Orange and chocolate is a classic flavour pairing, very popular here in New Zealand. When those flavours come together in a cake it’s hard to resist a slice. If you prefer a treat that’s a little lighter, this recipe takes a healthier approach without sacrificing taste.
This cake is both gluten free and dairy free, and for this version I experimented with a new natural sweetener blend. The product I used combines raw cane sugar with stevia leaf extract, designed specifically for baking. Stevia can sometimes leave an aftertaste, but once baked into this cake it’s indistinguishable and the blend requires only about half the volume of regular sugar to reach the same sweetness. The result is fewer calories from sugar while keeping the texture and flavour you expect from a rich chocolate-orange cake.
The cake turns out fudgy with gentle chocolate notes and bright orange highlights. It pairs beautifully with a dollop of orange crème fraîche (recipe below — note that crème fraîche is not dairy-free) or your preferred dairy-free yoghurt for a non-dairy accompaniment.
If you’d like to try this sweetener range for yourself, scroll down for details of a giveaway.
- Cake
- 300g ground almonds
- 120g Whole Earth Sweetener Co. baking blend
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 200g dark chocolate
- 2 medium oranges
- 6 eggs
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Sliced almonds (optional)
- Orange Crème Fraîche
- 200g crème fraîche
- ½ tablespoon Whole Earth Sweetener Co. baking blend
- Zest of 1 orange
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper and set aside.
- Trim the ends from both oranges and cut into segments, removing any seeds. Place the segments into a food processor with the peel.
- Add the Whole Earth baking blend to the oranges and blitz until fully pureed.
- Melt the dark chocolate using a bain-marie: place the chocolate in a small saucepan set over a larger pan of simmering water, ensuring the chocolate bowl does not touch the water. Stir until smooth.
- Allow the melted chocolate to cool slightly, then add it to the orange puree in the food processor and blitz on medium speed.
- Add the eggs and oil and blend for another couple of minutes until combined.
- Add the ground almonds, baking powder and cocoa powder to the processor and blend until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle sliced almonds over the top if using.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Serve warm or allow to cool.
- To make the orange crème fraîche (optional): combine crème fraîche, orange zest and the baking blend in a bowl and whisk with a hand mixer until smooth. Serve a dollop with each slice. For a dairy-free option, use your favourite dairy-free yoghurt instead.
Giveaway! – Closed
The sweetener brand kindly offered a prize pack so readers could try their range at home. A prize pack valued at $50, featuring the full product range, was available to one lucky reader. Entries were accepted from New Zealand residents only.
One winner was chosen at random and announced on Friday 13th July.
Winner Announced
Thank you to everyone who entered and shared ideas for using the Whole Earth sweeteners in baking and cooking. We received lots of creative suggestions. The winner is:
Congratulations to – Hayley Beach!
Hayley, please email your postal details to arrange delivery of your prize pack.