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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.
I made this for my 35 year old daughter’s birthday….OUTSTANDING!!! So rich and chocolatey. I did add a lot more orange extract than called for. Frosting also delicious. I got dried oranges and chocolate covered oranges to decorate. A one of a kind!
That sounds like it was a beautiful cake! Thank you so much for making it Jennifer!
Halved the recipe as a test but will definitely make again; loved it even without the frosting!
This cake is SO GOOD! The best chocolate cake ever
The perfect chocolate cake!!! SO moist!!
WOW!!!! Such a moist cake!! Amazing
Can i use a boxed cake mix and just add ingredients to make it a chocolate orange cake?
This cake looks wonderful, but any chance you could publish metric measurements or even ounce measures? I live in Ireland where we use both, the former gets over all the different cup sizes – for liquids and different dry ingredients that apply to American recipes. A popular British baker, Nigella Lawson, who has a large number of followers includes both metric and American measures for every recipe on her website.
Many thanks,
Jill
I can hardly wait to try this – orange and chocolate YUMMY!
Should the recipe read 2tsp baking soda and 1tsp baking powder?
I love the While idea of this cake. I love chocolate and orange mixed together as well. The chocolate oranges you buy at The Holidays are amazing, and I have to have one every year. I live close to a Winco and do a lot of my shopping there. I will get some of the chocolate you mentioned while there.
Your Cake look so Beautiful, and I know it taste great too. Got to make this one. Thanks for the recipe and tips as well. God Bless you.
Donna
I love your recipes…
Question, you have baking soda listed twice with different measurements, is one supposed to be baking powder?