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).
Crock-Pot chicken chili. Always gets me out of my rut!
A coconut curry dish with veggies, rice or quinoa gets me out of a cooking rut.
My get out of a rut recipe would be my sweet potato curry! It’s a straight forward recipe but always a goodie!
I think the best way for me to get out of a cooking rut, is to just cook. Sometimes the process of deciding what to make is overwhelming when there are so many amazing recipes out there. So I will just start with making grains, roasting veg, and as I cook, I start to feel more inspired on what to make.
I feel like I have been in a cooking rut for the past 6 months. At the moment, food is about utility and, as a result, the majority of my meals are quickly thrown together with minimal attention to the process or flavor. When I need to get out of a rut, I often turn to salads. There is something to be said for a thoughtfully composed mixture of colors and textures rather than just dumping the contents of my crisper drawer into a bowl with a splash of vinegar and oil. I think I’m due for one of those. THANK YOU for reminding me that it is worth it to care.
I have turned to vegan Mac and Cheeze to get me out of cooking ruts for a long time. It is quick, easy, and I can modify it somewhat depending on ingredients on hand. End result is a warm and comforting meal that makes me want to get back into the kitchen more.
Risotto of any kind. I just love the process: it’s not only a heartwarming dis, but it also clears the mind and the soul while being made. I can’t wait to celebrate spring soon with some asparagus and goatcheese one!
There is a Tuscan kale caesar salad that ran in Bon Appetit years ago that I can make by heart at this point. It’s incredibly lemony and flavorful and doesn’t involve any cumbersome massaging—great for getting out of a winter cooking rut.
Pasta alla Norma! ( from Saveur.com – I often make this vegan )
The roast eggplant and simple fresh ingredients, prepared slowly step by step give me patience to follow recipes again – and the result is so delicious!
I’m pretty good at putting together soups and pastas without a recipe. Last night, I wanted to make something quick, and sauteed garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, and kale, then through it together with cooked pasta, 1/2 c. pasta water, and a bit of feta. Simple and delicious!
A healthy tasty soup usually gets me out of a cooking rut. They’re just so cozy and warming and you still get to feel good because they can be so healthy too! And there are so many possibilities from fancy recipes to just create something delicious out of leftovers. Soup is the jam!
Anytime I can take familiar ingredients and put a new twist on it, it usually pulls me out of a cooking rut. Just made some granola with tahini and medjool dates (and no sugar) from Jenny Mustard’s site. This may be cheesy, but every year I look forward to making your sweet potato and blood orange soup when blood oranges come in to season. Its a staple at my home now! So warming that it almost gets me out of the “when is winter going to freaking end already” doldrums.
Not sure about a specific recipe but I try to sneak in new recipes often. My Facebook memories reminded me the other day of a good one I haven’t made in literally a year. Spicy sweet potato and green rice bowl. It is amazing. Now that I’ve got an instant pot I can quickly and easily add a meat for my meat eaters in the family.
Going to my Italian cultural roots and finding ways to twist the “classics” (like lasagna) into plant only meals seems to always get me out of my cooking rut. I get so inspired and intrigued to search for ways to make plant-only meals. “The first mess” recipes gets me fired up and jumping into the kitchen so it definitely looks like “Simply Vibrant” will do the same! Would love to try it out. Thanks
what gets me out of a rut..? is not about any recipe but to share -whatever-i-made- with beloved friends. looking forward to cook and comfort someone important to me, inspires me always!
best wishes from austria (happy about worldwide shipping ^^)
Pizza! That’s what always gets me out of a cooking/eating rut. Basic, I know ;)
A big bowl of noodles will almost always get me out of a cooking rut. A couple of my go-to recipes are Mark Bittman’s cold peanut noodles or this recipe from over at Serious Eats: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/04/stir-fried-chow-mein-four-vegetables.html. There’s something so comforting and always appealing about a soy sauce soaked bowl of egg noodles.
There isn’t really one recipe that gets me out of a rut – I have a hard time getting into food ruts because I always want something new!
I deal with this by freezing all leftovers – so I usually have several things on hand I can munch on!
hmm. a tough question i had to think about. i’d say it’s a soup made of lots of chopped veggies, lots of herbs, plantbased sausages and austrian soup-noodles. my to go comfort food
We like to make homemade pizza for a treat. Homemade dough and then we make a lemon pizza first and the second one is a loaded vegetarian pizza. Even the leftovers (if any!) are super delicious. I am thinking though that after I try the recipe for the chocolate orange cake my answer might change!
I just love trying new soup recipes. Always searching for a good minestrone.
Soup is a favourite and I can make so many variations from what’s in the fridge. My daughter always says she loves it when I don’t know what to make for dinner because I then come up with the best things from scrounging around in the fridge!
What takes me out of my eating rut are muffins. I’ve mastered a ‘base’ recipe to which I add whatever I find interesting at the supermarket: dried fruit, savory mixings, different nut combos… It’s just amazing how versatile they are. I’m sure this recipe would work for muffins too!!
This looks amazing!!!!!! My favourite chocolate coated orange rind in cake form xo. Love me a good warming soup to get me out of a cooking stalemate. From Moroccan Red Lentil, Mushroom or a Tomato Fennel soul, I can basically throw something together with whatever is in the fridge or pantry. Paired with roasted garlic toast and that’s a match made in heaven!
I’ll try a couple of things to get out of a rut – go back to a comfortable routine – overnight oats, groundnut stew. Or! go to the farmer’s market and just get inspired.
This may seem incredibly boring but my comfort/rut recipe is cooked rice topped with roasted broccoli and kale with chunks of garlic, red pepper flakes and anything else my cubboard can spare. Big bowl meals are my absolute fave. Also, these tiny little cakes…wow!
I’m a busy working grad student, so a simple meal of sauteed onions and garlic + whatever spices+ seasonal veggies+and because it’s winter, something to make it creamy and cozy (coconut milk, roasted and pureed pumpkin, etc)+finished with lots of greens. Easy, quick one pot meal that can be made endlessly varied! I don’t think I ever made the same combination twice.
Love your blog and cookbook, Laura!
Honestly, no specific recipe or cuisine really inspires me like a trip to the farmer’s market. Seeing all the gorgeous produce and farmers who work hard to grow it for us inspires me to make sure I do the produce justice and make it delicious!!
This cake looks divine and I have almost everything to make it… may be my valentine’s day treat :)
Some chocolate brownies are always a winner for me! Such a lovely post, Laura! i already love Anya’s blog and have her 1st book, but can’t wait to have this 2nd one too! Thanks for this giveaway!
This looks perfect! I’ve been hesitant about gf v desserts too. They’re hard to experiment with. These are so happening! As for the giveaway question, I’d say your lentil sweet potato stew does it for me. Last week I did it without the slow cooker and it was done in 10 mins. So easy so flavorful. Over basmati brown rice, it’s a killer recipe! Thank you thank you for what you do! Xo
My eating ruts tend to be carb heavy (bread, pasta etc…) so I like to jump out of that rut with a quinoa bowls topped with tons of veggies, home grown sprouts, sour kraut, and a wicked sauce.
I know this is going to make me sound like a suck up but the tempeh bacon from your book is life. BLTs heal all wounds. If I’ve been eating the same salad for three days that bacon always brings me back.
Wow, I’ve never seen a baking tray like that before, love the different shapes. My recipe for getting out of a rut is apple and blackberry streusel cake which is really easy and gets me back into baking if I haven’t for a while.
Basically any roasted veggie topped with tahini lemon sauce helps get me out of a cooking rut. Either that or Gado Gado – super simple and easy to make, but very tasty.
When I’m in a rut, I need to find a real “Recipe” with a capital R. Something that uses a little technique (like emulsifying a sauce), maybe a little layering (like a casserole or a terrine), a full-on list for the Farmer’s Market (with something a little hard to find, that inspires me to talk to someone other than my usual vendors). Something that reminds me that cooking can be an event, rather than just a chore!!
These cakes look incredible, and that cookbook sounds absolutely amazing!
One of my favorite recipes is minimalist baker’s sweet potato buddha bowl.. whenever i don’t know what to make for dinner, i fall back on this and it never disappoints!
I always find that making a good dressing/sauce gets me inspired to try something new. I can easily experiment with new flavours/new combinations this way, and this creativity is often just what I need to feel good.
Mexican food will always pull me out of a rut. Some kind of tacos or enchiladas with scratch made salsa always feels vibrant and fun. It also lends itself to having a few friends over and casually eating while standing in the kitchen.
When I’m in a rut, I always make burrito bowls. Guacamole is godsend when I am interested in no other food!
My favourite recipe that gets me out of a rut is Spinach and Halloumi Curry that I originally found on My Wholefood Romance. I have made it so many times that I am confident in switching up some of the ingredients if I don’t have any on hand. Plus, curry’s taste different every time so it is quite satisfying.
Hi Laura!
This cake looks awesome! It should get me out of my ‘rut’ – I typically use a bit of sugar and mostly spelt flour for baking – so excited to try this!
For me the thing with a rut is being stuck with same recipes in rotation, which are the standard for a reason, being usually quick and delicious…so trying a new recipe, or reading up on variations of usual ones is a good way to escape and get some new flavours in. Ethnic food is my go to, particularly Indian and Thai.
There’s a Moroccan lentil soup that I make that gets me out of my rut! I don’t use that flavor profile frequently so I feel like it wakes up my taste buds :)
Crepes with a little bit of lemon sugar always do the trick for me. Reminds me of the crepes I’d have with my parents as a kid.
Pickling makes me so happy in the kitchen and really helps me out of any cooking rut. I just learned how to make “pickled greens” using Tree Collards. Tree Collards are a perennial collard green that growers up to 10 feet tall! They are an awesome plant to have in your garden.
My go to is a recipe for Kale and Wild Rice salad. If I can’t think of anything to make I always turn making the same salad.
My favourite recipe to get me out of an eating rut is usually a bowl: either roasted veggies and some veg protein on rice with a yummy sauce, or a huge salad with lots of different textural components. When I am on the road or visiting family for the holidays, I find that my body starts crying out for a big bowl of veg, and the same thing happens when I am eating on auto-pilot. Bowls with different bits thrown together with a tasty dressing usually brings me out of it.
I love making savory oatmeal of some sort. Collard greens, beets, nutritional yeast.
Oops sorry for the double post
A big pot of soup with vegetables from my CSA always lifts my spirits.
I lovemaking savory oatmea of some sort. Collard greens, beets, Other seasonal veggies. Quick easy and healthy for a single lady with not a lot of free time in the kitchen :)
Holy; talk about a virtuous cake! This looks amazing and I love the fact that I can eat it and feel indulgent but not have to feel bad about it one bit. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe and introducing us to Anya. Now I can’t stop thinking about what other recipes she also has. As for a recipe to get me out of a rut I love butternut squash cashew “cream” sauce with lentil pasta. I can add any green vegetables to it and it reminds me that eating delicious and comforting food that also happens to be healthy is what I should strive for more of.
Eastern (European) Cuisine on a plate, vegetable bulgur