Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: blood orange

  • Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Tarts

    Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Tarts

        

    I love blood oranges!  Their sweet flavor, and lovely color are perfect, and they are only available for a short time usually around here, so I always get some when they are available! Surprisingly though, I had not bought any yet this year because I hadn’t seen them but when I came across some this week, I bought a bunch!  I couldn’t wait to snack on them, but also I wanted to make something with them. I thought a blood orange dark chocolate mousse would be good, but I decided to turn that into a tart filling.

    Back in the day I made this really good mousse recipe that was just chilled whipped cream that you folded melted chocolate into and it was the best thing ever. I have since veganized it and I now make it with chilled coconut cream and it turns out just as delicious! For the filling though, to make it blood orange flavored, I added both the juice and zest of blood orange plus a little vanilla and it was perfect!  I could not stop sampling it, it was like the best truffle ever!

    I made some of my classic coconut oil pie crusts, that have a buttery flakey texture and flavor and they were perfect with the filling! Yes I could have gone with a no bake crust but this would be so much better and worth the little bit extra effort, since the filling is so simple. I could not wait to try one! I topped them each off with a blood orange slice.

    They were heavenly!  The filling was rich and smooth and intensely chocolaty with the sweet scent of orange and vanilla, so good with the rich crust! If you wanted to tone down the intense chocolate you could top it off with some coconut whipped cream.  But I loved it as is!  If you are a chocolate fan, definitely give this a try!

     

    Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Tarts

    Makes 4 4 inch tarts

    Ingredients:

    Crust:

    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
    • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt
    • 1/3 cup coconut oil*
    • about 2 Tbsp cold water

     

    Filling:

    • 1 cup full fat organic coconut milk, chilled (the thick part from the top of the can)
    • 2 Tbsp blood orange juice and 1 Tbsp blood orange zest
    • 1 cups vegan dark chocolate chips
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
    2. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, cacao powder, sugar, and sea salt. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces. Mix in  just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky. Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created.
    3. Divide the dough between 4 small 4 inch tart pans, and press it into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.  Prick the bottom a few times with a fork, and cover with foil, snugly against the bottom.  Fill with pie weights or dried beans or rice.
    4. Place the tart shells on a sheet pan, then place the pan in the oven, and bake until set, about 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until more dry and starting to brown a little, about 20-25 minutes.
    5. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
    6. For the filling, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then pour into a glass measuring cup with a spout.
    7. Place the coconut milk, orange zest and juice and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth.
    8. Turn the food processor on, and with the motor running, slowly pour the chocolate into it and blend until uniform in color.
    9. Pour the filling over the crust and spread evenly.  Place in the freezer to firm up if not already firm (it doesn’t take long usually just 10 minutes or so).
    10. Garnish the top of the tarts with blood orange slices.
    11. Enjoy!

      Tart keeps refrigerated for 1 week in an airtight container.

  • Raw Chocolate Blood Orange Caramel Cheesecake with Lavender

    Raw Chocolate Blood Orange Caramel Cheesecake with Lavender

    I am obsessed with blood oranges lately.  They are seriously the most beautiful citrus fruit I have ever seen, and their flavor is the perfect balance of tart and sweet.  I have been buying them by the bagful for a few weeks now since they became available here, and I am savoring every juicy orange slowly. I have been snacking on them, but I have also been using them to create delicious desserts as well.   

     
    Last weekend I made a Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Layer Cake, and it was wonderful. I loved the flavor combination so much I decided to use it again.  I hope you all don’t mind me being a little redundant, but these two desserts each sing their own song despite having some of the same flavors.

    So this second blood orange chocolate dessert was a chocolate cheesecake.  Not just blood oranges and chocolate though.  I added a touch of lavender, and some raw blood orange caramel as well.  Although I am a vanilla girl, I have been craving lots of chocolate lately for some reason.  Nothing wrong with that…makes me create lots of delicious things for you chocoholics out there!  Let me tell you, the combination of chocolate, blood oranges, lavender and caramel is out of this world.

    Combine that with cheesecake and you have a winner.  I admit I am a bit biased, being that cheesecake is my favorite dessert, but I think anyone could appreciate this if they were to taste it themselves.  I wish I could invite you all over to my house so you could try it too, but since I can’t I feel it is only fair that I share the recipe in case you want to make it.  Good news, no fancy decoration skills required here, simply sweet blood orange slices, which are so beautiful, that is all the cake needs.

    Raw Chocolate Blood Orange Caramel Cheesecake with Lavender
    Makes one 6 inch cake

    Crust:
    2/3 cup raw sprouted buckwheat groats (or additional coconut)
    1/3 cup ground flaxseed
    3/4 cup dried finely shredded coconut
    1/3 cup raw cacao powder
    1/8 teaspoon sea salt
    10-12 soft medjool dates, pitted and chopped (if they are not soft, soak them in water until they are and drain them well)

    Blood Orange Caramel:
    1 cup medjool dates, pitted (soaked in filtered water for 30 minutes if not soft, then drained)
    2 Tbsp raw pecan butter
    3 Tbsp raw coconut nectar or maple syrup
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1Tbsp blood orange zest
    1/4 cup blood orange

    Filling:
    4 cups young coconut meat*
    2 Tbsp blood orange zest
    1/2 cup blood orange juice
    a few drops DoTerra lavender essential oil (optional, or other food grade essential oil)
    2/3 cup raw coconut nectar, or maple syrup
    1/2  teaspoon sea salt
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract and seeds from half a vanilla bean
    2/3 cup raw coconut butter (warmed to liquid)
    1/2 cup raw cacao powder

    Blood orange slices
    dried lavender flowers

    Lightly coat a 6 inch spring form removable bottom pan with coconut oil.
    To prepare the crust, process flax, coconut, buckwheat and sea salt in a food processor until fine crumbs, then add the dates and process until the mixture holds together when squeezed between your fingers (if not holding together, add more dates).
    Firmly press crust into the bottom of the prepared pan, and set aside.
    To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth.  Set aside.

    To make the filling, in a high speed blender or food processor, combine coconut meat, orange zest and juice, lavender oil, coconut nectar, sea salt, and vanilla and blend until smooth and creamy. With the processor running, add the coconut butter and process for a minute until blended.  Add the cacao powder and blend until smooth.
    To assemble cheesecake, pour 1/3 of the filling into the pan over the crust, then drop some of the caramel by the heaping tsp over that, and swirl with a knife, Pour half of the remaining filling over that, then drop more of the caramel by the tsp over that and swirl with a knife.  Pour the remaining filling over that, then more of the caramel by the tsp, and swirl with a knife. Place in the freezer for about 4 hours to firm up. Decorate the top of the cake with the blood orange slices and lavender flowers. Store in the fridge.

    *If you do not have access to young coconut meat, you can substitute 4 cups raw cashews soaked for 4 hours and drained.

     

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Blood Orange Layer Cake (gluten free)

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Blood Orange Layer Cake (gluten free)

    Last Saturday on Valentine’s Day, Eric and I decided to take a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts for a date.  I had planned on going for a nice walk outdoors somewhere, and as it worked out, Mother Nature did not cooperate and it was about 5F degrees that day.  So, the art museum was a warm and comforting place to go.  It was romantic walking through the museum and admiring art together.  They had an event going on where you place a red paper heart in front of your favorite piece.  So we carried the hearts with us for most of the date, and finally when we had already seen most of the museum, I saw the piece I loved the most. I was about to say so when at the same time Eric said “This one!” Turns out we both picked the same piece.  Funny because we have very different tastes, so it was pretty awesome we agreed this time.

    After the museum, we took a trip to the Wedge Co-op, and the first thing I saw when I walked through the door was a display of beautiful blood oranges.  I had to get some. I had been waiting for blood oranges for what seemed like forever and none of the stores near my home had them yet.  So, I was all over them.  I wanted to make a cake of some sort featuring them.  I asked Eric if he preferred a raw cheesecake or a layer cake, and layer cake it was!  This was going to be a post Valentine’s Day Cake, since I just wanted to spend time with Eric and why not make Valentine’s Day last two days and have cake on Sunday!

    I ended up making a chocolate cake with a fluffy coconut based white chocolate orange frosting that tasted like creamsicle.  It was delicious, and this cake ended up being a little like me and Eric’s taste in art.  He prefers chocolate, I prefer vanilla or fruit flavored.  But we both agreed that this cake was wonderful.  The best of both, and something we could share.

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Blood Orange Layer Cake (gluten free)
    Makes 1 6 inch 4 layer cake

    2 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:
    1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour (or gluten free oat flour)
    1/3 cup cacao powder
    1 cup coconut sugar
    1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    1 tsp baking powder
    1 tsp sea salt
    1 cup pureed apple
    1/4 cup virgin olive oil
    1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
    2 Tbsp orange zest
    1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp fresh blood orange juice at room temperature
    2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

    Frosting:
    2 cans organic full fat coconut milk, chilled
    2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours in water and drained
    2/3 cup blood orange juice
    2 Tbsp blood orange zest
    3/4 cup raw coconut nectar, maple syrup or agave nectar
    1/2  tsp sea salt
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1 2/3 cups coconut butter, warmed to liquid
    2/3 cup raw cacao butter, warmed to liquid**

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position rack in center of oven. Line two six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides lightly with coconut oil so that the cake doesn’t stick and line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment fit to the pan.
    Whisk flour, cacao powder, baking soda, sea salt, sugar in a large bowl to blend well.
    Whisk apple puree, oil, vanilla, orange zest and juice together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    Transfer cake batter to prepared pans and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
    Cool cakes completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cakes out onto platter; peel off parchment paper. Let cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill until very cold to make slicing easier. When chilled, slice cakes horizontally in half so that you have 4 layers.

    Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine all ingredients but the coconut butter and cacao butter in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  With the motor running, add the coconut butter and cacao butter and process a minute more.  Pour the frosting into a bowl and let sit in the freezer until the consistency of whipped cream (this may take anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour depending on how warm it has gotten).
    When ready to frost, place one cake layer on a plate. spread frosting about 1/2 inch thick over the first layer, then top with the second.  Repeat the frosting, then another cake layer, then more frosting then the last cake layer. Spread frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake.  Decorate the top of the cake with blood orange slices just before serving.  Store cake in the fridge.

    **If you can not get cacao butter, you can substitute more coconut butter or coconut oil.

    ***if you would like a 4 layer 9 inch cake, double this entire recipe and bake in two 9 inch cake pans.