Healthier Chocolate Orange Cake

Leo Biette-Timmons

Protein & Fiber Packed Chocolate Orange Cake 

High protein baked goods always run the risk of being too dry. Trying to recreate the moist crumb of a normal cake is an undertaking, but possible with the right combination of ingredients and techniques.

This chocolate orange cake is rich, fudgy, and insanely moist thanks to zucchini, a good amount of freshly squeezed orange juice, and (most importantly) a touch of glycerin. It’s layered with a thick, creamy chocolate frosting that actually tastes like dessert, not cardboard.

Each slice packs 20 grams protein and 7 grams fiber. Pretty insane for a cake.

 

Ingredients

Cake

Wet

  • 1 large egg
  • 100g egg whites
  • 150g 0% Greek yogurt
  • 90g unsweetened applesauce
  • 30ml maple syrup
  • 15g vegetable glycerin
  • 100ml coffee (I used iced coffee)
  • 80ml fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1–2 oranges

Dry

  • 60g all purpose flour
  • 40g oat flour
  • 30g almond flour
  • 40g vanilla whey/casein protein blend (20g of each)
  • 70g cocoa powder
  • 15g oat fiber
  • 25g ground flaxseed
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt

Add ins

  • 150g grated zucchini (squeezed dry)
  • 100g chopped dates
  • 90g chocolate chips
    • 30g melted, 60g whole

 

Chocolate Frosting

  • 480g 0% Greek yogurt
  • 30g cocoa powder
  • 30g sugar free instant chocolate pudding mix 
    • Do not get Cook & Serve pudding mix, it will not work. You need to heat that mix in order to activate the thickening properties.
  • 50g confectioners Swerve
  • 150g chocolate chips (melted)
  • 10g vanilla extract
  • 15g maple syrup
  • 25g skim milk

Note: There will be some leftover. You’ll only use around 625g frosting for the cake.

 

Toppings (optional)

Orange zest & shaved chocolate

 

Instructions

1. We'll start by prepping some of our ingredients. Grate or food process a zucchini into a thing towel or cheese cloth. Squeeze the majority of the liquid out. Zest two oranges into a bowl & set aside. Juice both oranges into a separate bowl or measuring cup. Chop the dates into roughly quarter inch squares.

2. Then, preheat oven to 350°F and line two 8 inch cake tins with parchment paper.

3. Next we'll get to work on the base of the cake. In a large bowl, whisk together:

  • egg
  • egg whites
  • Greek yogurt
  • applesauce
  • coffee
  • maple syrup
  • glycerin
  • orange juice
  • vanilla
  • orange zest

4. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl:

  • all flours
  • protein powder
  • cocoa powder
  • oat fiber
  • flaxseed
  • baking powder
  • baking soda
  • salt

5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, then, measure out 30 grams of chocolate chips, and melt them in an oven safe ramekin (I put mine in my convection oven 3 minutes at 325°F and stirred until smooth and glossy. Microwaving in short bursts on a medium power level works as well. You shouldn't need coconut oil or butter).

Add the melted chocolate chips to the batter. Add the chopped dates to the bowl in batches, stirring between additions. This will help them mix into the batter evenly, and not form a giant Date Island. Finally, add the squeezed zucchini, and the rest of the chocolate chips.

    6. Pour batter evenly into the tins and bake for 40 minutes on the dot. A toothpick may come out with a tiny bit of batter stuck to it, but the cake will continue to cook, and finally set once cooled. 

    Baking it too long will dry out the cake and ruin all your hard work.

    7. While the cake is baking, make the icing (ingredients below).

    Let the cake cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

     

    Frosting

    1. Whip the ingredients below together in a large bowl for two minutes. This is key for the pudding mix.

    • Greek yogurt
    • cocoa powder
    • pudding mix
    • Swerve
    • vanilla
    • maple syrup
    • melted chocolate chips
    • skim milk

    Side note: You could totally skip out on the Swerve confectioners sugar and just use maple syrup, it'll just be a bit more caloric on an icing. Alternatively, you could sweeten to your liking using just a sugar alternative like Swerve.

    Double side note: if you make the icing as instructed, it will taste a bit tangy. Don't stress, it works very well on the cake. Trust it... I almost doubted myself too.

    2. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes to thicken.

     

    Back to the cake

    Don't go overboard with the internal layer of icing, but give add a good amount, roughly 2 large spoonfuls. Ice the top and sides to your heart's desire.

    Top with some fresh orange zest and shaved chocolate (bonus points for using a chocolate orange bar).

     

    Nutrition Per Slice, make 10 slices

    • Calories: 302
    • Protein: 20g
    • Carbs: 35g
    • Fat: 11g
    • Fiber: 7g
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