Remember when the words “gluten-free” and “cake” conjured images of a brick-like slab of flavorlessness, better suited as a doorstop than a tasty treat? Sweet Laurel Bakery is one of our favorite bakers to change all that. Her insane cakes and other baked goodies have inspired us to take our fall baking fixation full-speed ahead this year!
Kitchy Kitchen‘s Claire Thomas shares about the pivotal moment she tried Laurel’s chocolate orange loaf cake for the first time…
This is the cake. This is the cake that made me turn to Laurel, mouth full, and say, “You need to start a baking company.” I’m sure there were more crumbs than syllables when I said it, but the message came through just the same. I love this cake so much. It’s like a classic pound cake, but with less heft, and the orange and dark chocolate compliment each other perfectly. Plus, the giant shards of chocolate add such a rustic and dramatic look to the whole thing. So pretty!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake
Ingredients:
¾ cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
6 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice (about two oranges squeezed)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
zest of one orange
1 cup homemade chocolate chips
For the chocolate chips:
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate (100% cacao), (organic is preferable)
1 Tbsp agave (or more, depending on how dark you like it)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease and line either two mini loaf pans or one 9″ x 13″ pan with parchment. Stir together the coconut flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Beat the eggs, adding in the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients and vanilla extract and zest. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the chocolate chips:
Break baking chocolate into one inch pieces and place in thick saucepan or double boiler. Over very low heat, melt baking chocolate. Once melted, take off heat and add agave and stir. Pour chocolate onto parchment paper and spread into a rectangle, about 8″ x 12″. Place parchment in freezer. Once hardened (this will take a few minutes), break of pieces and use as needed.
