Boozy Orange Chocolate Naked Cake | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Low Sugar, Vegan Option

I quite enjoy making cakes, like that awesome Lemon Sponge Cake or this boozy orange chocolate naked cake. I also enjoy eating it too, but I think I enjoy making cakes, cupcakes, and muffins even more than I enjoy eating them. I don’t make cakes often, because I feel that it should be made for a special occasion, you know? To make them special. Commercial cakes are so cheap (in every way) that people eat way too many cakes. On top of being made with the cheapest and least nutritious ingredients, the cake has lost its appeal I think.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Less cakes, but better quality cakes, I say!” quote=”Less cakes, but better quality cakes, I say!”]

The Boozy Orange Chocolate Naked Cake

So, I decided to make this Boozy orange chocolate naked cake for my in-laws’ anniversary. Their original wedding cake had an orange liqueur flavour (Cointreau), and so I decided to use that in this recipe for them. My mother-in-law also has a sensitivity to dairy and wheat, so I made the cake dairy-free and gluten-free. I am very pleased with how it turned out, and wanted to share the recipe with you. It’s very basic, but delicious!

Enjoy!

ECP xo

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Boozy Orange Chocolate Naked Cake (gluten-free, dairy-free, low sugar, vegan option)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 8 servings

You can live a healthy lifestyle and have your cake too! Don't live a cake-less life! This simple recipe will convince you. Plus, chocolate! Yum!

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached organic cane sugar
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

Wet Ingredients

• 3 organic free-range eggs (or for vegan option, mix 3 Tbsp of chia seeds with 1/2 cup water, mix really well for 10 seconds and wait 5 minutes before using)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup rice milk or almond milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur (I used Cointreau)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar raw/unfiltered

Icing

• 184 g vegan buttery spread (I used 1/2 of the container of organic Earth Balance) Note: if you eat dairy, you can use organic grass-fed butter instead
• 3 cups icing sugar organic if possible
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 tsp orange liqueur (I used Cointreau)
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 organic orange zested (ONLY use the zest if it's organic. Never use the zest of a non-organic citrus, since the skin will have concentrated pesticide residues)

Instructions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix all the wet ingredients in a medium size bowl using a whisk (I whisk the eggs first, then the olive oil, and then add the rest).
3. Combine the wet mixture into the dry mixture bowl, and mix with a large rubber spatula or a spoon. Make sure there are no clumps.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans (I used 2 x 8" diameter), and bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of your pans and your oven.
5. Test with a knife or toothpick in the middle to make sure it's cooked.
6. Remove from oven and let cool down for 10 minutes or so, then flip upside down on a cooling grill to let completely cool down (At least 3-4 hours, or overnight). This cake will not be as thick as a cake containing wheat. If you'd like it thicker, make a double batch and adjust baking time.
7. To prepare the icing: Using a hand mixer, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the vegan buttery spread (or butter if using) until smooth, then add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, and mix it in fully before adding more. I recommend sifting the icing sugar before adding it in, in order to prevent clumps.
8. It might feel like it's a bit stiff, but it'll get better once you add the orange juice, orange liqueur and vanilla.
9. Beat everything until nice and smooth, and add the orange zest, if using.
10. Once the cake layers are fully cool, assemble your cake.
11. Put the bottom layer on your serving plate, flat side down, and add about 1/3 of the icing, spreading it around to cover the whole surface. Put the other layer of cake on top, flat side up, and add another 1/3 or so of the icing, spreading it around. Use the rest of the icing for the sides. If you don't have a special spatula for icing, a regular butter knife can do the trick to smooth everything.
12. You can use all of the icing, or scrape a bit off to create the "Naked Cake" look.
13. This cake can be made a day or two ahead. Keep in the fridge until about 30-60 minutes before serving. (cakes always taste better at room temperature)
14. *Note: if you decide to use flowers to decorate your cake (like I did), remember that most flowers available at the stores contain a high amount of pesticides, and could make someone very sick if ingested, so I recommend never putting the flowers directly on the cake. You can use something in between, like orange slices or a piece of parchment paper (that you throw out before cutting the cake), or simply use the flowers on the side, without actually touching the cake.

Recipe Notes

Keep in mind that the recipe times don't include cooling time.

Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving
Calories: 646kcal | Fat: 28g | Saturated fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 426mg | Potassium: 257mg | Carbohydrates: 90g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 63g | Protein: 6g | Vitamin A: 975% | Vitamin C: 3.1% | Calcium: 52% | Iron: 1.9%

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