Chocolate Orange Cake

Last Updated on September 16, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

Moist chocolate orange cake recipe with an easy chocolate orange cake frosting! If you love Terry’s Chocolate Orange, this cake is for you! And for more rich chocolate goodness, try my Mini Chocolate Cake, my Chocolate Walnut Brownies, and my Keto Chocolate Mousse for Two!

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Moist Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe

It’s no secret that I love the combination of chocolate and orange! Whether it’s in my chocolate orange shortbread cookies, my no-bake cannoli pie, my orange chocolate chip mini muffins, I’m always looking for an excuse to combine these flavors! So it was just a matter of time until I made this chocolate orange cake recipe! And I’m so glad I did! This chocolate cake with orange is everything I love in a chocolate cake — a moist, tender crumb with fudgy chocolate flavor and a light, fluffy chocolate frosting, PLUS tons of amazing orange flavor to balance out the chocolate flavor so well!

Can I add orange zest to a chocolate cake?

Yes! We’re making this chocolate orange cake with orange zest AND orange juice to give it a bright, juicy orange flavor in addition to a deep chocolate flavor. And on top of that, we’re making a fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting with even more zest and juice. The frosting pairs so perfectly with this cake! I made this cake for my mom’s birthday this year and it was a BIG hit with everyone! Best of all, it’s as simple to make as any other chocolate cake! Just add some orange zest and juice! If you’re a fan of (or just curious about) the combination of chocolate and orange, you’ve GOT to try this recipe!

What makes cake moist and soft?

First, buttermilk goes a long way in helping with the softness of a cake. The acid in buttermilk breaks down gluten, which helps the cake to be more tender. Also, the vegetable oil we’re using in this cake is liquid at room temperature, so your cake will be moist whenever you want to eat it! Also, oil contains no water, unlike butter, so none of it will evaporate and dry your cake out. Those two key ingredients make this the most moist chocolate orange cake recipe ever! Let’s check out the rest of what you’ll need!

Easy Chocolate Orange Cake Ingredients

• orange zest and juice – this is where our bold orange flavor comes in! I like to use a microplane zester to get the zest (the top layer of the rind) before juicing the oranges.
• granulated sugar – pressing the sugar and zest together in our first step brings out even more of that orange flavor in this cake!
• all-purpose flour – be sure you are measuring your flour correctly, or do what I do and use a kitchen scale.
• unsweetened cocoa powder – this is what gives the cake that rich chocolatey flavor. Cocoa powder is another ingredient that, like flour, is best measured by weight using a kitchen scale.
• espresso powder – a touch of espresso powder adds a depth to the chocolate flavor that makes this cake even more delicious!
• baking powder and baking soda – these leaveners give our cake a nice light texture.
• salt – brings out all these amazing flavors!
• vegetable oil – I typically use canola oil, but you can use any light-flavored oil for this recipe.
• eggs – your eggs should be room temperature to make sure your cake mixes up nice and light.
• buttermilk – your buttermilk should also be room temperature to ensure the right texture for your cake. I like to use full-fat buttermilk, but if that’s not available, low-fat buttermilk works too. See below for a tip for a buttermilk substitute if you don’t have buttermilk!
• pure vanilla extract – I recommend using a high-quality pure vanilla extract. Or better yet, check out my post on how to make vanilla extract at home with just 2 ingredients!

Then, for the lovely chocolate orange cake frosting, you’ll need:

• salted butter – your butter should be room temperature. See below for a tip to get it to room temperature quickly! Also, if you prefer to use unsalted, just add in a few pinches of salt to your frosting to taste.
• powdered sugar – measure your powdered sugar by weight using a kitchen scale for the best accuracy, or use the spoon-and-level method.
• unsweetened cocoa powder – this will add even more delicious chocolate flavor to the frosting!
• pure vanilla extract – I like the way a bit of vanilla rounds out the flavors in this frosting.
• orange zest and juice – more of that delicious orange flavor!

Equipment

You won’t need a mixer for the cake batter, but I do recommend using a stand mixer or hand mixer to whip up the frosting. Other than that, you’ll need two 8-inch cake pans, parchment paper, and your zester, and you’re ready to bake!

Tips and F.A.Q.

More Cake Recipes You’ll Love

• Apple Cider Donut Cake
• Lemon and Blackberry Cake
• Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
• Passionfruit Cake with White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe

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Moist chocolate orange cake recipe with an easy chocolate orange cake frosting! If you love Terry's Chocolate Orange, this cake is for you! You'll love this dark chocolate orange cake!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine :American, British

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 651kcal

Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

Equipment you may need

• stand mixer
• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls
• whisk
• parchment paper
• rubber spatula
• hand mixer
• food scale
• cooling rack
• microplane grater/zester
• offset spatula

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 3 tbsp (18 g) orange zest - packed
• 1 ¾ cup (350 g) granulated sugar
• 2 cup (250 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp (1 g) espresso powder
• 1 ½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
• ¾ tsp (5 g) salt
• ⅔ cup (158 ml) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs - room temperature
• 1 cup (237 ml) full-fat buttermilk - room temperature
• 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (237 ml) orange juice - freshly squeezed

Chocolate Orange Buttercream Frosting

• 1½ cup (341 g) salted butter - room temperature (3 sticks)
• 5¼ cups (604 g) powdered sugar
• ¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp (12 g) orange zest
• 3 tbsp (51 g) freshly squeezed orange juice - plus extra as needed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, zest, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder and salt. Press with a rubber spatula for 1 minute to release lemon oils.
  3 tbsp orange zest, 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp espresso powder
• Stir in vegetable oil until dry ingredients are well coated, followed by eggs and vanilla.
  ⅔ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Stir in buttermilk until well combined. Batter should be thick.
  1 cup full-fat buttermilk
• Heat orange juice in microwave for 45 seconds on high, or until hot. Immediately stir into batter and whisk until just smooth.
  1 cup orange juice
• Add batter evenly to prepared cake pans and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cakes comes out smooth.
• Cool cake layers slightly in cake pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before adding frosting.

Chocolate Orange Buttercream Frosting

• Cream together butter, zest, and cocoa powder in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
  1½ cup salted butter, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbsp orange zest, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Gradually mix in powdered sugar and mix until thick and fluffy. Add orange juice and mix well. Spread over cooled cake.
  5¼ cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

Video

Notes

Salted butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter in the frosting — just add a few pinches of salt to taste.

Orange Extract:  I like to make this cake with orange zest for a bright, fresh orange flavor, but in a pinch orange extract is a great substitute! Just replace the orange zest in this recipe with 1½ tbsp of orange extract, and make the rest of your cake as usual!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 651 kcal | Carbohydrates: 96 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 31 g | Saturated Fat: 21 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 74 mg | Sodium: 416 mg | Potassium: 290 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 72 g | Vitamin A: 613 IU | Vitamin C: 17 mg | Calcium: 87 mg | Iron: 3 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

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