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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Chocolate Orange Cake

    Published: Nov 18, 2020 Modified: Nov 18, 2020 by Tonje / This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe | Pin Recipe
    a picture of a cake with orange buttercream, decorated with chocolate orange slices, one slice cut out and on a separate plate, and a text decoration that says "chocolate orange cake"
    a slice of chocolate cake with orange buttercream and a chocolate orange slice, decorated with text that says "chocolate orange cake"
    a picture of a cake with orange buttercream, decorated with chocolate orange slices and a text decoration that says "chocolate orange cake"

    Say hello to your new favorite chocolate cake recipe! This moist chocolate orange cake is hands down one of the best cakes I've ever eaten. It's so simple to make, tastes fantastic, and combines two of my absolute favorite flavors.

    A chocolate orange cake with a slice cut out and placed on a plate.
    Easy and moist chocolate orange cake is the perfect dessert!
    Jump to:
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Why You'll Love This Chocolate Orange Cake
    • 🥘 Ingredients Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 👪 FAQs
    • 💭 Top Tips
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥗 Serving Suggestions
    • 🎂 Additional Dessert Recipes
    • Chocolate Orange Cake
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • Chocolate Orange Cake
    • 💬 Reviews and Comments

    👩🏻‍🍳 Why You'll Love This Chocolate Orange Cake

    Chocolate and orange is such a lovely flavor combination, and they are best paired in a cake. The moist chocolate base has just a hint of orange, and the cake is later coated with an orange flavored smooth buttercream icing.

    It's such a simple recipe, and impossible to fail. And even better - if you use a vegan butter substitute, it's a nut free, dairy free, and egg free cake. Perfect if you're baking for a crowd with various dietary requirements.

    As chocolate is such a strong flavor compared to orange, we use a combination of orange juice, orange extract and orange zest to bring out the fruit. This creates the perfect balance between the two.

    The secret ingredients in this recipe are the vegetable oil, which keeps it really moist and soft, and the baking soda + vinegar combination which gives the cake a nice rise while still feeling dense.

    If you love a good chocolate cake, you'll definitely love this one. And for another chocolate treat, try these Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats!

    🥘 Ingredients Needed

    The ingredients to make chocolate cake laid out on a table.
    • Sugar - White sugar adds sweetness to the cake.
    • All-purpose flour - Is the key component to make a good cake.
    • Cacao powder - Gives the cake its chocolate flavor.
    • Baking soda - Helps the cake rise.
    • Orange juice - Adds liquid and a subtle orange flavor.
    • Vegetable oil - Makes the cake super moist!
    • Vanilla extract - Because all cakes are better with a little vanilla.
    • Vinegar - Activates the baking soda. It's an essential ingredient, and don't worry - you can't taste it!
    Ingredients for orange frosting laid out on a table.
    • Powdered sugar - To sweeten the frosting.
    • Butter - Makes the frosting buttery smooth.
    • Orange extract - Adds a prominent orange flavor.
    • Orange zest - For even more orange flavor!

    🔪 Instructions

    Step by step images showing how to make the chocolate orange cake.
    Step by step images showing how to make orange buttercream frosting.
    1. Preheat the oven to 360 °F / 180 °C.
    2. Combine sugar, flour, cacao powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
    3. Combine water, orange juice, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and vinegar in a second mixing bowl.
    4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
    5. Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and divide the cake batter between.
    6. Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
    7. Leave the cakes to chill for about 20 minutes in their pans, then carefully remove them and place them on a cooling rack until completely cooled.
    8. Make the buttercream frosting by combining powdered sugar, butter, orange zest and orange extract in a bowl, and whisking until stiff.
    9. Add about ⅔ of the frosting sandwiched between the two cakes, and spread the remaining frosting on top and on the sides of the cake.
    10. Decorate the cake with your favorite toppings. Orange slices, chocolate sprinkles, orange zest, chocolate orange slices, and a chocolate drizzle are all great options.

    👪 FAQs

    Can I make this ahead?

    Yes. The cake can be made up to 3 days ahead, and stored in the fridge. You can also add the icing on the cake the day before serving, and store it in the fridge overnight.

    Can I omit the orange extract?

    Absolutely. The cake will taste great without the added orange extract. You can optionally add extra orange zest to make up for the loss of flavoring.

    Which oranges can I use the zest of?

    You want to make sure to use the zest of oranges that are unwaxed, as the wax can add a bitter taste to your cake. Organic oranges are often unwaxed!

    How do you zest an orange?

    Orange zest is simply tiny pieces of the orange peel. Use a fine microplane style grater, and grate the peel off of an orange.

    A chocolate orange cake decorated with orange zest and chocolate orange slices.
    It's impossible to only have one slice of this cake!

    💭 Top Tips

    • This cake is a naked cake, which means that you only frost a very thin layer on the side of the cake, allowing the cake to be visible through it. If you want to add more frosting to cover up the sides, you can multiply the ingredients in the recipe with 1 ½.
    • The cake can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    • You can freeze the cake as long as you don't add frosting to it. This is a great make ahead option, as you can bake the cake and freeze it. Whenever you need a cake, you simply thaw it in your fridge overnight, then add the frosting before serving.
    • If your butter is a little too soft, you might want to add a little extra powdered sugar to get the frosting stiff enough. The frosting should be quite compact.
    Close up of a slice of chocolate cake with orange frosting.
    A simple chocolate perfect for special occasions or everyday dessert!

    📖 Variations

    • The orange in this recipe can be substituted with equal amounts of mandarin or clementine juice and zest for a sweeter version.
    • Make the cake vegan by using a vegan butter substitute. The base of the cake is naturally vegan.
    • You can replace half of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour and omit the frosting to make it a little healthier. It still tastes good!

    🥗 Serving Suggestions

    Not sure what to serve alongside your chocolate orange cake? Here are some ideas for amazing cake toppings, beverages or other accompaniments that pair well with this dish.

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    Best Homemade Chocolate Sauce
    Rich, delicious, easy to make, and much better than store-bought!
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    🎂 Additional Dessert Recipes

    Here are a few more dessert ideas for you!

    • Close up shot of strawberry cream truffles in a white bowl with a truffle split in half in the front.
      Strawberry Cream Filling for Chocolates
    • Close up shot of Christmas bark pieces on a white plate with Christmas lights in the background.
      Vanilla Wafer Christmas Bark Recipe
    • Close up shot of mocha cake with hazelnut buttercream frosting on a tan plate with more plates in the tan background.
      Mocha Cake with Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

    If you love chocolate, try this amazing simple chocolate cake. It's so easy and delicious, you'll never consider making chocolate cake from a box mix again!

    Chocolate Orange Cake

    Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star ⭐ rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram. You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry!

    📋 Recipe Card

    Orange chocolate cake decorated with chocolate oranges.

    Chocolate Orange Cake

    Recipe Author: Tonje
    This moist chocolate orange cake is hands down one of the best cakes I've ever eaten. It's so simple to make, tastes fantastic, and combines two of my absolute favorite flavors.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email Bookmark Saved!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Resting Time 2 hours hrs
    Course chocolate, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 slices
    Calories 350 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    Cake

    • 1 ½ cup sugar
    • 2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
    • 6 tablespoons cacao powder
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • ⅔ cups orange juice
    • 1 cup water
    • ⅔ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoons vinegar

    Icing

    • 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • ½ teaspoon orange zest
    • 5 ounces unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 360 °F / 180 °C.
    • Combine sugar, flour, cacao powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
      1 ½ cup sugar, 2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 6 tablespoons cacao powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • Combine water, orange juice, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and vinegar in a separate mixing bowl.
      ⅔ cups orange juice, 1 cup water, ⅔ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons vinegar
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
    • Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and divide the cake batter between the two.
    • Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
    • Leave the cakes to chill for about 20 minutes in their pans, then carefully remove them and place them on a cooling rack until completely cooled.
    • Make the buttercream frosting by combining powdered sugar, butter, orange zest and orange extract in a bowl, and whisking until stiff.
      1 ¾ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon orange zest, 5 ounces unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • Add about ⅔ of the frosting sandwiched between the two cakes, and spread the remaining frosting on top and on the sides of the cake.

    Notes

    • If you want to add a full, thick coat of frosting all over the cake, you can multiply the frosting ingredients by 1 ½.
    • You can refrigerate the cake for up to 3 days.
    • The base of the cake can be frozen, but only if the frosting has not been added. Thaw the frozen cake in the fridge overnight before use.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.

    Want to make cooking even easier?Sign up here to receive FREE DBH exclusive content, including my favorite kitchen shortcuts and hacks, and unlock access to the DBH resource library with many other free downloads!

    Tonje is the owner of Hintofhealthy.com, where she shares easy and healthy everyday recipes. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram for more family friendly meal inspiration.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jan Heppner

      November 21, 2020 at 12:32 pm

      You left off half the ingredients in your recipe. You don't list how much oil, vanilla and vinegar. Thanks a lot.

      Reply
      • Kristin

        November 22, 2020 at 11:42 am

        So sorry about that, Jan! As hard as I try to avoid them, sometimes I make mistakes. It has been corrected now. I appreciate you leaving the comment so that I could fix the problem. Hope you have a great day!

        Reply
    2. saif

      November 19, 2020 at 4:20 am

      5 stars
      I am familiar with chocolate cake but with orange? Now that looks delicious. I love the presentation of your cake. Looks gorgeous.

      Reply
    3. Julia

      November 19, 2020 at 12:40 am

      5 stars
      I don't know if it's a coincidence or meant to be, but I just bought Terry Orange chocolate, so must give this delicious cake a try:)

      Reply
    4. Jere Cassidy

      November 19, 2020 at 12:17 am

      5 stars
      I love the flavor pairing of chocolate and orange so this is a must-try recipe. I agree with adding the vegetable oil in cakes for moistness.

      Reply
    5. Emily Liao

      November 18, 2020 at 11:36 pm

      5 stars
      I never would have thought to put chocolate and orange together - but this cake was so delicious and decadent! Everyone loved it.

      Reply

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    👋 Hey there, I'm Kristin! As a full-time working wife and mom, my life is such a whirlwind, it makes me dizzy sometimes! So I have been working to develop quick, easy, family-friendly recipes for 20+ years, and this site is where I share them with you! Happy cooking!

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