days (Morning Porridges & Pancakes, Salads & Bowls, Just Veggies, and a chapter devoted to Noodles, Pasta & Pizza, among others). Recipes I’m looking at for the near future Broccoli Stem Riceless Risotto, the Gluten-Free Onion Pizza Crust technique, Creamy Steel Cut Oats with Rainbow Chard and Pine Nuts, and the Tomato and Eggplant Green Mung Dal.
I can tell you with certainty that Anya’s recipes are foolproof. For a person that owns many cookbooks and blogs about food for a living, it (surprisingly!) takes a very special body of work to get me to cook from a recipe to a tee night after night. Simply Vibrant inspires me to do that. This book is going to be my new fave for a long time.
Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE ORANGE CAKE:
- 1 cup soft Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tablespoons neutral coconut oil, at room temperature, plus extra for oiling the pan
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of sea salt
- zest of 1-2 oranges
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ⅓ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
FOR THE GLAZE:
- ¼ cup finely chopped dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon neutral coconut oil
Notes
- The original recipe calls for one big bundt cake, and I’ve left the baking time/instructions for that version here. If you have mini bundts like I do, I’ll let you know that I got 10 total out of this recipe, and that they took about 18-20 minutes to cook.
- Skip the chocolate sauce glaze at the end if you want this to be totally sugar-free.
- To make this nut-free, I recommend replacing the almond flour with sunflower seed flour, which I talk about making in this post. The book notes that you can just use more brown rice flour as well!
Instructions
- Soak the dates in hot purified water for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a bundt pan with coconut oil.
- Combine the flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl; mix thoroughly.
- Reserve ½ cup of the date soaking water and add it to a blender along with the drained dates and orange juice; blend until smooth. Add the applesauce, coconut oil, and balsamic vinegar, and pulse to combine. Pour the date mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir just until everything is incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, transfer it to the oven, and bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate or cake stand.
- Make the glaze: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler setup until liquified and combined. Pour the glaze over the vegan chocolate orange cake and garnish as you please (more orange zest, chopped pistachios or dried rose petals).
Gorgeous looking cakes! Actually, baking tends to get me out of a rut because I do it so rarely… but it’s always fun.
This chocolate cake though, I will have to make it as soon as my exams are over! I don’t have much time to cook atm so everything I make is VERY simple but the other day I made this recipe (http://www.whatscookinggoodlooking.com/whats-cooking-good-looking/2016/11/22/harissa-coconut-milk-baked-delicata-squash-with-lentils-toasted-almonds?rq=delicata%20lentils) and it was so easy and maybe requires 10 minutes of preparation and then the oven does all the work, it’s amazing and so delicious!
I don’t bake a lot (but I love to cook), so anytime I bake something, that gets me feel like a “real cook” :-) (like I’m using ALL of the possibilities for my kitchen!) This recipe sounds like a great reason to get back in the kitchen and bake!
It can be hard when I am feeling a little less inspired in the kitchen. What I usually do is talk to my Momma and best friend to see what they are cooking :) I also love to bake a loaf of bread to just remind myself of the goodness we can create at home.
Thank you so much for the giveaway! I don’t have a specific recipe that gets me out of a rut, but I really love to hop on Pinterest and type in a few ingredients to see what comes up. Usually that leaves me feeling inspired!
When I am in a cooking rut, I love trying a brand new recipe full of fresh veg, especially when I can share it with friends!
I’ve been eyeing this new cookbook and this cake looks scrumptious . I find when I am in a cooking rut I like to go back and re-make something from a past successful recipe. Usually this involves pasta and legumes. I also agree with a couple of other commenters who mention soup, especially with the current wintry conditions.
My usual winter go too’s are hearty soups, I love lentil soups. I like to put the crockpot on in the morning, it’s comforting to come home from work to the wonderful smells of dinner and all I have to do is add a salad.
I have been in a really bad cooking rut this year so I ordered myself a couple of new cookbooks one being “The First Mess”, thank you for such a wonderful cookbook, it’s my new favourite nightly read. I’ve tried several recipes, one of my new favourite recipe is Creamy Harissa Lentils with Cauliflower Rice, it will knock your socks off, so flavourful, love it. Another one is the Brussels Sprout Salad with Lime and Miso, licked the plate clean. So thank you Laura for bringing excitement back into my kitchen.
Cheers Charlene
I need this cake in my life. A meal that gets me out of my cooking rut is soba noodles with lots of fresh veggies and tempeh!
My best friend is a super picky eater and much more of a PB&J kind of “cool”, but when we lived together she would make this orzo salad with capers, pine nuts and spinach that is so simple but SO GOOD we would literally just leave spoons in the fridge and just shovel it in our mouths any time we were in the kitchen….not our classiest moment but I have no regrets! She shared the recipe with me when we moved out of our apt and it’s still one of my favorite breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack options!
Making Brand New Vegan’s amazing cauliflower tacos recipe always lifts my spirits. Something about pulverizing the cauliflower, walnuts, and mushrooms in the food processor seems to revitalize me. Then cutting up all the veggies to top the tacos reminds me what a healthy eater I am. Fast, delicious and easy. What rut?
I try a new recipe to break out of a rut with meals!
Too get out my cooking/eating rut I love to make a good home made
vegetable soup with bone broth. I use all the fresh seasonal veggie’s I can find and then include some organic frozen ones.
Great comfort with a good crusty bread! Yum!
One recipe that always gets me out of a rut is a red lentil dal with coconut milk, spinach, and carrots. It is a vibrant meal and is hearty, especially in the cold Canadian winter.
You had me at chocolate + orange, I love that flavor combination and the mini bundts are soo cute! I think the recipe that always takes me out of a rut is ramen, I feel inspired after I create a really good flavorful ramen that looks and tastes really good. Second for me is pancakes, I have been making them from my pre-teen years and still love to and the many variants is always inspiring . Thanks for the beautiful recipe and I must say from the snippets you showed that book looks gorgeous
These cakes look to die for and very inspirational! To get me creative in the kitchen again, I love doing a vegan risotto, ideally with mushrooms and saffron and other goodies in there :)
Various re-creations of a Taco Bowl save the day for me. I keep canned beans, brown rice/quinoa, tomatoes, avocado, taco sauce, cheese on hand. Sometimes, I top it off with coleslaw and a variety of what’s on hand.
I love making dinner with white kidney beans. The basic recipe starts with onion, garlic, beans, rosemary and thyme. After that, it’s whatever is on hand; canned tomatoes, rice, greens, a splash of wine ….. easy and tasty on these cold winter evenings!
I’ve never had so much fun cooking as when I discovered eating plant based! There is such a phleora of delicious plant based recipes available that I can’t wait to try a new recipe almost every day. No rut here….in fact, even though hubby raves about many dishes, he knows he will most likely not see it again! I’m excited about finding an excuse to make this yummy cake and oh so tempted to buy this cookbook!
Zucchini or banana bread! So easy, but so delicious. It inspires incredible creativity too because of the endless variations and add-ins you can do!!!
Chocolate chip pancakes have always been my favorite food and they are simple to make, so they can help get me out of a rut.
It’s not a specific dish, but when I cook from a new recipe and it turns out great, I always feel inspired to keep the momentum going and try more new things. I’ve stumbled upon so many gems this way and it’s really what keeps my love of cookbooks alive!
What gets me out of a cooking rut is to take the time to actually make a new recipe. Lately they have been recipes from The First Mess and I can’t wait to try this cake recipe for Valentines Day :) I usually get so inspired that I make a slew of new recipes until life gets too busy and I stop and then forget how much I enjoy both cooking and eating new foods!
A recipe that gets me out of a rut: cookie and Kate’s banana bread. I veganize it and oh my its heaven!
Baking always helps me get out of a cooking rut. It’s very calming and reminds me why I enjoy being in the kitchen so much.
I don’t have a favorite recipe to get me out of a rut but what I do is tackle something that seems a little intimidating. Yes, I challenge myself. I make something that is complicated or uses a technique I haven’t tried before. The reason for this is because if I am successful, which I often am, it makes me feel so good and then inspires me to do more and try more. Thanks for introducing me to Anya. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I love to cook and rarely get in a rut but the few times I do recipes from a new cookbook inspire me.
Chocolate black bean brownies with peppermint….Yummy!
Wonderful, wonderful and more wonderful – your recipes, creativity and photos! Thank you for all you do and share!
My inspiration for “rut removal” is to return to basics – the simpler the better – centuries old recipes which bring out the essence of a fundamental (read inexpensive) food – such as cabbage, onion aborio rice, and broth, caramelizing the cabbage – or fennel slightly charred in just a hint of olive oil, touch of broth and seasoning. Reminding my taste buds and mind of the excitement of flavor gained from the gifts of the earth with little effort from us! Enjoy!
January/February = rut (in Ontario). I bought a crapload of greens and they are in my frig. Waiting to be juiced.
Waiting to make an “Oh She Glows” recipe – Out-the-door Chia Power Doughnuts. Sound inspiring. With juice of course!
And will try this recipe for Valentine’s Day:)
I just recently found your blog, and am THRILLED with your writing style and most importantly, your recipes and the ease of making them. And, of course, the TASTE! Every single recipe I’ve tried so far has been spot on with the family. Even a nearly 18 year old growing guy:) ~ what generally gets me out of a cooking-same-ol-same-ol-rut is actually having a good hearty breakfast…for dinner! I make yummy steel cut oats in my Instant Pot (LOVE my IP!), pancakes (with vegan whipped cream…yum-o!) with a big ol’ side o fruit and a pot of coffee. That usually fixes me right up and I’m ready to tackle the (food/cooking) world again! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
I can’t say that I get into a rut because I love trying new recipes all the time!
Baking is my go to, when I need to get out of a rut in many ways in my life. and I do believe this cake may be the next one i use to do it. And being GF & Vegan, looks like a win-win ib my life!! Thanks for posting it!
Any recipe using a variety of different greens or featuring an array of roasted vegetables usually gets me drooling and ready to tackle the kitchen!
Hi,
I love Anyi’s recipes, even though they sometimes require ingredients difficult to get in Poland, where I live. But her sense of taste makes every dish a true winner.
My answer for the giveaway: Whenever I want to get out of a cooking/eating rut I make falafels. I tend to avoid deep-fried food, and when it comes to falafels it’s quite a challenge ;). I try to find ways to make oven-baked falafels not mushy and dense OR dry. My favorite so far are falafels with dates (I simply add soaked dates to the base). I know it might sound strange, but it’s really delicious. And NOT sweet ;), at least not too sweet – sweetiness of dates work great with savouriness of falafels, freshness of herbs and hot spices.
A giant kale salad with all the avocado gets me out of an eating rut every time.
Soup! Making a delicious, veggie vibrant pot of soup with a decadent splash of high quality olive oil and a gentle squeeze of lemon always brings me out of a slump!
I usually turn to a Thai curry when I need to get out of a rut. Lots of veggies, warm and tasty! It makes me feel capable in the kitchen.
A simple mung tarka dahl gets me out of a cooking rut, tarka can be made with coconut oil or ghee.
My favorite ‘recipe’ to get me out of a cooking rut (tbh, I’m stuck in one right now!) is to get creative myself. I usually drink a smoothie for breakfast but I got really lazy over the winter months and ate one of two overnight oats variations everyday. This morning was the first morning in weeks that I used my blender and made a smoothie from scratch (funny enough it was a variation of chocolate and orange) – which then triggered new ideas for office snacks and also reminded me that there is more to life than buddha bowls;)
Buddha bowls always get me out of a cooking rut! I think mainly because you don’t reallllllly need a recipe for it & it always comes out so good! I usually stick to rice or quinoa as a base, roasted sweet potatoes, onion/shallot, avocado, tomato, garlic, and a tahini based dressing.
Homemade bread always does it for me. THIS looks divine!
I get out of a cooking rut by trying some sort of new fun Asian recipe. I find Asian food to be such an interesting combination of flavors; you can take the same few bottles and create completely different recipes.
I love all kind og legumes stews with some brown rice and greens!
My to go recipe to escape from a meh kitchen phase is definitely a rendition of my childhood favourite, khichadi! Lentils + Veggies + Basmati Rice cooked quickly in the pressure cooker and topped with a “tadka” or tempering of ghee+ caraway seeds+ minced garlic+ caramelised onions. All served with a powdered mix of fried garlic + smoky red chile powder!!! YUM….
Homemade Pizza always gets me out of my rut! There’s endless possibilities, it’s so versatile and it requires so much time and love! Making the dough from scratch, watching it rise and kneading the sweet soft yeasty ball is just the most satisfying thing ever. My favorite thing is to gather the whole family in the kitchen and let everyone create their own pizza with a huge buffet of toppings. Plus, living in a no-oven, tiny kitchen apartment makes using the home oven back at my parents’ extra special. :) I’ve already got my eye on the sweet potato crust pizza in Anya’s gorgeous book.. ;) Love, Anja
My favorite recipe would be soup ! Never seems to fail me
Definitely baking or making a fancy meal of some sort. Reminds me how much I enjoy the slow process of cooking. These look beautiful!
Hi, thanks for the posting. I ha e to avoid coconut oil and dairy butter, do you think could I substitute with Rapeseed (Canola) oil?
OMG, stay away from Canola oil! The industry is trying to claim it’s healthy, but it’s not. Not even the “organic” one. Try avocado oil instead. I use it all the time when I want a mild oil that doesn’t alter the flavor of my foods. It’s also great for sautéeing, frying, etc. because it has a very high heat cooking temp. & it’s very healthy. I use it for just about everything.
I agree with Bernadette on avocado oil! I use it all the time in both baking and cooking. If you can get a good local sunflower oil in your area, that’s also a great option.
-L
I can’t think of a recipe that gets me out of a rut. I have been trying several recipes each week. Last week was Greek. Week before was Moroccan. Not sure what this week will be. There are a couple of recipes that are my go to. One is a tofu sunflower seed butter spicy dish that tastes like a spicy, Asian peanut dish (I don’t do peanuts). Love, love, love it! In fact, just thinking about it is making my mouth water. May have to make it this week!