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Orange and Chocolate Cake – Vegan Option

    This amazing Orange and Chocolate Cake is totally vegan and the inside and looks amazing when sliced into. Cover it in ganache or make a vegan frosting.

    Lead in image with the text "Orange and Chocolate Zebra Vegan Cake" and a slice of the cake being removed to show off the zebra design inside.

    Orange and Chocolate Cake

    Are you a fan of Orange and Chocolate together? If not, you’re about to become one! This cake will make you a believer.

    This is a Vegan Cake that is rich and moist and has a wonderful balance of the orange and chocolate flavors. I love any “traditional” cake made with butter, eggs, and milk, however, in my never-ending quest to make new recipes, I decided to give this vegan thing a try.

    A top image of the cake showing off the buttercream swirls and the chocolate dipped clementine segments.

    I was thrilled with the cake back in 2014 when I made it with a whipped ganache frosting.  That tasted amazing, however it resulted in it loosing all the value of baking a vegan cake.

    You see, in the summer of 2016, my husband decided to only eat vegan. He went cold turkey on meat, dairy, eggs, and everything in between. He constantly asks me to bake him vegan treats, so I decided to remake this cake with a vegan buttercream just for him. I’ve given you both frosting recipes, you can decide how you want to frost the cake. Below is the cake from 2014 with the ganache frosting.

    An image of the cake covered in whipped ganache frosting. This version is not vegan.

    My husband really appreciated that I took the time to bake him a cake for no special reason (other than updating photos of this amzing cake!). He now has cake for a month in the freezer. He’s a simple man to please.

    An image of the cake with vegan buttercream and chocolate dipped clementine slices.

    The method of making this cake is pretty simple. You have two cake batters and you’re adding a scoop of one and a scoop if the other right on top. Kinda a bullseye effect of the two batters. The result is a really cool zebra pattern on the inside. Check it out!!

    An image showcasing the zebra pattern on the inside of this Orange and Chocolate Cake! It's so cool to slice into and serve!

    It looks amazing on the inside – and I love it!

    Are you ready to dig in?

    You should!

    A slice of the cake being removed to reveal the zebra design inside.

    Here are a few more vegan cake options that I’d like to make for my husband – Raspberry “Buttermilk” Vegan Cake, Maple Upside Down Skillet Cake, or this Sugar Free Vegan Whipped Cream.

    This recipe is part three of a three part series including Whipped Ganache Frosting and Vegan Orange Chocolate Cake.

    A collage image showing all of the recipes used to make this cake - the
    Yield: 16

    Orange and Chocolate Cake

    Orange and Chocolate Cake

    This amazing Orange and Chocolate Cake is totally vegan and the inside and looks amazing when sliced into. Cover it in ganache or make a vegan frosting.

    Prep Time 20 minutes
    decorate time 1 hour
    Chill Time 1 hour
    Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

    Ingredients

    Vegan Buttercream Option

    • 1/4 c cocoa powder
    • 2 Cups Vegan Butter
    • 4 C powdered sugar
    • 1/4 C non-dairy milk of choice
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    To Decorate the Cake

    Instructions

    1. Frost your cold cake with the Whipped Ganache Frosting and place it into the fridge.
    2. Peel your tangerines and set the "pretty" ones aside. Discard any that are ripped or disfigured.
    3. Melt your chocolate chips in a bowl and stir until smooth.
    4. Dip your tangerine segments into the chocolate, shake off the excess and place it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
    5. Remove the cake and add the chocolate-dipped tangerines to the top of the cake. 
    6. Cut and serve.

    For an all Vegan Option

    1. Make the Vegan Buttercream by whipping the vegan butter until smooth. Carefully add in the cocoa powder. Alternately add powdered sugar and non-dairy milk. Don't forget the vanilla. Whip it for 5 minutes until smooth. 
    2. Frost the cake and decorate with tangerine segments as desired. 

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram


    Images, text and all other content Copyrighted©Karyn Granrud, Susanne Queck and Wunderlander Verlag LLC, or ©Pro Stock Media via Canva.com. Unlicensed republishing permitted. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn on qualified purchases.

    Karyn Granrud

    Karyn Granrud

    I'm Karyn, a mom and wife, and I founded this little baking blog. Baking and making desserts have been my passion since I was a kid. I love experimenting with different flavors and sharing delicious recipes with all of you. Read more.

    26 thoughts on “Orange and Chocolate Cake – Vegan Option”

    1. Wow. Simply put.
      I do have a non picture related question for you though..how do you get that mailing list banner at the top of your website? I see them everywhere but am not sure what to call them or how to Google it. Thanks.

      1. Thank you. The bar is “Hello Bar” if you hover over the H in the upper right corner, it’ll take you to the website. Very easy to set up.

      1. thanks so much for stopping by. I almost didn’t add the peels. I wasn’t sure if it was getting too busy on top of the cake. Glad I put them on.

    2. I’m going to try and make this tomorrow (isolation activities!) can i just ask what you mean by alternately adding the batter- do you mean try to later it side by side or one layer on top of the other?

      Thank you

      1. It’ll be like a bullseye. Pour the chocolate in the center of the pan then pour the orange in the middle of the chocolate. One scoop of batter on top of the other. Keep on repeating by adding the batter to the center of the pan. This will make a zebra look when you slice into it. I hope you enjoy it!

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