Chocolate Orange Cake

This light and moist chocolate orange cake recipe with chocolate buttercream flavoured with fresh orange juice is an easy cake that stays moist for days. I have made this cake so many times over the years, I really think it is the best chocolate cake recipe and hope you will think so too!

This chocolate & orange cake is my go to recipe, whether for birthdays, to take to a friends or for afternoon tea. Chocolate and orange is one of our favourite flavour combinations, from this eggless chocolate orange drizzle cake to chocolate orange cupcakes, so it seemed about time to share this chocolate orange cake recipe.

Jump to:

• Why we love this recipe
• Ingredients notes and substitutions
• How to make this chocolate orange cake recipe
• How to make the chocolate orange buttercream
• FAQ
• My recipe tips
• Storage
• Variations
• More easy chocolate recipes
• Chocolate Orange Cake

Why we love this recipe

• This easy chocolate cake stays moist for days, thanks to the use of oil in the cake.
• Using milk mixed with vinegar makes a homemade buttermilk, which not only makes a cake light and moist, but soft too.
• Made with fresh orange juice and fresh orange zest, the orange flavour is more subtle than if you use an artificial flavouring which can easily overpower the cake.
• Although I have topped the chocolate sponge with a simple buttercream for these photos (and included the buttercream recipe in the post) this cake can be served plain or with a plain chocolate buttercream frosting and is equally delicious.
• It is a great birthday cake recipe. I have made my son’s birthday cake with this recipe for the past 3 years, as I wanted a cake that I could make a day or two before and wouldn’t dry out.

Ingredients notes and substitutions

• Plain flour – all purpose flour.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – I prefer to use a dutch processed cocoa powder for the deepest colour and chocolate flavour. In Australia I like to use Nestle Plaistowe cocoa premium. However this is a personal preference and if you want to use a more budget friendly cocoa powder the cake will still be packed with chocolate flavour and delicious 🙂
• Fresh orange – The whole orange is used in the recipe – the orange juice and orange zest are both used to flavour the cake and the buttercream. I don’t recommend using an artificial orange flavour in this cake.
• Oil – a neutral oil such as canola or sunflower oil or light olive oil. If you use a heavy olive oil you will be able to taste it.
• Sugar – soft brown sugar creates a moist chocolate cake.
• Egg – this recipe just needs 1 egg.
• Baking powder and baking soda – using both of these leavening agents provides the fluffiest, lightest cake.
• White vinegar – to make the homemade buttermilk. You can use lemon juice or rice wine vinegar instead.
• Milk – I use full fat milk, however you can use half fat milk if you prefer.
• Vanilla – vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract or vanilla essence. Adding a touch of vanilla helps enhance the chocolate flavour.
• Buttercream – is made with softened butter, orange juice and zest, and cocoa powder.

How to make this chocolate orange cake recipe

For full detailed recipe please scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post.

1. Mix the milk with vinegar in a small bowl or jug and put to one side. In a large bowl, whisk the plain flour with the bicarbonate of soda / baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar and orange zest.
2. Whisk the milk mixture with the oil, egg and vanilla.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon.
4. Pour in the 120ml (½ c) boiling water and orange juice and mix with a spoon until just combined.
   • TIP: the batter can have a few lumps in – this is OK! See image below.

5. Pour into the lined baking tin.
6. Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How to make the chocolate orange buttercream

1. Beat the softened butter with the orange zest.
2. Sift in the icing sugar / confectioners sugar and cocoa powder then mix.

1. Add the orange juice and mix to combine. Add a little more orange juice (or milk) if the buttercream seems too thick. You should be able to easily run a spoon through it and leave the trail (see image below)
2. Spread the buttercream over the top of the cold cake. Use a spatula or blunt knife to do this.

FAQ

My recipe tips

• Beating the orange zest with the butter and sugar helps release the oils from the zest, and therefore the orange flavour, throughout the cake.
• Don’t over mix the batter – it is better to have a few small lumps of flour in the batter.
• It’s easier to zest the orange before you juice it, and I find a microplane grater is awesome for grating citrus.
• When zesting the orange take care not to grate the white part – the pith – as this is bitter.
• If the buttercream is too thick when you ice the cake it can pull crumbs off the top of the cake which can get mixed into the buttercream and look messy.
• You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make this cake if you prefer.
• If you want to make a 2 layer cake, just double the recipe for the cake batter and divide the mixture between 2 x 19cm (7½ “) round tins. You can sandwich the buttercream between the layers and leave the top plain, or double the buttercream amounts to ice the top of the cake too.

Storage

• Iced – the cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Un-iced – the cake should keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature unless it is very humid, in which case it will not keep quite as well, for up to 3-4 days.

Variations

• If you are lucky enough to have some leftover Terry’s chocolate orange in the house, roughly chop up ½ one and fold through the batter before you cook it. Terry’s chocolate orange segments would also be a fun and striking way to decorate the cake.
• Dairy free orange chocolate cake – use a dairy free milk for the cake and a dairy free spread for the chocolate orange buttercream or leave the cake un-iced.
• Top with a chocolate ganache instead of the buttercream frosting.
• Decorate with orange slices or grated dark chocolate.

More easy chocolate recipes

If you are a chocolate fan (like us!), here are some of our favourite chocolate recipes: