Blood Orange Chocolate Cake w/Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Blood Orange Chocolate Cake w/Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
This chocolate-orange olive oil cake is easy, fool-proof, fast and delicious, and can be made into cupcakes too! It is the perfect dessert for chocolate lovers who want a more sophisticated cake that is not overly sweet.
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
- 1 2/3 cups Blood Orange EVOO, divided
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp espresso powder (optional, but enhances the chocolate flavor)
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or bourbon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 3 large eggs
- Zest from 1 orange
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
For frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1 - 2 T lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
To Make the Cake:
Preheat your oven to 400F. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Grease the bottom and the sides of the pan with a splash of olive oil. Place the parchment in the bottom of the pan and smooth out any bubbles. Spread a bit more olive oil over the top of the parchment. Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with 2 Tbsp sugar.
In a medium bowl mix the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, mix the cocoa and espresso powders. Whisk in the hot water until it forms a smooth paste. Add the Grand Marnier and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
In a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), whisk the eggs, 1 cup of sugar and orange zest together on high speed for 10 minutes, until mixture becomes thick and pale yellow.
Using a measuring cup with a pour spout, slowly add 1 1/4 cups olive oil to the batter, beating until fully incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture on low speed and mix until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add half the cocoa and Grand Marnier mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat using the second half of the dry ingredients and the remaining cocoa mixture.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the cake and finish by sprinkling 2 Tbsp of sugar over the top (this helps make a crunchy almond layer).
Place the cake in the center of the oven. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees or 325 degrees if using a convection oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Be careful not over-bake or your cake will be dry.
Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Using a thin chopstick, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly drizzle the last 1/3 cup of olive oil over the cake, filling the holes slowly and allowing the cake to absorb all of the oil.
Release the edges of the cake by running an offset spatula or knife around the edges of the pan. Release the spring form and transfer the cake to a rack to cool.
To Make the Frosting:
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Using a hand or stand mixer whip the heavy cream until you achieve stiff peaks. Set aside.
In a second bowl beat the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, lemon zest, juice and pinch of salt together. Fold in whipped cream. Once the cake is completely cooled, pile the frosting high on top of the cake. No need to frost the sides unless you want to -- and there's plenty to go around.
VARIATIONS:
Blood Orange olive oil and Grand Marnier give this cake its orange essence, but you can use an unflavored, good quality olive oil as well such as our House Blend or Olio Santo EVOO, and other liquors. Bourbon, an espresso or hazelnut flavored liquor would also be delicous.
Recipe and photos all by the super talented Kim Pawell at Something New for Dinner. She's a big believer of the importance of home-cooked nutritious meals, and sitting down around the dinner table together. She created SNFD as a place to share the dinner recipes that she's prepared for her family for the last 25 years. Kim is also a wall art photographer and donates 10% of profits to World Central Kitchen. Check out her website for more!