This supremely moist chocolate orange cake will become your go-to chocolate cake. Freshly squeezed orange juice brightens every bite and a juicy orange glaze is brushed between the layers. The cake is finished with a rich, thick chocolate ganache for a bold, chocolatey finish.
Sponsored recipe.
Your new favorite chocolate cake recipe!
Supremely moist: The crumb is tender and very moist, thanks to fresh orange juice and a simple orange glaze that keeps each layer juicy.
Bright, fresh orange flavor: Fresh Florida oranges—juice and zest—add a lively, sweet citrus note that complements the chocolate perfectly.
Simple to prepare: This recipe uses pantry-friendly ingredients and minimal hands-on time. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer and have the batter in the pans in under twenty minutes.
Bakery-quality results at home: Despite its ease, this cake delivers bakery-level flavor and texture. Serve a slice with a creamy cup of coffee for the full experience.
Ingredients for Chocolate Orange Cake:
- Florida oranges (zest and juice)
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Buttermilk (or DIY buttermilk: 1 cup milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice)
- Olive oil
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Freshly squeezed Florida orange juice
- Hot water
- Dark chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate
- Heavy whipping cream
Step up your flavor with fresh Florida orange juice
Freshly squeezed Florida orange juice and zest lift this chocolate cake from ordinary to exceptional. Florida oranges are known for their sweetness and juiciness, which work especially well when squeezed into batters and glazes.
How to make Chocolate Orange Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans, dust with flour, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment.
- For the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and orange zest until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, freshly squeezed orange juice, and hot water until smooth.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and beat briefly (20–30 seconds) on medium speed until evenly combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake 23–26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze: In a small saucepan, whisk together ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice and ½ cup granulated sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
- For the ganache: Place chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat 1 cup heavy whipping cream until it just begins to simmer, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
- Stir the cream and chocolate together until smooth. Let the ganache sit at room temperature to thicken; refrigerate briefly to speed thickening if needed, stirring gently once or twice to keep it smooth.
- Assemble: Remove cakes from pans and trim domes with a serrated knife. Brush half the orange glaze over each cake top. Spread half the ganache on the bottom layer, place the second layer on top (glazed side down), then frost with remaining ganache. Garnish with orange slices if desired.
Whole cake or cupcakes
This recipe works as a whole layer cake or as cupcakes. For cupcakes, fill liners with 2–3 tablespoons batter and bake 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Pipe or dollop ganache on cooled cupcakes.
Other chocolate recipes to try:
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie
- Hot Chocolate Cake
If you make this Chocolate Orange Cake, tag the creator on social media—she loves seeing your creations and sharing them with the community.
Chocolate Orange Cake
ingredients
For cake:
- Zest of two large Florida oranges
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (see note)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup freshly squeezed Florida orange juice
- ½ cup hot water
For orange glaze:
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
For chocolate ganache frosting:
- 2 cups (about 8 oz) dark chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8-inch pans: grease, flour, and line with parchment. Set aside.
-
For cake: Whisk together the dry ingredients and orange zest until combined.
-
Whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, orange juice, and hot water until smooth.
-
Combine wet and dry ingredients and beat briefly until uniform.
-
Divide batter between pans and bake 23–26 minutes. Cool in pans 20 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
-
For glaze: Heat orange juice with sugar over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.
-
For ganache: Place chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate. Let sit 10 minutes without stirring.
-
Stir ganache until smooth. Allow to thicken at room temperature or chill briefly, stirring gently to maintain smoothness.
-
Trim cake domes, brush glaze on each layer, spread half the ganache on the bottom layer, stack, and finish with remaining ganache. Garnish with orange slices.
notes
Nutrition
|
Carbohydrates: 70g
|
Protein: 8g
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates.
did you make this
Tag on social media and use the community hashtag to share your photos.
