Chocolate Orange Cake

Here’s an amazing Chocolate Orange Cake recipe that is perfect for any occasion. It will leave every one of your guests raving about it because this cake is moist, layered with a delicious orange cream cheese frosting, and covered with luscious chocolate ganache.

Wishing all of you a fantastic and safe 2021!
I hope and pray that this new year puts an end to this pandemic and, life gets back to normal for all of us.

I am just not done with orange flavor, so I planned to make my favorite Chocolate Orange layer cake for this new year. Needless to say: orange and chocolate pairs very well together. You cannot go wrong with these two flavors. Trust me; you will love this cake!

First, I was confused about what I should make for the new year. So it got me thinking. Last year, I made a Chocolate Toblerone Cake, this year should it be chocolate or any other flavor? Well, you cannot go wrong with chocolate, so I decided chocolate it is!
This beautiful cake is fantastic for any celebration. I have made this chocolate orange cake on many occasions, and it was a hit among all.

How to Make Chocolate Orange Cake

The Chocolate cake I used here is the same as my  Chocolate Toblerone cake. Orange cake is put together with orange juice and zest. You can also alternate with mandarin oranges, tangerines, or clementines. 

*All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

This cake is easy to put together, and you won’t be needing a stand mixer or a hand beater. You will need two bowls, a rubber spatula, and a whisk to mix the cake batter. Once the batter is ready, you can bake both cakes at the same time. Baking time might vary according to your oven heat. So I would recommend that you check the cake when it’s about 25 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, it might need a few more minutes. 

Making the chocolate cake

Apart from the hot water, you have to mix all the other wet ingredients in a large bowl and the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well until combined. Lastly, add the hot water and mix well. This batter makes a 6-inch cake.
I used 1/4 cup of oil, but you can use melted butter if you prefer.
The buttermilk can be replaced: with 1/2 cup of yogurt in the recipe.

Making the Orange cake 

This Orange cake is as simple as the above chocolate cake. I adapted my Butter Cake recipe here. First, you need to mix all the wet ingredients in a large bowl and the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well until combined. Pour it into the 6 inch round cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. 

The Orange Cream Cheese Buttercream

The orange cream cheese buttercream is very simple and, all you need is a bowl and a whisk to whip this deliciousness. Having all the ingredients at room temperature for the buttercream makes it easier to whip up with the whisk.
First, beat the butter, cream cheese, and orange zest well until creamy.
Next, add the powdered sugar and beat with the whisk until well combined. Lastly, add the orange juice and beat for a minute. Your buttercream should be creamy and smooth.
The amount of buttercream in the recipe is more than enough to layer the cake and decorate it. If you prefer to frost the layers and cover the cake with this buttercream, I would suggest you double the recipe.

Assembling the Cake 

To layer, the cake you need to brush some orange juice on the orange cake layers and top it with the delicious Orange Cream cheese buttercream. If you like, you can add a few chopped candied oranges to these layers.
Next, place the chocolate cake layer and frost it. Repeat the same for the other layer and leave the top layer to frost with chocolate ganache. Cover the cake completely; with ganache and decorate it with orange buttercream and candied oranges.

Chocolate Orange Cake

Recipe by Ruwani Ravin KumarCourse: DessertCuisine: American

Servings

14

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

35

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

35

minutes

Here’s an amazing Chocolate Orange Cake recipe that is perfect for any occasion. It will leave every one of your guests raving about it because this cake is moist, layered with a delicious orange cream cheese frosting, and covered with luscious chocolate ganache.

Ingredients

• Chocolate Ganache

• 1 and 2/3 cups / 250g dark chocolate (preferably with 50% or 60% cocoa solids)

• 1/2 cup / 113g unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup / 120ml heavy whipping cream

• Orange Cake

• 1 1/4 cup / 150g all-purpose flour

• 1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 cup / 170g butter melted and cooled

• 3/4 cup /150 granulated sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 Tablespoons / 45ml whole milk

• 5 Tablespoon/ 75ml fresh Orange juice

• 1 Tablespoon Orange zest

• Chocolate Cake

• 1/2 cup and 6 Tablespoons / 110g All-purpose flour

• 6 Tablespoons/ 37 g cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

• 3/4 teaspoons Baking Soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup / 150g white granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup / 120ml buttermilk

• 1/4 cup / 60ml sunflower oil/ vegetable oil

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup/ 120 ml hot water

• Orange Cream Cheese Buttercream

• 1/4 cup + 3 Tablespoons / 100g butter

• 4 Tablespoon / 56g cream cheese

• 1 teaspoon orange zest

• 1 and 3/4 cups / 195g powdered sugar/ icing sugar

• 1 teaspoon orange juice

• For assembling

• Completely cooled cakes

• Orange cream cheese buttercream

• Chocolate ganache

• 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice for brushing on top of the orange cakes

• For decorating

• Orange cream cheese buttercream

• few candied orange slices cut

  
  

Directions

• Chocolate Ganache
• Chop the chocolate into small. Using the double boiler method ( water bath), melt the chocolate. For this, take a saucepan and a glass bowl that is bigger than the pan. Add 3/4 cup water to the saucepan and place it on medium-high heat.
• Add all the ingredients into the bowl and place the bowl on top of the saucepan. Use a rubber spatular to stir the chocolate mixture until the chocolate melts. The result should be a smooth mixture.
• Cool the ganache for 2 hours to get the spreadable consistency. I was in a hurry so, I placed it in the freezer for 15 – 20 minutes and then stirred a little to get a spreadable texture.
• Orange Cake
• Preheat the oven at 175 C/ 350 F. Grease 2 x 6-inch pans and line with parchment paper.
• Add the flour and baking powder to a medium-size bowl and mix well with a whisk, set aside.
• Add the sugar, melted butter, vanilla, eggs, orange juice and zest, and milk into a large bowl and whisk well until combined.
• Next, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
• Pour the batter into one 6-inch pan. Keep the pan with batter aside, and next, prepare the chocolate cake and bake them together. If you have a small oven or prefer to bake the cakes separately, you can bake the orange cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Place the cake pan on a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan. After 10 minutes, place the cake on a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Once it’s cooled completely, you can layer the cake and frost it.
• Chocolate Cake
• Add the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to a medium-size bowl and mix well with a whisk, set aside.
• Add the sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and eggs into a large bowl and whisk well until combined.
• Next, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Lastly, add the hot water and mix well to combine.
• Pour the batter into the 6-inch pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Place the cake pan on a cooling rack and let it cool completely in the pans.
• Once it’s cooled completely, you can layer the cake and frost it.
• Orange Cream Cheese Buttercream
• First, Using a whisk, beat the butter, cream cheese, and orange zest well until creamy.
• Next, add the powdered sugar and beat with the whisk until well combined. Lastly, add the orange juice and beat for a minute. Your buttercream should be creamy and smooth.
• Assembling the cake
• Cut the domes of the cakes to level them. Cut each cake horizontally to make two layers. Place one of the orange layers on top of a plate or cake stand.
  Next, brush some orange juice on the orange cake layers and top it with the delicious Orange Cream cheese buttercream. If you like, you can add a few chopped candied oranges to these layers.
• Next, place the chocolate cake layer and frost it. Repeat the same for the other layer and leave the top layer to frost with chocolate ganache.
• Crumb coat the cake with ganache and leave the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes for the crumbs to set. Now, cover the cake with ganache. Smooth the top and the edges with a palette knife and decorate it with orange buttercream and candied oranges.

Notes

• The cakes can be made ahead and frosted the next day.
• Freezing the cake– Unfrosted cakes can be covered with cling wrap and frozen for up to 3 months.
• Store the cake in an airtight container and leave it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.