Are you ready? I’m about to sound like a huge jerk.
Here’s the thing – I don’t really like going out to restaurants anymore because I feel like I can cook something at home that I will enjoy more. My kitchen is full of fresh vegetables, whole grains, and some darn good cheese. Most of the restaurants I can afford to frequent serve up dishes that taste… impersonal. They’re greasy or brown and they’re just lacking that fresh look of love that I get crafting something myself. One thing I haven’t mastered yet is baked goods. I still adore restaurant baked goods, specifically of the chocolate variety. I recreated my favorite bakery brownies a few weeks ago and I could probably eat those every day for the rest of my life and be happy.
A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of going out with some friends on a Friday evening without children(!). Since I’m still nursing my baby I passed on the alcoholic beverages but said yes to chocolate cake. This one was molten on the inside and served with the most perfect ice cream, caramel sauce, and cashews. I didn’t feel bad about downing the whole thing myself since I was saving all the drink calories (girl math). I tried recreating a single serving molten chocolate cake and it was, perhaps, too molten. It just never set up right and basically poured out on the plate when I turned it over.
Another restaurant in town serves a rich chocolate truffle cake that I just adore, and this was the one I chose to recreate here. This cake is dense, almost fudgy. The orange juice is important for the chemical baking of the cake but also adds a great hint of orange flavor to it. The ganache frosting takes it way over the top and is so delicious I now want to eat it on everything or even by itself. That’s ok because you really only need about half the ganache recipe below. I stored the other half in the freezer and have some big plans for it in the coming weeks.
I adapted this recipe from a vegan one but it could easily be made vegan again. Just sub soy yogurt for the vanilla. I haven’t tried it but I imagine you could make a ganache out of coconut cream and vegan butter or just top the cake with a glaze of powdered sugar and orange juice.
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Orange Scented Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup yogurt, (I used Chobani 0% Vanilla)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- Zest of one orange
Frosting
- 18 ounces chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, (I used a combination of semisweet and bittersweet, adjust according to how sweet you like your chocolate)
- 1 stick of butter, , cut into chunks
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Instructions
- To make the cake, spray a bundt cake pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with unsweetened cocoa powder. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon. Add the yogurt, vanilla, balsamic vinegar, water, orange juice, and zest. Beat with a mixer on low speed just until well-combined, about 1-2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a serving platter to cool completely.
- To make the ganache, put the chocolate, butter, and sugar in a heatproof bowl.
- In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil and immediately pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then whisk slowly until chocolate and butter are melted and the ganache is smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate until the ganache has thickened to a frosting consistency, about 30 minutes. Using about half the ganache, frost the cooled cake. Store leftover ganache in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for future use.
olive says
well done!
madscar says
Uau this is amazing:) I love it!
Chobani says
Yum, Lindsay! The flavors here remind me exactly of the chocolate orange candy that I used to get in my Christmas stocking every year from my parents. 🙂 Always gobbled it up right away!
Amy, @Chobani
Brittany says
Oh my goodness. You have the most wickedly sinful blog I’ve been to in a long time! One post leads to another, then another, and next thing I know.. I’ve been here for far longer than I meant to be, and I’ve bookmarked more than a few recipes. Honestly, you’re a genius and I’m forevermore in love with your blog!
This post sealed the deal, though! What is it about chocolate cake that makes me crazy? Probably the chocolate 😉 Also, I cannot agree more with you on the whole “going out to eat” thing. It breaks my boyfriend’s heart that I don’t want to stop off for a quick bite somewhere when I can make the same thing at home for less money, and it will taste better! (Although my one caveat is steak. I don’t know how, but I cannot for the life of me cook a steak. Alas…)
Thank you for wonderful recipes! I can’t wait to make this along with several other of your recipes, including the Milano cookies and the double dark chocolate chip cookies. So much deliciousness in one cookie? Sign me up!
Lindsay Moe says
Great choices! I’m glad you’ve found a few recipes to try. Thanks for stopping by!