Blood orange and dark chocolate cake

Written By Adrian Hadlow

Cakes and desserts have always been my Achilles’ heel. I simply love eating sweet things as often as I can, and for a long time, that was a bit of a problem. Over the years, I’ve learned to cut back on processed confectionery, which has helped me appreciate sweets in a different way.

Now, I find the greatest joy in creating desserts myself—treats that are thoughtful, balanced, and made with care. They satisfy my sweet tooth while reminding me why I first fell in love with cooking: the ability to transform simple ingredients into something truly indulgent.

I’ll admit it—I’ve always leaned more toward chocolate desserts than fruit-based ones. Rich, decadent flavours tend to win me over far more easily than citrus or berries. But Claire, on the other hand, has a real love for fruit-forward sweets, and I wanted to create something that she would enjoy just as much as I would.

This blood orange cake strikes that balance. The citrus brings brightness and freshness, while the cake itself remains rich and comforting. It’s the kind of dessert that feels celebratory and elegant, yet familiar enough to win over even those of us who usually reach for chocolate first.



Servings

8–10 slices

Ingredients

For the cake batter

  • 125 g all-purpose flour

  • ½ cup almond flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 3 large eggs

  • 150 g caster sugar

  • ½ cup Greek yoghurt

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • ¼ cup melted butter

  • 100 g best quality dark chocolate, chopped (our favourite for everything is Afrikoa)

  • Zest of 5 blood oranges (reserve oranges for base)

For the caramel topping

  • ¾ cup caster sugar

  • 2 tbsp water

  • 2 tbsp butter

  • 5 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.

  2. Grease and line a 23 cm (9-inch) cake tin with baking paper.

2. Make the caramel

  1. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium heat.

  2. Cook without stirring until the sugar dissolves and turns a deep amber color.

  3. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in butter. (Stand back — it may splutter.)

  4. Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared cake tin, swirling to coat the base evenly.

  5. Arrange the blood orange slices neatly on top of the caramel in a single layer.

3. Make the batter

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.

  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.

  3. Whisk in yoghurt, olive oil, melted butter, and blood orange zest.

  4. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.

  5. Fold in chopped dark chocolate.

4. Bake

  1. Pour batter evenly over the caramel-coated orange slices.

  2. Smooth the top with a spatula.

  3. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool & invert

  1. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes.

  2. Carefully invert onto a serving plate so the blood orange caramel layer is on top.

To Serve

  • Garnish with brown sugar, caramelised or crushed pistachios for a Middle Eastern finish.

  • Best enjoyed slightly warm, with whipped cream or Greek yoghurt.

Chef’s note:

For this recipe, I baked two cakes and used two different baking tins. One wider and flatter pie dish, served on the plate below and one in a higher, narrower, loose-bottomed birthday cake tin served on the glass cake stand in the images.

Both densities worked well, but the wider cake tin had a better orange-to-sponge ratio, as well as more sticky, gooey outer edge texture.

Choose what sounds more exciting for you.




Adrian Hadlow
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