Details on a few ingredients

Blood oranges - The flesh of blood oranges can range from pink to dark red, and even a purplish colour. And while dessert recipes usually call for blood oranges because the vibrant coloured flesh adds a lovely pink hue to cakes and frostings, I opted for blood oranges in this cake because of their sweet taste. And for that sweet orange flavour, I used 4 blood oranges in this recipe (the juice and some of the zest). If you can't find blood oranges (the season runs from December to April), you can definitely use naval oranges. Just keep in mind the cake may not be as sweet.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - It's no secret that I enjoy baking with olive oil. Some people find it has an intense flavour in baked goods, but I enjoy the flavour, especially when paired with chocolate. More importantly, it's a healthier fat compared to butter, and does a great job at keeping baked goods moist. Just make sure you're using a good quality extra virgin olive oil or olive oil.

Natural Cocoa - Both natural cocoa and dutch-processed cocoa come from cocoa beans. Natural cocoa powder, however, is naturally acidic with a strong chocolate flavour, while dutch-processed has the acid neutralized. Natural cocoa is often used in conjunction with baking soda, which needs acid to react and create leavening in a recipe. I've only made this recipe with natural cocoa. It hasn't been tested with dutch-processed.

Storage and freezing

Since coconut milk frosting requires refrigeration, this cake needs to be covered and refrigerated. If it's unfrosted, you can store it covered at room temperature.

If unfrosted, this cake will last 4-5 days at room temperature. With frosting, it will last 2-3 days in the fridge.

You can freeze this cake without the frosting. Just let it cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the fridge or at room temperature before frosting. I don't recommend freezing this cake with the frosting.

Two slices of chocolate cake on pink plates.

Recipe tips and substitutions

Orange zest: It's easier to zest an orange when it's cold and firm. So, if you don't already store your oranges in the refrigerator, I suggest placing a few in there before you zest them for this recipe. Also, zest the oranges before you juice them. Otherwise, the oranges are soft and difficult to handle.

Batter: Once you pour the batter into your pan, you will notice some air bubbles rising to the surface. Gently tap the bottom of the pan off your countertop to allow more bubbles to rise up and pop. If you're using a springform pan, be careful not to tap too aggressively as the batter may start to come out of the bottom of the pan.

Size of pan: If you don't have a 9-inch springform pan, you can use a regular 9-inch round cake pan. If you go smaller, the cake will be thicker and require additional baking time.

Frosting: Once you add orange juice to the coconut whip, it will seem a little runny. Don't worry. You will still be able to spread it out on the cake and it will firm up in the refrigerator. And while the small amount of blood orange juice and zest doesn't turn the frosting pink, it adds just enough orange flavour to the coconut whip to disguise the coconut flavour.

Overhead view of blood orange cake with frosting and chocolate shavings being served onto plates.

📖 Recipe

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