I bought my first bundt cake pan back in 2010, when I was pretty animated to get all the baking pans and utensils I could get my hands on. Needless to say, my heart was in the right place, but knowledge and expertise were missing, so the bundt pan ended up not being used a lot, because its surface simply disallowed the release of the cake, no matter what.
So with time and knowledge, I made a switch to silicone bundt pans and very high quality metal ones, to be sure the cakes will come out in one piece. And that is what I wholeheartedly recommend. Do the research and get the best one for your specific preferences.
With that being said, and speaking of preferences, chocolate and orange will forever be one of my absolute favourites. Ever since childhood, that wonderuful combination of zesty and bright orange and the bitter, deep cocoa or chocolate is something that delights me.
This little bundt is the epitome of a tiny little comfort cake. It does yield six slices at best, but it is so perfect for a small gathering, with a cup of coffee. Effortless to make and a true delight to savour. If desired, serve it while it's still warm with some melted dark chocolate and enjoy.
Ingredients
100 grams flour
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
75 grams sugar
50 millilitres fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
40 millilitres vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
120 grams applesauce
50 grams dark chocolate (60%), optional glaze
Preparation
Let the oven preheat to 180°C. Take a large bowl and sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the sugar and mix it through. Grease and flour a small bundt cake pan or spray it with baking spray, to make sure the cake comes out nicely, and set it aside. My bundt pan has an inner diameter of 14 cm and height of 6 cm, so any pan that is around that size or takes around 350 grams of batter will work.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients; add in the orange juice, orange zest, oil, vanilla, applesauce, and whisk until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately in a preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Make sure the cake is soft and fudgy, and not dry. Mine took exactly 28 minutes to bake through. Let it cool in the pan completely and serve with melted dark chocolate. Yields 4 large servings or 6 modest ones.
