vegan chocolate chocolate orange cake

i recently told myself that instead of putting all my effort into baking…because we all know baking and living alone is a dangerous thing. and not to mention there’s nothing actually nutritious in sugary sweets. i realized should put the flour and sugar away and trade them in for a cooking hobby.

while i eat rather healthy vegan-ish natural ingredient meals (which makes me feel less guilty about the baking),  they usually lack any sort of inspiration or real effort. i’m not sure what it is about cooking vs. baking and the fact that i’d gladly spend hours baking rather than cooking.

so i thought — just try a baking hiatus and focus on cooking…that is after you try this recipe. ‘it’s the last time i swear!’ i told myself. but after these results…i don’t think baking will let me go that easily.

inspiration for this cake came from my guilty pleasure joy the baker and a trader joe’s dark chocolate orange i’ve had since last christmas…yea i’m just going to go with my theory that chocolate doesn’t go bad. the recipe calls for optional chocolate pieces, and well, it was about time i did something with that chocolate orange so in it went.

i’m not always the biggest fan of orange and chocolate…hence why that orange has stuck with me for so long, but tossed in this cake, the melted pieces of dark orange chocolate compliment the complexity of the cocoa and coffee so so beautifully. so much so that i’ve come to terms with my love of  baking and the fact that it will never give my heart back…or my size 2 pants…

vegan chocolate chocolate orange cake

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm coffee
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or 1 packet vanilla sugar)
1 cup chopped orange flavored dark chocolate

1.) place rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  grease a 9-inch bundt pan with vegetable shortening and dust with cocoa powder.  set aside.

2.) in a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together coffee, oil, and vanilla.

3.) add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.  stir in chocolate chunks and cocoa nibs, if using.

4.) pour the batter into the prepared pan.  the batter will be relatively thick.  bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

5.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.  sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

cake will last, well wrapped and with self-control at room temperature, for up to 3 days.