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Blood Orange and Dark Chocolate Fondant Cakes
Blood Orange and Dark Chocolate Fondant Cakes
These chocolate fondant cakes combine luxurious dark chocolate with slightly acidic blood oranges to create an indulgent, spectacular dessert.
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Have you been enjoying blood orange season yet? From December to March or April, depending on where you live, blood oranges are inviting you to feast on their gorgeous, jewel-like ruby flesh. Their taste is ever-so-slightly more acidic than regular oranges (especially the Moro variety), but you can of course use (and eat!) them every way you’d use regular oranges.
Nerd alert: do you know what causes the flesh of blood oranges to turn red? Antioxidants! Blood oranges contain anthocyanin, a natural pigment that develops when blood oranges ripen during warm days tempered by cool nights. Interestingly, anthocyanins can color fruits from deep red to violet. They are what give blueberries their gorgeous indigo color, eggplants their deep violet shade, and—you guessed it—blood oranges their ruby red tone.
What I’ve always found fascinating is that blood oranges are not always the same color. Sometimes blood oranges will only be streaked with red, whereas other times, they’ll be fully deep crimson red. I find it usually depends on how far you are into the blood orange season, but it can also depend on the variety you buy. I just love the surprise of slicing into a blood orange to discover its particular shade! File this under: the miracles of nature.
I had long been wanting to create a dark chocolate and blood orange dessert, not only because the color of both ingredients makes for such dramatic plates, but also because both flavors work so incredibly together. The slightly acidic flavor of blood oranges cuts through the richness of dark chocolate, while also complementing its fruity flavor. In this recipe, the dark chocolate fondant cakes are infused with blood orange zest and have a rich, barely set interior that’s close to that of a lava cake. But what makes the chocolate fondant cakes extra special is the blood orange segment syrup: the syrup adds an extra orange kick, and the segments sit on top of and around the chocolate fondant cakes like jewels.
What are blood oranges and what makes them special?
A blood orange is an orange variety that has a beautiful, bright red flesh—which is where it gets its name. The riper blood oranges are, the darker they get: some blood oranges are so dark they also turn burgundy with a slight purple hue.
The distinct color of blood oranges is due to anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant not typically found in oranges. Blood oranges have a distinct flavor that is more acidic than your average, regular orange. The floral acidity of blood oranges reminds me of raspberries!
You’ll need eight blood oranges to make this recipe. If you can’t find blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges are a delicious substitute: their coral flesh would be just as spectacular with these chocolate fondant cakes. If blood oranges and Cara Caras are off-season, pick up Navel oranges and don’t look back. I promise you’re in for a treat, regardless of the variety you choose to use.
How to segment blood oranges
This recipe requires you to segment oranges to use them in the irresistible blood orange syrup. “Segmenting” blood oranges means removing all membranes from the flesh of the orange. Doing so requires more time than simply cutting the oranges after peeling them, but serving the chocolate fondant cakes makes the dessert extra special. It’s totally worth it!
Here’s how to segment blood oranges. First, peel the fruits: cut off both the top and the bottom of the blood oranges. Stand one fruit on either of the flat ends. Run a very sharp paring knife along the fruit from top to bottom, removing the skin and pith, leaving the flesh bare. Repeat for all oranges.
Then, take a peeled blood orange in one hand, then carefully run a sharp knife alongside the center membranes, leaving entirely bare pieces of fruit behind. Make sure to do this over a bowl and squeeze the remaining membrane to catch all dripping juices. You can add this juice to the syrup, but if you do, make sure to simmer the syrup for longer so it thickens properly. Alternatively, save the juice for your next smoothie or cocktail!
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Blood Orange and Dark Chocolate Fondant Cakes
Ingredients
For the fondant cakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (about 2 oranges), or milk
- 3 eggs
- Finely grated zest from 2 blood oranges (about 4 loose tablespoons, or 60 ml)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 5 ¼ oz best-quality dark chocolate, chopped, or dark chocolate chunks
For the blood orange segment syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec)
- Zest from 2 blood oranges (see notes)
- Segments from 6 blood oranges (see notes)
Instructions
- For the fondant cakes: Set two racks in the upper third and lower third positions of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Generously coat two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper cups (see notes).
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, orange juice or milk, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chunks.
- Divide the cake batter between the prepared muffin cups (you should spoon about 2 tbsp/30 ml mixture into each cup). Place one muffin pan on the top rack of the oven, and another on the lower rack. Bake for 25 minutes, switching and rotating the pans halfway through, or until the tops of the cakes look just dry, which means they are barely set—this is essential to preserve their fondant texture. Transfer the pans to cooling racks and let the cakes cool completely to room temperature.
- For the blood orange syrup: In a medium saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and orange liqueur to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the orange zest, and simmer until the liquid reduces to about ¾ cup (180 ml), about 30 minutes.
- Strain the syrup into a measuring cup. Gently stir in the orange segments to coat with the syrup. Let cool until just warm, or room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- SERVING: Serve the fondant cakes topped with a spoonful of blood orange syrup and segments.
- STORAGE: Store the cooled fondant cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months. Gently rewarm the cakes before serving.
Notes
- How to zest oranges: For the syrup, you can either grate the zest finely using a Microplane, or use a vegetable peeler to collect strips of zest. Make sure to leave as little white pith onto the zest as possible. Make sure to zest all the oranges before peeling and segmenting them.
- How to segment oranges: First, peel the oranges. Cut off both the top and bottom of the fruit. Stand the fruit on either of the flat ends. Run a very sharp knife along the fruit from top to bottom, removing the skin and pith, leaving the flesh bare. Rotate the fruit and repeat to peel all the oranges. To collect segments, take a peeled orange in one hand, and run a sharp knife alongside the membranes, leaving entirely bare pieces of fruit behind. You should make sure to do this over a bowl and squeeze the remaining membrane to catch all dripping juices. You can add this juice to the syrup, but if you do, make sure to simmer the syrup for longer so it thickens properly. Alternatively, save the juice for your next smoothie or cocktail!
- If you don’t have two muffin pans on hand, bake 12 cakes at a time. Make sure to cover and keep the remaining batter in a cool spot of your kitchen while the first batch bakes and cools. Unmold the first 12 cakes, then thoroughly wash the muffin pan. Generously coat with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper cups again, and bake the second batch as directed.
Did you make this?
Tell me how you liked it! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it with @foodnouveau on Instagram.
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Author: Marie Asselin
This dessert looks so tasty and decadent and these pictures capture the recipe so well.
Thank you Moop! It’s a pretty irresistible treat indeed 😍
What a delicious dessert idea for blood orange season! I will definitely be making these this week!
You’re gonna love them Chenee!
this cake looks gourmet and beautiful. Love the combination of ingredients especially the orange syrup idea.
The syrup adds the fresh, juicy flavor of oranges to the cakes! Such a great combo with chocolate.
Bood orange is delicious and so beautiful to look at, every time I see them in my supermarket I have to get a few. Orange and chocolate are some of those combos made in heaven, as this recipe proves it.
If you can keep some of those blood oranges from being eaten as a snack, use them to make these cakes! So, so good!
Lovely little cakes. They are beautiful and so delicious. Love that orange syrup, yum! I have to make this for my hubs for Valentine’s. Thanks for sharing this idea.
This is the perfect dessert for a romantic night in!
I’m completely smitten with these blood orange cakes. Chocolate + orange is so classic, but using blood orange is even better. Just looking at your photos is making me crave one or two (or three) of these right now!
I completely relate to your craving! Thankfully this recipe makes a nice batch of fondant cakes… but they disappear really fast! 🙊
This dessert looks mouth melting delicious. Love the combination of oranges and chocolate. Presentation yum.
Thank you Veena!
What a wonderful recipe! Such gorgeous cakes and they look delicious. I love the combination of blood orange and chocolate; I find these flavors complement each other very well. I will definitely make these.
I agree, the acidity of blood oranges and the richness of dark chocolate is a match made in heaven!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing blood orange chocolate fondant cake recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Happy you loved it Allyssa!
This is a beautiful dessert. It’s hard to resist the combination of chocolate and blood oranges. Plus, double antioxidants!!
That’s an excellent way to sell this dessert! :D