Not Another Bloody Orange Chocolate Cake Recipe
Blood oranges have such a short season, I feel it’s imperative to make the most of them. They have a wonderful flavour and are not overly sugary like some oranges can be. They also have a gorgeous blood red colour. The colour is lost in this bloody orange chocolate cake, but the flavour is there.
I’ve been testing out the Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro recently. It’s an amazing piece of kit and functions as a slow cooker as well as a pressure cooker. It stews, steams, roasts, deep fries, braises, defrosts and much more. I’ve made porridge, yoghurt and rice as well as this veggie bean chilli. This quite astonishing multi cooker can also bake cakes. I decided to test this particular function out with a blood orange chocolate cake.
Unlike the last chocolate cake I made for Jumpstart 2017, this one is not vegan. It’s not what you’d call a healthy recipe either. But it’s healthier than most cakes. It’s made using organic wholemeal spelt flour, organic 85% dark chocolate and unrefined sugar. Just don’t dwell on the amount of sugar; it’s a little eye watering The ingredients together with the cooking method give a beautiful moist fudgy consistency and wonderfully intense chocolate orange flavour. It would be perfect to give to someone special on Valentine’s Day. Red is the symbolic colour of love after all, even if it can’t be seen. The blood orange chocolate cake has the added bonus of being super easy to make too, either in an oven or in the Pressure-Cook Pro.
My mother in law has recently passed away. She had a very sweet tooth, so it seems fitting somehow to post this fudgy blood orange chocolate cake on the day of her funeral.
- 225g unsalted butter
- 200g dark muscovado
- 100g molasses sugar
- 1 blood orange
- 2 large eggs
- 100g 85% dark chocolate (I used G&B)
- 200g wholemeal spelt
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150ml boiling water
- ½ blood orange
- 1 tsp honey
- 75g 70% dark chocolate
- 25g unsalted butter
- Melt butter, chocolate and sugars in a large saucepan over a very gentle heat, then remove from the heat.
- Grate in the zest of the orange, then squeeze in the juice. Stir until everything is combined.
- Beat in the eggs, one by one.
- Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the flour and sift a third in. Fold in, then stir in a third of the hot water. Repeat until everything is just mixed.
- Pour into a silicone mould, lined tin or a buttered / oiled Pressure-Cook Pro bowl.
- Bake for 55 minutes at 180℃ in the middle of the oven or until the top is firm and an inserted skewer comes out almost clean. A slight underbake is much better than over baking with this cake.
- If using the Pressure-Cook Pro, select the cake function and adjust the time setting to 1 hr.
- Leave to cool, then turn out onto a serving plate.
- Squeeze the juice of an orange into a small pan. Add the honey and chocolate and melt everything over a gentle heat. Alternatively place in a bowl over some hot water.
- Add the butter, half at a time, stirring until melted.
- Pour over the cake, allowing it to dribble down the sides.
- Other oranges can be used, but the flavour and sweetness of the cake will vary.
Other recipes using blood oranges you might like
- Blood orange curd via Tin and Thyme
- Olive oil, cardamom blood orange polenta cake via Recipes From a Pantry
- Suger free blood orange cake via Rough Measures
- Blood orange squash via Tin and Thyme
- Purple sprouting broccoli & blood orange salad via From the Healthy Heart
- Blood orange salad with avocado, radish & dill via Family Friends Food
- Squash, blood orange & radicchio salad via Natural Kitchen Adventures
This is my entry for this February’s We Should Cocoa. If you’ve made anything where chocolate is a main ingredient this month, do join in.
I’m also sharing this blood orange chocolate cake with Ness at JibberJabberUK for Love Cake. The theme this month is Cakes for All.
You can keep up with the Jumpstart 2017 campaign by following me and other Froothie Ambassadors via the hashtag #Jumpstart17 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
As a Froothie Ambassador, I can offer Tin and Thyme readers free P&P on any Froothie appliance. Add 2483 free ambassador delivery to the comment box when ordering to get free postage and packing. Delivery will be credited back onto your card. The Optimum Pressure-Cook Pro is currently on offer at £199.
The post contains affiliate links. Buying through a link will not cost you any more, but I will get a small commission. This helps keep Tin and Thyme blythe and blogging. Opinions are, as always, my own.
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This beauty was white yesterday morning. I knew it was going to turn, but it still seems like a miracle. It’s the first cobaea we’ve grown in several years and this is it’s first bloom.
Crumbling cliffs adding interest to CT’s birthday walk. Fabulous day for it. Sand martins seem to love it.
Our Monthly Chocolate Challenge
Angie@Angie's Recipes
10th February 2017
Just bought some blood oranges to make some salads for the dinner. I love them and usually just eat them plain..should do more in the baking! Your chocolate cake looks sensational!
Choclette
16th February 2017
Thanks Angie, blood oranges and chocolate make for one fabulous combination 🙂
Janice
10th February 2017
Oh I love that it has molasses in it, it’s ages since I baked with molasses and it always brings out real depth in chocolate bakes. Fabulous bloody orange chocolate cake
Choclette
16th February 2017
It was molasses sugar rather than molasses, but yes, it gives a lovely flavour. Glad you like the cake 😀
Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe
11th February 2017
Great title for this post – I would love this cake – though yes lots of sugar! I always find it hard to think how to feature blood oranges and keep their colour – that is a real challenge! Sorry to hear about your mother in law – warm wishes to you and CT’s family.
Choclette
16th February 2017
Thanks very much Johanna. It’s always hard losing people you’re close to, but she lived a good and long life.
Sus // roughmeasures.com
12th February 2017
This looks rather decadent and a good way to celebrate life. I hope you are both getting through this xx
Choclette
16th February 2017
Thanks very much Sus. It’s been an emotional week for sure, but cake helps!
Munchies and Munchkins
12th February 2017
Ah this sounds so good. I love blood oranges and like Janice I really love the flavour that molasses bring to a bake. YUM.
Choclette
16th February 2017
Thank goodness blood oranges are easier to source than they used to be.
Kavey at Kavey Eats
12th February 2017
This cake looks sooo moist and delicious!
Choclette
14th February 2017
Thanks Kavey, it was so good, even though the colour is hidden.
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed
12th February 2017
I love blood oranges and your ‘bloody’ chocolate cake looks so tempting. I like how you’ve used molasses and muscovado sugar. Sorry to hear about your mother in law, condolences to you and your family
Choclette
14th February 2017
Thanks Sarah. It’s not an easy time to be sure and so much to do and sort out, but I know my Mother in Law would be very happy to know we were enjoying cake.
Ceri Jones
13th February 2017
Such a stunning Cake Choclette – and well, I adore anything made with blood oranges!
Choclette
14th February 2017
Thanks Ceri, blood oranges are so very special.
Kate - gluten free alchemist
13th February 2017
Love the title of this post! My first thought was ‘god…. I hope it is!’
And I’m not disappointed. The cake looks to die for…… Such a wonderful texture and perfectly rich. The addition of blood orange (which I agree have to be enjoyed in abundance whilst they last) is brilliant.
As for the idea of a healthy chocolate cake? Nah! Takes away all the fun! x
Choclette
14th February 2017
Haha, you are incorrigible Kate. I always think I prefer the healthy option, until you let me loose in a good cake shop. I can almost be guaranteed to go for the unhealthiest thing on offer 😉
Jan Bennett
17th February 2017
Chocolate and orange are a perfect match! Love that the Pressure Cooker can cook cake 🙂
Choclette
17th February 2017
It’s amazing and it gives true cake such a lovely texture. I was impressed.
Emma
20th February 2017
This looks IMMENSE! Can’t believe you made this with a pressure cooker!
Choclette
20th February 2017
Yes, quite astonishing. The cooker gave it such a gorgeous texture, I’ll be using it for cakes again.
Lorna
28th February 2017
Omg I love blood oranges. I’m useless at cakes, but I definitely want to give this one a try!!
L x
Choclette
1st March 2017
This cake is super simple to make. Go on, give it a go 🙂
Ness
28th February 2017
I sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. This seems a very fitting and seasonal tribute to her.
Choclette
1st March 2017
Thanks Ness. It’s never going to be easy losing family and friends.
Eb Gargano / easypeasyfoodie.com
28th February 2017
Woah – this cake looks AWESOME!! Can’t believe you made it in a pressure cooker – AMAZING!! 🙂 Eb x
Choclette
1st March 2017
I was impressed with it too and it gave such a good texture to the cake.