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    Home » Newest Recipes! » Dessert » Orange Chocolate Cake

    Orange Chocolate Cake

    Published: Oct 10, 2020 · Modified: Oct 22, 2020 by Aubrey · This post may contain affiliate links

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    This orange chocolate cake is super moist, decadent and easy to make! Plus, easy chocolate orange layer cake tips to make your cake look super fancy.

    orange chocolate cake on a white plate garnished with a candied orange slice on top

    This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through this link (at no extra cost to you).

    I know I have a lot of stiff competition when it comes to orange chocolate cake. From Nigella Lawson to Ina Garten, I am throwing down a challenge when I say my chocolate orange cake is the BEST. My dad (a major foodie) said this is the best chocolate cake recipe he has ever had! I’m sorry but you know that is a big deal.

    If you want to make orange chocolate cake with cake mix, that is an option too. Check out my Boxed Cake Mix Hacks to make your boxed cake taste like bakery! And while, you’re at it, you should probably enjoy a Cardamom Latte and relax while your cake is in the oven.

    Why this recipe works

    • This cake is really easy to make. From start to finish, you can make this from-scratch orange chocolate cake in less than 30 minutes!
    • It is super moist and decadent. Seriously, it is just really delicious. Full stop.
    • It stays moist refrigerated and even frozen! You can make your own homemade frosting for this recipe or you can use store bought frosting and your guests will think you are a culinary educated pastry chef!

    Ingredients for this chocolate orange cake recipe

    • All purpose flour
    • Granulated sugar
    • Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Do not use Dutch processed cocoa powder as that will change the consistency of the cake.
    • Baking soda
    • Baking powder
    • Salt
    • Oil: Canola, vegetable and olive oil all work well.
    • Eggs
    • Orange extract: You can use orange extract or orange flavor oil (food grade) (Note: with flavor oil, be sure to adjust the amount based on the strength of the oil you buy).
    • Buttermilk: Don’t skip the buttermilk. I find that it is a critical ingredient to making this cake super moist.
    • Orange juice: I used Good and Gather brand Orange Juice from Target. It is 100% juice, from concentrated, no extra sugar. You can also use fresh squeezed orange juice.
    • Water
    • Optional Garnish: Candied orange slices and/or fresh grated orange zest.

    How to make orange chocolate cake

    1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
    2. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, oil or pan spray. Line with parchment paper. grease parchment paper. Parchment paper is critical to make sure your cake doesn’t stick.
    3. Tip to Measure Flour: When you measure your flour, do not scoop it out directly as that can lead to using more flour than is needed. To correctly measure your flour, give the flour a stir with a fork or a whisk to loosen it. Spoon the flour into cup until it is heaping, then level with the flat side of a knife.
    4. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
    5. In large bowl, mix olive oil, eggs, orange extract, buttermilk, orange juice and water. use hand beaters or whisk to combine.
    6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until combined.
    7. Divide batter and pour each half into your 9-inch round cake pan.
    8. Bake 22-24 minutes until cooked through. You can test with a toothpick. If it comes out clean with no batter, the cake is done.
    9. Place cake on cooling rack and allow to fully cool before removing from pan.
    10. Once fully cooled, remove from pan and frost. Bring to room temperature before serving. See notes regarding frosting.
    11. Optional garnish: Candied orange slices or orange zest,

    What frosting do you recommend for this cake?

    My favorite frosting for this cake is store-bought Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Dark Chocolate Frosting.

    If you want to make your frosting from-scratch, Sally’s Baking Addiction makes a delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. If you like a cream-cheese style frosting, Erren’s Kitchen makes an awesome Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

    orange chocolate cake on a white plate garnished with a candied orange slice on top

    Chocolate orange layer cake tips

    If am going to get right to the point. If you want to make an amazing layer cake, let me give you my top 3 best quick layer cake tips.

    1. Parchment paper: Use it! Don’t skip this. I know it’s annoying and you might not have it on-hand, but trust me. It will make your life so much easier when you have a cake that slides perfectly out of the pan. The last thing you want it to spend time making a beautiful homemade cake and having it break apart when it sticks to the pan. Not allowed in my kitchen!
    2. Refrigerate or freeze before frosting: I know it depends on how much time you have, but if you can make your cake the night before, I HIGHLY recommend you pop it in the freezer overnight. You will thank me in the morning. It makes it so much easier to cut and frost your cake layers. If you can’t freeze, pop it in the refrigerator for the amount of time you have before frosting.
    3. Level and tort your cake (ie: make it flat!): If your cake isn’t perfectly flat on top (it might have a slight dome shape), you can cut to make it flat. It helps to have flat layers when frosting and stacking your cake. Check out this Wilton Cake How to Level and Tort a Cake for more specific tips on this step.
    4. Cake Turntable: If you plan on making cakes on a regular basis, I find that a cake turntable is a great investment. It makes frosting the cake much easier and can also double for a beautiful presentation.

    Convert this cake to cupcakes

    This orange chocolate cake recipe can easily be converted to cupcakes. Follow the cake instructions to make the batter and then prepare as follows:

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
    2. Place 24 cupcake liners in cupcake pan. 
    3. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for about 15-20 minutes. You can test with a toothpick and it should come out clean.
    4. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to cooking rack

    How to make candied orange slices for garnish

    You will be amazed how easy it is to make candied orange slices! This candied fruit garnish is not only beautiful but super delicious. To make candied orange slices, simmer your orange slices with equal parts water and sugar until they become slightly translucent. I like to dip them in sugar when they are done cooking for that extra shimmer of sugar. Lay them on parchment paper to cool.

    FAQ and expert tips

    How to make orange chocolate cake?

    The key to great orange chocolate cake is a cake recipe that yields cake with cook moisture, texture and great orange flavor!

    What frosting goes well on chocolate orange cake?

    I typically recommend a simple buttercream, french buttercream or cream cheese style frosting. I recommend dark chocolate frosting for this recipe as it balances well with the orange flavor.

    What are some variations of chocolate orange cake?

    The beauty of orange chocolate cake is that there are so many fun variations such as chocolate orange marble cake, chocolate orange loaf cake, boiled orange chocolate cake, orange chocolate cake with ganache, eggless orange chocolate cake and dark chocolate orange cake! The sky is the limit!

    orange chocolate cake on a white plate garnished with a candied orange slice on top

    Looking for other delicious desserts?

    • Try my Boxed Cake Mix Hacks to make your box cake taste like bakery!
    • Enjoy the taste of fall with my Cast Iron Skillet Apple Crisp drizzled with decadent Demerara Syrup.
    • Feeling like some cheesecake but don’t feel like baking? You will love my Oreo Cheesecake Bites (no bake!).
    • If you love Starbucks cake pops but want something healthier, you will love my healthy version of Starbucks Cake Pops.

    Hungry for more? Subscribe to my EMAIL NEWSLETTER and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all of the latest delicious food!

    You can also comment below. I LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, a 5 STAR RATING is the ultimate compliment as food is my love language!

    orange chocolate cake on a white plate garnished with a candied orange slice on top

    Orange Chocolate Cake

    This orange chocolate cake is super moist, decadent and easy to make! Plus, easy chocolate orange layer cake tips to make your cake look super duper fancy.
    5 from 178 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: dessert
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    22 minutes
    Total Time: 32 minutes
    Servings: 8 slices
    Calories: 428kcal
    Author: Aubrey
    Cost: $8

    Equipment

    • Two (2) 9 inch round cake pans, 2 large bowls, hand mixer or whisk.

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour (see notes to measure flour)
    • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
    • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural not dutch)
    • 2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup canola, vegetable oil or olive oil
    • 2 eggs
    • 3 teaspoon orange extract
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • ½ cup orange juice (no added sugar, 100% juice)
    • ½ cup water
    • Optional Garnish: Candied oranges.

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven 350 degrees.
    • Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, oil or pan spray. Line with parchment paper. grease parchment paper. Parchment paper is critical to make sure your cake doesn't stick. See parchment paper notes.
    • In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
    • In large bowl, mix olive oil, eggs, orange extract, buttermilk, orange juice and water. use hand beaters or whisk to combine.
    • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until combined.
    • Divide batter and pour each half into your 9-inch round cake pan.
    • Bake 22-24 minutes until cooked through. You can test with a toothpick. If it comes out clean with no batter, the cake is done.
    • Place cake on cooling rack and allow to fully cool before removing from pan.
    • Once fully cooled, remove from pan and frost. See notes regarding frosting.

    Notes

    Tip to Measure Flour: When you measure your flour, do not scoop it out directly as that can lead to using more flour than is needed. To correctly measure your flour, give the flour a stir with a fork or a whisk to loosen it. Spoon the flour into cup until it is heaping, then level with the flat side of a knife.
    Parchment paper: Trade your cake pan over parchment paper and cut out the rounds so they fit easily into your cake pan. 
    Freezing and Frosting: This cake freezes amazingly well. When I serve this cake, I actually freeze overnight. This allow the cake to harden which makes it super easy to assemble into a layer cake and frost. If you choose this method, allow cake to come to room temperature before serving (about 30 minutes).
    Store Bought Frosting: You can make your own homemade frosting or you can use store bought. I recommend Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Dark Chocolate Frosting. If you are a major orange lover, you can also add extra orange extract to the frosting if you choose.
    Storage: Wrap individual cake pieces. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months.
    Convert Cake to Cupcakes: This orange chocolate cake recipe can easily be converted to cupcakes. Follow the cake instructions to make the batter and then prepare as follows:
    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
    2. Place 24 cupcake liners in cupcake pan. 
    3. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for about 15-20 minutes. You can test with a toothpick and it should come out clean.
    4. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to cooking rack.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 717mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @AubreysHealthyKitchen or tag #aubreyshealthykitchen!
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    About Aubrey

    My name is Aubrey. I am a busy lawyer and momma. While I am passionate about both, I have a place in my heart for great food and want to share it with other food lovers!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy

      August 11, 2022 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      I’m making this one right now – more to come after I’ve delivered (most of) it as a gift to my sister! It sounds fabulous!!
      I think I’m a pretty good cook but defintiely not a natural baker — so I have been trying over the last year of the pandemic to experiment with dessert rercipes and to learn in the process.
      I also really appreciate all your little extra baking tips!

      Reply
    2. Christene

      August 11, 2022 at 5:11 am

      5 stars
      This cake is dark and decadent and incredibly delicious. I didn’t have enough orange extract so I used the zest from a large orange and then juiced it to include the pulp. This tactic seemed to work as the orange taste is very present. I also baked it in a 10″ tube pan for 35 mins.

      Reply
    3. Karen

      May 18, 2022 at 12:20 pm

      5 stars
      The most moist cake I’ve ever had in my entire life, seriously! I made this as cupcakes so they normally would’ve dried out very quickly right? These things were just as moist as the day I baked them FIVE DAYS after!! And boy are they moist. These are melt in your mouth level. The batter is extremely thin but don’t be scared its so good!!

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        May 18, 2022 at 12:23 pm

        Thanks Karen! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed!

        Reply
    4. Tracey

      April 19, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      This was the best cake I have ever made. Great combo, orange and chocolate. I used orange bakery emulsion in place of the extract and also added some to the frosting. I will definitely make the again, and again. Thank you for this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        April 19, 2022 at 7:01 pm

        Thank you Tracey!!! I am so happy you enjoyed!!

        Reply
    5. Kim

      February 22, 2022 at 4:40 am

      5 stars
      My dad also says this is the best cake he’s ever eaten and is always dying for me to make it. It is now always his birthday cake

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        February 22, 2022 at 4:30 pm

        Thanks Kim!!! I am so honored that you and you Dad enjoy! 😁

        Reply
    6. Stephanie

      December 22, 2021 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was an absolute success! It even had my kiddo who doesn’t even eat cake loving it! The cake stayed so moist, and it was a perfect balance between chocolate and orange! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        December 22, 2021 at 6:16 pm

        Thank you Stephanie! So happy you and your family enjoyed. 😁

        Reply
    7. Sarah

      November 28, 2021 at 2:51 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! Very simple to make. It seriously melts in your mouth, it is so moist. I made it for my two year olds birthday and he loved it so much. The cake was a total hit. Nailed it!

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        November 28, 2021 at 7:13 pm

        Thank you Sarah!!!! So happy to hear!

        Reply
    8. Kiera

      October 13, 2021 at 12:36 am

      Looks amazing. Can I make this cake as in one pan, rather than divide the cake into two pans? If so, what would be your recommended time to bake?
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        October 14, 2021 at 11:38 am

        Hello Kiera, Thank you for your kind words! I have not specifically tested this cake recipe in one pan, but if you use a 9×13 inch baking pan, you could try 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Check at the start of the range with a toothpick to be safe. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Angela

      October 04, 2021 at 10:59 am

      5 stars
      The recipe was perfect. I did not have orange extract so I used grated orange zest from 2 oranges on top of the freshly squeezed orange juice and pure vanilla to enhance the orange taste

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        October 05, 2021 at 10:36 am

        Thanks Angela! I am so happy you enjoyed and those are wonderful tips!

        Reply
    10. Christy M

      September 07, 2021 at 3:14 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing!

      Reply
    11. Jenny

      August 28, 2021 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      I made this Orange Chocolate cake and it turned out excellent. I also made the frosting which I added just a small shake of orange extract. It was so moist and it disappeared fast. I will be using this recipe again soon. My husband likes to have dessert after dinner and this cake was a hit. Can’t wait until the holidays to make this for the family, maybe I should take two 😊.

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        August 28, 2021 at 5:57 pm

        Thanks Jenny!!! That makes me so happy to hear! 😁

        Reply
    12. Alli

      July 21, 2021 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      Made this recipe today at a small bakery I work at, and it turned out beautifully! Made a dark chocolate orange buttercream for it and garnished with orange zest, orange glaze, and candied orange peel. Will definitely pull this recipe out again this Christmas when chocolate oranges come back in season!

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        July 22, 2021 at 10:22 am

        That sound wonderful Alli! So happy you enjoyed!

        Reply
    13. Nairutee

      June 02, 2021 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! The cake turned out so soft! Didn’t have the orange extract so added orange zest a bit of coffee too in the water. A keeper of a recipe!

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        June 02, 2021 at 7:06 pm

        Thanks Nairutee! So happy you enjoyed!!! 😁

        Reply
    14. Shweta

      May 28, 2021 at 7:02 pm

      5 stars
      Hi! I tried this recipe for my husband’s birthday and I must say it is delicious. It is now my husband’s favorite cake. I have baked all of two cakes in my entire life so the instructions were easy to follow for a novice like me! Thank you for sharing the recipe.. it is delicious!

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        May 31, 2021 at 7:38 am

        Hello Shweta! Thank you! I am so happy you enjoyed! 😁

        Reply
    15. Sukrita

      May 04, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      Hey Aubrey!

      Hope you are doing well! So excited to try this recipe! I had a question though, I can’t eat eggs, so is there a way to replace it, so I can still bake this delicious cake?
      Looking forward to your reply!
      ThankYou 🙂

      Reply
      • Aubrey

        May 04, 2021 at 6:56 pm

        Hello Sukrita – thank you so much for your kind words! While I have not personally tried this recipe using an egg substitute, some popular vegan or non-dairy egg substitutes are “flax eggs” or applesauce. I hope that helps! If you try either as an option, let me know how it turns out!😁

        Reply
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    My name is Aubrey. I am a busy lawyer and momma. While I am passionate about both, I have a place in my heart for great food and want to share it with other food lovers! And for some more super top-secret fun facts....

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