Vegan Orange, Chocolate & Olive Oil Torte
This vegan chocolate torte has a fudgy, dense crumb, with wonderful fragrance from the oranges. 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. Infusing the olive oil with the orange zest really amplifies the orange flavour. Warming the oil speeds up the process, but the longer you can leave them to infuse the better. We’ve been known to leave them overnight.
Cook's 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.
Ingredients
- 3 oranges
- 80ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 180ml water
- ½ tbsp cider vinegar
- pinch of salt
- 100g self-raising flour
- 60g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 30g ground almonds
- 180g caster sugar
Method
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Step 1
Finely zest all 3 oranges. Add the zest to a small saucepan with the olive oil – 80ml is just over 5 tablespoons if that helps. Gently warm the oil until it is bathwater-hot. Leave to one side for at least 20 minutes to infuse.
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Step 2
Meanwhile, grease a 20cm cake tin with a little olive oil and line it with baking parchment. Turn your oven to 180⁰C/Gas 4 to preheat.
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Step 3
Juice enough oranges to give you 80ml of juice – this will be just over 5 tablespoons in volume or will weigh 80g. Place the juice in a bowl with the water, vinegar, and a generous pinch of salt.
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Step 4
In a separate mixing bowl, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda. Add the ground almonds and sugar. Mix well so everything is evenly distributed.
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Step 5
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 just incorporated, and you no longer see any dry lumps.
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Step 6
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level it with the back of a spoon. Transfer to the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, 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.