Chocolate Orange Cake for #ImprovCookingChallenge

Welcome to the #ImprovCookingChallenge - we get two ingredients each month to combine in any recipe of our choosing. Find our group on Facebook if you're interested in joining in the fun; Nicole from Cookaholic Wife hosts our group! 

For this month's #ImprovCookingChallenge we were given the ingredients of chocolate and citrus to combine. There were plenty of recipes and ideas to choose from, but baked goods is what sounded the best to me, and this cake recipe focuses on chocolate and orange, which go together beautifully!

I have been working on creating baked goods in smaller batches, making smaller portions when possible. Since we're still working from home I don't have as many people I can share any extras with, although the wonderful staff at Seaventures has been my go-to for sharing extra goodies - we take them when Lindsey has her weekly swim lessons a lot of the time! 

This cake combines those lovely flavors together in a tender and delicious cake! You can certainly sweeten it up with a quick powdered sugar / orange juice glaze or some chocolate ganache or frosting! I (as usual) opted to skip any extra and just enjoyed a slice of this tasty delicious treat with a little bit of whipped cream.

The chocolate and orange flavors are perfectly balanced in this light dessert! I couldn't help but think of those "chocolate oranges" that used to be pretty popular at Christmastime! 

Check out what the other bloggers have made!

Improv Cooking Challenge: December 2020

Ingredients: Chocolate and Citrus

• Chocolate Orange Cake by Making Miracles
• Cranberry Pistachio lime and white chocolate bark by Magical Ingredients
• Almond Orange Brownies by Cookaholic Wife
• Oblaten Lebkuchen by Pandemonium Noshery
• Easy Citrus & Chocolate Pudding Trifle by Sneha’s Recipe

Chocolate Orange Cake 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

3/4 cups granulated sugar 

1 teaspoons baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 TBS finely grated orange zest

1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 TBS mayonnaise 

1 TBS balsamic vinegar 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or Baker's spray and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon), and blend a few times to combine. 
3. Add in wet ingredients: orange juice, orange zest, mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract. Blend on low speed until you have a smooth and silky batter. 
4. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Cool in the pan about 15 - 20 minutes before removing from the pan to complete cooling.

Recipe adapted from Trisha Yearwood