Rich, dark and intensely chocolate-y, this vegan Chocolate Orange Bundt cake is also whole-wheat and low-fat and it's sweetened naturally with maple syrup. On top goes a decadent, gooey chocolate-orange glaze.
I had been craving -- deeply, darkly, intensely craving -- something chocolate-y. I woke up in the mornings thinking of a rich, moist chocolate cake drowning in frosting. I went to bed at night and dreamed of plates stacked high with fudgy vegan brownies. And in between all I wanted to do was dig my teeth into a fat, chunky, vegan chocolate chip cookie.
Exit to the real world. Which isn't so bad, really, now that it contains this luscious, delicious, Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake with a Chocolate Orange Glaze.
My vegan Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake not only satisfied that intense craving, but it did not pinch my conscience. Not once. Because it's made with whole-wheat, sweetened with maple syrup, and it is low, low, low in fat.
In fact, whoever coined the adage about having your cake and eating it too surely had something like this in mind.
The cake is so moist and so tender that no one will ever tell it's low fat. Even better, it has that amazing combination of chocolate and orange. Now who in their right mind does not just love that? And the glaze is so simple yet so delicious.
This cake is a perfect treat for any little 'uns you have around the house. Mine was so excited just by the sight of the sumptuous bundt, he asked for a slice, guzzled it up, then asked for another. Considering he isn't a huge chocolate fan (yeah, really, one of those) that was quite a compliment to this cake.
Isn't it time you fell in love?
Related recipes:
- Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
- Vegan Salted Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
- Vegan Zucchini Cake with Orange Marmalade Glaze
- Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake with a Lemon Glaze
- Vegan Chai-Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Recipe card
Vegan Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake (whole wheat)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can substitute with half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus more for dusting the bundt pan
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups maple syrup (can substitute with any unrefined sugar, like turbinado or coconut palm sugar)
- 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup avocado oil or any neutral oil
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the chocolate-orange glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
Instructions
Make the vegan chocolate orange cake
- Prepare a bundt pan by spraying the sides and center tube with oil and dusting with cocoa powder. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, orange juice, applesauce, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together until mixed thoroughly. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure you get all of the flour.
- Pour the batter evenly into the bundt cake pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake stand 10 minutes on a rack, then unmold and continue cooling on the rack.
Make the glaze
- In a bowl, mix the confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder. Add 2 tablespoon of orange juice and whisk until it forms a smooth glaze. If it's too thick, add a little more orange juice.
- Pour the glaze over the cake. Decorate the cake, if you wish, with some orange zest.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
Rita says
I made this cake once and am making it again. It turned out great. I used half wholemeal and half white both organic pastry flour and followed your exact recipe. I usually add a tablespoon or two of corn flour in most of my cakes as this makes cakes softer but not sure whether I should do so for this cake. I am making it for an event and do not want it to go wrong for me. Do you think cornflour will make this cake softer/extra moist or will it affect it in any other way.
Juliana says
Made this cake to keep everyone happy. It’s now our family favorite requested by all.
Works every time, so moist and delicious.
Vaishali says
❤️
Shari says
I have made this cake before and love it. Is it ok to use all all-purpose flour? I don't have whole wheat flour right now.
Vaishali says
Yes, all purpose flour will yield an even more tender cake!
Clementine says
Thank you for this amazing recipe! So good! <3