• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Veggie Desserts
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan Cake and Desserts
    • Vegan Dinner
    • Vegan Breakfast
    • Vegan Guides
  • Cookbook
    • About My Cookbook
    • Buy Veggie Desserts + Cakes
  • About Me
    • About Me
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Press
    • Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Instagram Posts
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About Me
  • Cookbook
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vegetarian Recipes
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About Me
  • Cookbook
×
Home » Recipes » Vegetable Desserts

Kale and Blood Orange Cake (with vegan option)

Published: Feb 2, 2016 · Modified: Sep 20, 2018 by Kate Hackworthy · 33 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This kale and blood orange cake is fluffy and green, naturally! The flavour of the kale fades away beneath the zesty orange in the sponge, leaving behind some green goodness, and it's topped with a pale pink citrus buttercream. I've also given all of the options to make also make it a vegan kale blood orange cake, which I've tested and we loved.

Pieces of cake on a table, with the text: Kale Orange Cake with vegan option.

Squares of cake next to blood oranges cut open.

 

Blood orange season is such a joy. These goth-fruits bleed their crimson tears onto cutting boards and hands as the heady citrus notes awaken dull winter days from their endless slumber.

When you make this cake, I urge you to buy extra blood oranges. As you mix and measure, stir and pour you will need to take breaks to sink your teeth into fresh, fragrant slices, allowing the red juice to stain your lips, like an illicit kiss from a vampire.

The red hue of the blood orange comes when the fruits are exposed to warm days and cold nights, usually in Southern Italy where they're most commonly grown. The extremes of temperature causes the flesh to turn red and make them beautifully tart, but sweet and not too acidic. They steel your body against winter illness - hissing, angry, at germs and filling you with antioxidants and vitamins.

Eaten delicately so as not to spend the afternoon in the sink with one's top and a bar of stain remover, these ruby spheres demand attention - trendy mindfulness, if you will - like no other food. Slow down and savour these beauties. The short winter season won't be around for long.

A table with oranges and a bowl of kale.

This kale and blood orange cake is fluffy and green, naturally! The flavour of the kale fades away beneath the zesty orange in the sponge, leaving behind some green goodness, and it's topped with a pale pink citrus buttercream.

I've also given all of the options to make also make it a vegan kale blood orange cake, which I've tested and we loved.

What rhymes with orange? Cake - Kale Cake.

The sudden bounty of blood oranges brings with it a plethora of new season recipes. Suddenly stew loses it's lustre and thoughts return to salads and fresher flavours. But as I spread the red segments onto a bed of kale salad, it was cake that I wanted next. Kale and blood orange cake.

I wanted a zesty sponge with green goodness, I wanted a zingy buttercream.

And I wanted to give you the option of making it a vegan kale cake. I've made a few kale cakes and cupcakes in the past, but I've had a lot of you asking about how to veganise it - so here you go! I've tested both versions of the cake. The pictures are of the standard kale cake, but the vegan kale cake looks very similar. It rises just as much, but is just slightly less green due to the flax 'eggs'.

A slice of cake next to a cut orange.

Get the Blood Orange Kale Cake Recipe

If you make this kale cake recipe, please tag it with #veggiedesserts on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I LOVE seeing your recreations of my recipes!

Also, pop down to the comments and let me know how you got on with the recipe. It’s always great to hear from my readers. Your support allows me write this UK food blog and bring you vegetable cake recipes as well as vegan desserts, plus savoury vegetarian and vegan recipes and breakfasts and drinks.

📖 Recipe

Close up of a square slice of cake with frosting.

Kale and Blood Orange Cake (with vegan option)

Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
This Blood Orange Kale Cake is naturally green! The flavour of the kale fades away beneath the zesty orange in the sponge, leaving behind some green goodness, and it’s topped with a pale pink citrus buttercream. 
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
SaveSaved!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 16
Calories 260 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 150 g kale (2 cups, packed) (woody spines removed)
  • 3 eggs [vegan: 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal mixed with 7 ½ tablespoon water and left to stand for 5 mins to thicken slightly]
  • 100 ml vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 100 g applesauce
  • 175 g sugar
  • juice of ½ a blood orange
  • zest of 1 blood orange
  • 250 g plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the blood orange icing

  • 250 g icing sugar (powdered confectioner's sugar)
  • 4 tablespoons butter softened [vegan: use vegan spread]
  • 2 tablespoons blood orange juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line a 9” square cake tin with parchment paper.
  • Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and boil or steam for a few minutes until tender. Drain then refresh in cold water, drain well and puree (it will still be a bit little bit stringy, but persevere as long as you can until well pureed for a greener cake. If necessary, add a teaspoon of water but don’t allow the puree to get too wet. If you add water, squeeze excess moisture out of the resulting puree before adding to the batter). Set aside.
  • Beat the eggs (or flax eggs), oil, vanilla, applesauce and sugar together well. Beat in the kale puree and orange zest and juice. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently combine.
  • Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then turn onto a wire rack, removing the parchment paper, to cool completely.

For the Blood Orange Icing:

  • Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the other ingredients and mix until smooth.
  • Store in the fridge until ready to use. Frost the cooled cake as desired.

Notes

If you don't have applesauce, just peel, core and slice 2 apples, steam or boil with 1 teaspoon water until soft and puree. Use ½ a cup and any left over is lovely on porridge or sprinkled with cinnamon and eaten as a dessert.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 114mgPotassium: 133mgSugar: 27gVitamin A: 1075IUVitamin C: 12.4mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1.1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

 

 

More Vegetable Dessert Recipes

  • Side view of a sweet Spinach Muffin recipe with chocolate chips, with some chocolate in front
    Spinach Muffins with Chocolate Chips
  • Wooden table with chocolate chip butternut squash cake cut into squares on parchment paper.
    Chocolate Chunk Butternut Squash Cake
  • Baked pumpkin donuts with chocolate glaze on baking paper on a table.
    Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Chocolate Glaze
  • A square of vegan zucchini brownies on a piece of baking paper on a wooden table, next to courgettes and pecans.
    Fudgy Vegan Zucchini Brownies
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 6 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Vicky

    January 19, 2018 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    I don't come across blood oranges that often but I'll be in the look out so I can try this!

    Reply
  2. Milly Youngman

    January 19, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    5 stars
    I didn't even think of using kale in cakes - wow! These look delicious.

    Reply
  3. justine

    September 04, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    5 stars
    I tried this sort of as a joke, but everyone really loved it! It was a little hard to puree the kale, but I added water like you said and it made it easier. I'll make it again. Maybe a monster cake with it!

    Reply
  4. Beth

    May 03, 2017 at 7:42 pm

    5 stars
    What a gorgeous cake

    Reply
  5. Sheila Rema

    February 07, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good! I would never have thought of using kale in a cake but I'm so glad I tried it. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  6. vegancyclopedia

    August 14, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    So creative! Thanks for the vegan option! Will bookmark for fall, I'll let you know how it goes. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Ana Seijas

    May 23, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    What a great recipe! Cant wait to give it a go! But I was wondering, where Im at, getting apples, much less applesauce is almost imposible 🙁 *cries eternally* So do you have any suggestions for replacing the applesauce in the recipe?

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      May 26, 2016 at 9:36 am

      Hi Ana

      What a shame not to get apples :(. I haven't tested it, but you could add some yogurt to replace the applesauce or else a bit of cooking oil. I hope it works!

      Reply
  8. hijackedbytwins

    February 19, 2016 at 9:53 am

    I love blood oranges, they have such a delicious tang to them. These cakes look so good! Popping over from #extraveg x

    Reply
  9. choclette

    February 04, 2016 at 9:31 pm

    Blood oranges are just so alluring and yet repelling at the same time. I love them and I love how you've described them. I bet they go superbly with the kale cake.

    Reply
  10. kellie anderson

    February 04, 2016 at 8:43 pm

    5 stars
    You always amaze us with your inventive recipes and enticing images. Love this one, Kate. And I am vey impressed that you did it both vegan and "regular" 🙂

    Reply
  11. Chris @thinlyspread

    February 04, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    How utterly fabulous is this?! Gorgeous photos and mouthwatering cakes!

    Reply
  12. FreeFromFairy

    February 04, 2016 at 11:14 am

    This looks fabulous! I love adding 'strange' things into cakes. Kale seems like the perfect thing for me!

    Reply
  13. fabfood4all

    February 03, 2016 at 11:27 pm

    I adore Blood Oranges but haven't seen any this year, boo hoo! Your cakes look adorable and sound totally scrummy too:-)

    Reply
  14. Jo of Jo's Kitchen

    February 03, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    Gorgeous photos as ever! What a great way to use up blood oranges

    Reply
  15. Christie

    February 03, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    What an interesting recipe. I love that you used some healthy ingredients to make this gorgeous cake.

    Reply
  16. Sally

    February 03, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    I've never fancied green cake since my sister made an Emperor Ming cake and we all refused it including the birds.... until now that is. Such gorgeous pics - getting my fangs out now.

    Reply
  17. Ceri @Natural Kitchen Adventures

    February 03, 2016 at 11:14 am

    Oh this is totally gorgeous Kate - and love love love how red your oranges are - what luck!

    Reply
  18. Felesha Bell

    February 02, 2016 at 11:18 pm

    I love the idea of incorporating veggies into desserts. It's pratically guilt free that way! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Kavey

    February 02, 2016 at 8:03 pm

    I love blood oranges but it's so hard to get the colour into bakes so I love that you've turned out on it's head by going green instead! Very cool!

    Reply
  20. Keep Calm and Fanny On

    February 02, 2016 at 6:30 pm

    I'm loving Blood Orange season so much, and these seem perfect! Thanks...

    Reply
  21. fashionandstylepolice

    February 02, 2016 at 1:16 pm

    Your pictures are so pretty. Food looks yummy too.

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 02, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  22. efwalt

    February 02, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Fantastic post Kate 🙂 I love the way you write! We also call them goth oranges! Glad I'm not the only one hahaha. Love the idea of cooking with kale - I've still not moved beyond courgette muffins and beetroot cake but this looks fantastic.

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 02, 2016 at 5:17 pm

      Courgette muffins and beet cake are so nice as well! But goth oranges are amazing 🙂

      Reply
  23. nutrizonia

    February 02, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    Omg, how creative! Absolutely loving this, will make it definitely when I can get some kale!

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 02, 2016 at 5:18 pm

      I hope you do! Let me know how you get on 🙂

      Reply
  24. Kitty Wood

    February 02, 2016 at 11:35 am

    I love how colourful the end result is! I must admit, I've not tried blood oranges but as someone with a not very secret inner goth I must!

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 02, 2016 at 5:18 pm

      I know, so green! Embrace your inner goth with blood oranges!

      Reply
  25. Everyday Sarah Jane

    February 02, 2016 at 11:32 am

    I Love the flavors of blood oranges...I bet this dessert tastes amazing!

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 02, 2016 at 5:19 pm

      It does! So zingy and greeen!

      Reply
  26. Katie Bryson (@cookingkt)

    February 02, 2016 at 11:29 am

    What a beautifully written and photographed post! You've really celebrated those blood oranges 🙂 I bought a load last week and made some Blood Orange Curd and then just squeezed the juice to drink of the rest as they were so delicious!!!!!

    Reply
    • Kate Hackworthy

      February 02, 2016 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you so much, Katie. That's made me smile. Enjoy your blood oranges while they last!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. Here you'll find vegetarian recipes and vegan recipes celebrating vegetables, from dinner to dessert! If you love vegetables, you've come to the right place. About Me

Collage of press logos.

Popular recipes

  • Stack of naan breads on a plate.
    Easy Naan Bread Recipe (15 Min Yeast-Free Flatbread)
  • Plate of lentil dahl and rice.
    The BEST Easy Red Lentil Dahl
  • Soup in a bowl with a spoon.
    Easy Lentil Soup
  • Spoonful of sauce on a jar of it.
    Cane's Sauce Recipe (copycat)

Vegetable Cake Recipes

  • A cake and a piece of cake sitting on top of a table.
    Apple Kale Cake with Apple Icing
  • Close up of cut loaf cake.
    Parsnip Loaf Cake
  • Cake on a cake stand with slices missing
    Vanilla Spinach Cake
  • A slice of lemon cucumber cake on a plate.
    Lemon and Cucumber Cake

My cookbook

Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About me
  • Contact
  • Work with me
  • Press
  • Veggie Desserts Cookbook

Newsletter

  • Sign Up for newsletter updates

Partner Sites

  • You Say Potatoes

Disclaimers

  • Disclosures & Affiliate Policies
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Kate Hackworthy / Veggie Desserts

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This recipe worked out perfectly!
The whole family loved this recipe!
Easy and tasty!
I'm sure we'll be making this recipe again and again!

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.