Moist and delicious – these mini cake deliver a major dose of sunny citrus flavor. Baked with olive oil and filled with chunks of bittersweet chocolate – each bite is delightful as it looks. Enjoy these Orange-Olive Oil Chocolate Cakes.
Mini Cake are perfect for serving individual portions with big impact.
- Easy to prepare with big rewards!
- Whole fruit clementines are studded with chopped good quality chocolate with a dense but soft crumb.
- Recipe uses clementine segments and their rind.
The cakes are inverted from the Silicone muffin molds and topped with a chocolate glaze. For Valentine’s Day – I add open Chocolate Heart with dried Orange Rind. (See how to make the chocolate hearts and dry orange rind in Notes.)
Using olive oil as the main fat in a cake recipe gives amazing results – from moisture and fluff to a nice, rich flavor.
Orange and Orange Rind adds tenderness and an explosion of citrus oomph!
About this Recipe:
- Clementines are peeled, white pith is removed from the rind. Chop in a small food processor… or hand cut
- Wet ingredients are mixed; dry ingredients plus chopped chocolate are folded in
- Batter is added to an oiled 12 cavity silicone mold and baked until golden with firm tops
- Cakes will release evenly from the cavities! I invert them… wide side on bottom and add a little glazed dot to the tops
- Loving the garnish: open chocolate hearts with dried orange peel. Especially for Valentine’s Day or a birthday.
Method:
I use a good quality bittersweet chocolate. I do not use chocolate with “natural flavorings” ~ that are not natural
Clementines are a small, sweet and seedless variety of mandarin oranges, known for being incredibly easy to peel. The pith does not cling to the fruit of these jewels – and the rind is thin and loaded with flavor.
I invert the cakes – larger edge on the bottom and add a dot of chocolate glaze to the tops. You could simply shake some confectioners sugar on top too! They are nicely dotted with chocolate inside.
I know… how pretty! A lovely decoration for Valentin’e Day or Birthdays. (See recipe in Notes.)
I love these cakes, hope you will too.
Karen
ALSO SEE:
Mandarin Orange Pistachio-Olive Oil Cakes – Glazed
Karen’s Persian Love Cake – Gluten Free
Karen’s Rhubarb Snack Cake with Cardamom & Ginger (can use other fruit)
See All My Desserts Here
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Individual Orange-Olive Oil Chocolate Chunk Cakes-Gluten Free
Moist and delicious – these mini cake deliver a major dose of sunny citrus flavor. Baked with olive oil and filled with chunks of bittersweet chocolate – each bite is delightful as it looks. Enjoy these Orange-Olive Oil Chocolate Cakes.
Equipment
- 1 12 capacity silicone muffin pan
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cups pure cane sugar, I use organic
- 2 large eggs, I use pasture raised
- 2 medium clementine oranges, (will use fruit and rind, not pith)
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk, (not lite)
- 1/4 teaspoon natural almond extract
- 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend*, yes – can use regular flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cups fine almond flour
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate bar, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (can use chocolate chips; about 1/2 cup)
Chocolate Glaze:
- 1/3 cups chopped bittersweet chocolate, can use semi-sweet
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut milk, (not lite)
Instructions
Preparing Pan:
- Place a 12 capacity silicone muffin pan on a baking sheet. Using 2 t. olive oil, brush the bottoms and sides of each cavity. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; 325 convection "bake."
Clementine & Rind:
- Peel 2 clementine oranges, save the peel! Remove any strands and cut the fruit into large chunks.Place the peel on a cutting board. Flatten the peels and cut away the white pith with a small sharp or serrated knife – holding the knife crosswise. (the pith is easily removed! ) Cut the peel into small pieces totaling 1/4 cup.
- Add the peel to a small food processor. Pulse until smaller pieces. Add the two chopped clementines and pulse until all is mostly finely chopped, a little chunky is ok. (Hand cutting works too.)
Batter:
- In a large bowl add the olive oil and sugar. Beat with a wire whisk to lighten for one minute. Add eggs one at a time, whisk in.Add the orange mixture (fruit and rind), coconut milk, and almond extract; mix in.
- Add the dry ingredients in order – flour, sea salt, baking powder, almond flour and chopped chocolate.
- Mix together with a rubber spatula until well mixed, yet, do not overmix! Scoop evenly into silicone muffin cavities, I use an ice cream scoop.Bake for about 15 -18 minutes or until the centers are firm and the cakes are golden. Hint: cool the cakes in the pan; they will release easily, just push them out. If the bottoms have some rise, they can easily cut to lie flat.
Chocolate Glaze:
- Melt chocolate, coconut oil and coconut milk in double boiler (I use a small glass bowl nested in a pot), stirring often, until glossy and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, until set but not firm. Add a teaspoon on each inverted cake and smooth to a circle. See below how to make chocolate hearts with dried orange rind for decoration.
Notes
*Gluten Free Flour Blend- I use King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour 1:1
* Bittersweet Chocolate: I use Divine chocolate bar; clean ingredients without “natural flavors.”
How to make Piped Chocolate Hearts with Dried Orange Peel:
Melt chocolate chunks or chocolate chips in the microwave on low power, stirring as it melts. Stir up until smooth. Cool 5 minutes. Add to a pastry bag with a fine tip (to plastic baggie with corner cut) and pipe onto a parchment lines tray – one inch open heart shapes. Add ground orange rind to decorate if you like. Place in the refrigerator to harden.
Add the hearts on top of the glaze before it sets.
Thin stands of orange rind can be oven dried in a 225 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until very firm. Cool, then add to a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. These cakes do freeze well! Defrost on counter or carefully in microwave on low defrost setting. This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Melt chocolate chunks or chocolate chips in the microwave on low power, stirring as it melts. Stir up until smooth. Cool 5 minutes. Add to a pastry bag with a fine tip (to plastic baggie with corner cut) and pipe onto a parchment lines tray – one inch open heart shapes. Add ground orange rind to decorate if you like. Place in the refrigerator to harden.
Add the hearts on top of the glaze before it sets.
Thin stands of orange rind can be oven dried in a 225 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until very firm. Cool, then add to a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. These cakes do freeze well! Defrost on counter or carefully in microwave on low defrost setting. This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 137mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 46IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Will make, looks so delicious. Have these ingredients and love using olive oil in baking. Hope they look this good.
Thank you for your comment Alma. Enjoy baking these – try will love them.
😀Karen