So I have to ask, who's over the top excited about Avengers End Game????? Well, I know I am. I should have made a cake specifically decorated for the occasion but unfortunately I didn't think if that until just now. It's okay though, this cake is going to be delicious anyway.

I happen to love orange and chocolate together and if you are also a fan then I’m thinking this cake is for you.

I couldn’t resist the urge to add a little something more though, so Nutella found its way into the recipe and I think it adds that perfect little touch that might have been missing. If you try it too, I’d love to know what you think!

Orange “Nutella” Chocolate Cream Cake

Fruit and chocolate go surprisingly well together in this delicious cake frosted with the creamiest chocolate hazelnut butter.

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 1 cake (about 18 servings)

Ingredients

Cake:
1 cup aquafaba liquid from 2 cans cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup organic vegetable oil
1/2 cup coconut oil or organic vegetable shortening ,melted

1/4 cup applesauce can sub pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup "nutella" chocolate hazelnut spread
Orange Cream Filling:
1 orange juice and zest
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegan "cream cheese" at room temp
Nutella Orange Frosting:
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup 1 stick vegan butter, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon strong black coffee
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons "nutella" chocolate hazelnut spread

Instructions

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C) and line 3 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment paper. Pour aquafaba into bowl of stand mixer and beat until its begins to look light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Slowly drizzle in sugar while beating on high and continue until it forms stiff peaks (it should take about 5 more minutes).
In separate large mixing bowl, stir together the lemon juice, applesauce, melted coconut oil, oil, "nutella" and vanilla. Add the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder and gently stir.
Remove the mixer bowl from the mixer and use a large spatula to gently fold in the aquafaba into the other bowl of ingredients just until fairly combined. (It's actually better to leave some small lumps then to overmix and lose volume.) Then add the chocolate chips and fold in gently.
Divide batter into the pans as evenly as possible. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool for about 10 minutes then loosen the edges with a sharp knife and invert the pans over plates to remove the cakes from pan. Cover them with plastic wrap to help keep them from drying out as they cool. The cakes need to cool completely before frosting so I like to place them in the refrigerator or freezer to chill until cold.
Orange Cream Filling:
Juice and zest oranges and discard remaining peels. Whisk together with the sugar and almond milk in a medium saucepan then stir in the cornstarch and salt and place over medium low heat. Stir constantly until the it gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it should take 8 - 10 minutes. It will foam a bit as it boils. Remove from heat and add the cream cheese and vanilla and stir until the cream cheese is evenly melted in, then pour through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl or small container. Cover with plastic wrap or lid and allow it to cool then place in refrigerator to chill completely.
Nutella Orange Frosting:
Beat "butter" in a large mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment until creamed. Add "nutella", vanilla, salt, cocoa, and powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add the orange juice and coffee and beat until light and fluffy.
Assemble:
Once the cakes and filling are completely cooled, remove the cake from the fridge and use a toothpick or thin skewer to poke many holes in the top of all of the cakes (this helps them to absorb a little bit more of the orange filling to make the cakes really moist). Now spread a thin layer of the chocolate frosting on the top of all 3 layers until smooth. Fill a medium-size tipped piping bag with some of the frosting and pipe a border around the edge of 2 of the cakes (this acts as a wall to keep the orange filling from oozing out.).
Now spoon about half (you may have more than needed) of the orange filling over each of the 2 cakes and spread to even it out. Layer one on top of the other on your desired serving plate and top with the third cake. Spoon a generous amount of the frosting onto the top of the cake and start spreading on the top and sides of cake to make a smooth coating. (If you like a lot of frosting and want to add more, it helps to chill the cake for about an hour and then add a second coat. You can add any decorations or embellishments that you want. I chose to simply top mine with some orange slices and use a cake come to add a ridge look on the sides. This cake is best stored in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

You can make homemade nutella or use a brand of chocolate hazelnut butter that doesn't have dairy. (Btw, Nutella brand does)

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D750 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.

Also, a huge shoutout to @rigaronib for designing my logo!

If you're looking for more recipes check out some of my other recent posts!

1. Simple & Quick Black Bean Lentil Chili
2. Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
3. Vanilla Bean Icing Topped Chai Donuts
4. Veggie Scramble & Sweet Potato Waffles
5. Mushroom Broccoli Creamy Gnocchi