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Moist, decadent chocolate orange cake with a creamy chocolate orange frosting
Every single year at Christmas time, my Mom would buy the classic chocolate orange, and read us a Christmas story. Once she finished reading the story, we would take one orange chocolate wedge and wait in anticipation for the next time when she would do it all over again. Now she does it with her grandkids and my four children absolutely love cozying up the Grandma to hear a story and eat a chocolate orange.
So I wanted to take my famous chocolate cake recipe and turn it into a chocolate orange cake with fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and orange extract for an extra burst of orange flavor.
What ingredients are in Chocolate Orange Cake:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa
- Eggs
- Oil
- Buttermilk
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda + Salt
- Vanilla
- Butter
- Cocoa
- Powdered Sugar
- Orange Extract
This chocolate cake is extra moist with the use of oil and buttermilk. Cocoa powder is a game changer. I buy most of my cocoa powder in the bulk section at Winco. They carry Callebaut cocoa powder at the best price. It is literally 5 times more expensive on Amazon! So if you have a Winco nearby you, I suggest stocking up on their unsweetened cocoa.
This is the best chocolate orange cake! To get a true orange flavor, I like to use fresh squeezed orange juice, if at all possible. Before juicing the oranges, I use a zester to remove the orange zest. For extra orange flavor, I suggest using orange extract.
This orange chocolate cake with chocolate orange frosting can be made in three 8-inch cake pans or two 9-inch cake pans, depending on preference. I usually reach for three 8-inch cake pans. Just make sure to spray well with non-stick cooking spray or do the butter and flour technique.
The chocolate frosting is made with sweet cream butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange extract. You can find dried oranges at your local grocery store. I found them at Trader Joe’s and dipped half of the dried and sweetened oranges into Ghirardelli melting wafers. You can use either milk or dark chocolate wafers, depending on preference.
Popular Chocolate Cake Recipes:
- Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Chocolate Raspberry Cake
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Chocolate Orange Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups Flour
- 1 3/4 cups Sugar
- 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Oil
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Orange Extract
- 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
- 1/2 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
- 1/2 cup Hot Water
Chocolate Orange Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups Butter (softened)
- 1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 5 to 5 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Orange Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you have a flour sifter, sift all dry ingredients.
- In mixing bowl, beat oil, eggs, buttermilk, orange zest, orange juice, and orange extract for 1 minute. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Pour in hot water and mix together. The batter will be liquidy but that's a good thing -- it will create a moist cake.
- Spray two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter evenly into each pan. Bake at 22-27 minutes. Place toothpick or cake tester in the center of the cake to check if it comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.
Chocolate Orange Frosting:
- In mixing bowl, cream together butter, cocoa, powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange extract until light and fluffy. May add cream or milk depending on consistency.
- Once the cake has cooled and has been removed from pans, frost each layer with frosting.Top with sweet dried oranges dipped in chocolate.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We made this and it was fantastic!
We want to make it again but in cupcake form, do you have any tips for adapting the recipe for cupcakes?
Hi Desirae, I have a best chocolate cupcakes recipe that you can reference for adaptations. It is very similar, I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂