Italian Orange and Chocolate Almond Cake

I feel like we all could use a piece of chocolate cake right now. In particular, a piece of orange and chocolate almond cake!

Grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, this is a cake that everyone in my food-sensitive family can enjoy together. Rich and indulgent and traditionally gluten-free. It is really one of my favourite cake recipes.

It’s based on a traditional Italian almond cake… with the delicious addition of chocolate!

Orange and Chocolate Almond Cake

This cake is incredibly easy to make. Probably the most difficult part is planning ahead so you have time to boil the oranges. But other than that it really only requires about 10 minutes’ time in the kitchen… so it’s perfect for anyone who is working from home.

• 1 small thin-skinned oranges (organic is best)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 3/4 cup ground almond,
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Wash the orange, then place the whole orange in a pot of water. Bring the pot to a boil then simmer for 1 hour. The orange should be very soft.
2. Drain the water from the pot, and allow the orange to cool for at least 1 hour.
3. When you’re ready to bake the cake, cut the orange in half and remove all the seeds.
4. Place the orange in a blender or a large food processor (skin and all). The entire orange is going to be pureed into the cake.
5. Add in the eggs and honey to provide liquid to help with pureeing the orange.
6. Then add in the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
7. Continue to pulse until everything is well mixed.
8. Grease a 6-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour in the cake mixture.
9. Bake at 400F for 35 minutes. You may want to cover the cake with tinfoil half-way through to prevent burning. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean. It will be moist, but completely set.

Serving Options

I’m not really a sweet-tooth… so this cake isn’t overly sweet. It is incredibly rich, chocolaty and delicious.

Here are a few serving suggestions that will either help sweeten the cake and complement the rich flavour of chocolate:

• To add a bit more sweetness, serve with a dusting of icing sugar.
• Make a simple glaze by heating up 2 tbsp of apricot jam in the microwave, then brush it on top of the cake.
• Serve with whipping cream to balance the earthy flavour of chocolate.
• For a classic combination, serve the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while it’s still warm.