Moist chocolate orange cake recipe with an easy chocolate orange cake frosting! If you love Terry's Chocolate Orange, this dark chocolate orange cake is for you!
3tablespoon(51g)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, espresso powder, cocoa powder and salt. Press with a rubber spatula for 1 minute to release lemon oils.
3 tablespoon orange zest, 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon 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 teaspoon 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 tablespoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoon 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 tablespoon of orange extract, and make the rest of your cake as usual!