Vegan Chocolate Orange Torte Food

EASY VEGAN CHOCOLATE TORTE [NO BAKE]

Steps:

• Line the bottom of a loose-bottomed 20 cm / 8 inch flan tin with non-stick baking paper.
• Whizz the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble sand (alternatively place them in a sealed bag and bash with a rolling pin). Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Gently melt the vegetable spread/vegan butter in a saucepan. Pour into the mixing bowl with the biscuit crumbs and stir through until thoroughly combined. Transfer to the tin and press down firmly using the back of a metal spoon. Place in the fridge while you prepare the chocolate.
• Heat the cream in a medium size saucepan. When it starts to boil, remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and the chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has fully melted. Taste test and add a touch more extract or some liquid sweetener, if needed.
• Pour the chocolate filling over the biscuit base and tap the tin on the worktop to remove any air bubbles. Refrigerate until solid (about 1½ hours).
• I like to decorate the torte with a sprinkling of Lotus biscuit crumbs round the edge and some cherry or raspberry compote on the side.
• The torte will keep for 5 days in the fridge. It is also freezes well.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE - ORANGE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat to 350°F and line a 9" springform pan with parchment.
• Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, salt, baking powder and ground almonds.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, oil, zest, vinegar, vanilla and almond extracts.
• Pour into the dry mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Rotate the pan to level the batter and tap it lightly on the counter. Bake for 43 to 45 minutes.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack.
• Sprinkle cake with 1 tbsp ground almonds and cool completely.
• When cool, sprinkle serving plate with remaining almonds and invert cake onto it. Set aside while preparing glaze.
• Glaze / Topping:.
• Combine orange zest, orange juice concentrate and chocolate in a small saucepan and melt gently over low heat.
• Stir in oil, flavoured stevia and salt.
• Pour into a bowl and let sit 15-20 minutes to thicken before use.
• Pour glaze over the cake and sprinkle generously with flaked almonds.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE ORANGE MUFFINS

Steps:

• Mix your dry ingredients reserving about a third of the chocolate chips for topping.
• Then add the wet ones and stir well.
• Divide between 12 cake or muffin cases (in a muffin tin is best), topping with the remaining chips. Bake at 200C/400F for 15 to 20 minutes until well risen and browning.

ORANGE TORTE

Steps:

• For orange curd: Mix juices with cornstarch in saucepan until dissolved.
• Whisk in butter, sugar, eggs and yolk until smooth.
• Place over low heat and stir until mixture is thickened to consistency of thin yoghurt, 15-20 minutes.
• DO NOT LET BOIL.
• Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and cool, then refrigerate overnight; if butter begins to separate, whisk to reblend.
• For cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F.
• Line bottom of 2, 9 inch round cake pans with parchment.
• Combine yolks, 3 tblsps sugar, liqueur, hot water, vanilla, orange zest, cardamon and almond extract in large bowl and beat about 8 minutes.
• Beat whites in a separate bowl, with clean beaters, adding a pinch of salt and another of cream of tartar, until soft peaks form.
• Add remaining 8 tblsps sugar, one at a time, and beat until meringue is quite stiff and glossy.
• Resift flours together.
• Gently fold ¼ of meringue mixture into yolks.
• Scrape yolk mixture over remaining meringue with spatula, then sift ¼ of flour over top and fold in.
• Repeat until all flour is folded in, being careful not to deflate mixture or allow any lumps to remain.
• Drizzle butter over and gently fold in using 3-4 strokes.
• Pour into pans.
• Bake until tops spring back when touched, 20-25 minutes, rotating cakes once.
• Cool.
• To assemble: Loosen cakes from pans and peel off paper.
• Turn right side up.
• Using long, serrated knife, halve cakes horizontally to make 4 layers.
• Arrange 1 layer, cut side up, on platter.
• Sprinkle with 1 tblsp liqueur; spread with 1/3 of curd.
• Repeat 2 more times.
• Top with last layer, flat side up.
• Press gently to align.
• Wrap cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Whip cream with 2 tblsps icing sugar and 2 tblsps liqueur to stiff peaks.
• Reserve 2/3s cup cream.
• Spread remaining cream smoothly over top and sides of cake.
• Spoon reserved cream into pastry bag fitted with star tip and pipe decoratively around sides of cake.
• Garnish with candied orange peel, if you wish and serve at room temperature.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE ORANGE MOUSSE

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a double boiler on low heat.
• Put all other ingredients in the blender and blend until creamy. You will need to stop and scrape the bowl a few times. This will insure that it will be smooth.
• Once the chocolate is melted, add to the Vita-mix and blend some more.
• Pour in a big bowl or individual serving bowls. Refrigerate for at lest 1 hour .
• Serve garnished with orange rind and fresh mint.

EASY CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Crush the biscuits to crumbs in a bowl using the end of a rolling pin or by pulsing in a food processor. Mix in the cocoa powder, flour, syrup and enough vegan margarine or butter to create a dough. Butter a 23cm loose bottom tart tin and press the mixture into the tin.
• Bake in the oven for 10-12 mins, then leave to cool in the tin.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Open the cans of coconut milk which will have separated with the water at the top and the thick coconut at the bottom. Discard the water (or use it to make a smoothie) and tip the thick coconut into a bowl.
• Break the dark chocolate into pieces and melt in the microwave on high in 10-second bursts, stirring in between, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until smooth. Add the coconut along with the golden syrup and whisk together, beating hard until there are no lumps of coconut left.
• Pour the filling over the base of the tart and put in the fridge to set for 3-4 hrs, or overnight.
• Spray the tart with edible silver or gold glitter spray, if you like, and serve with raspberries. Will keep in the fridge for three days - it actually tastes even better one or two days after baking.