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overhead photo of chocolate orange cake with two slices of cake cut out and one slice on a plate in the lower right corner.

Chocolate Orange Cake

Robyn
This light chocolate orange cake recipe with chocolate buttercream flavoured with fresh orange juice is an easy bake that looks impressive. The chocolate cake stays moist for days too!
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course baking
Cuisine International
Servings 12 people
Calories 237 kcal

Equipment

  • 19cm (7½ ") round tin

Ingredients
  

  • 120ml (½ c) milk
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 110g (¾ c) plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 40g (⅓ c) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 125g (½ c + ⅛ c) soft brown sugar
  • ½ orange Zested
  • 60ml (¼ c) neutral oil
  • ½ orange juiced
  • boiling water added to orange juice to make 120ml / ½ c
  • 1 egg beaten
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla essence or vanilla bean paste

Chocolate orange buttercream

  • 75g (⅓ c) butter softened
  • 160g (1⅓ c) icing sugar / confectioners sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoons orange zest
  • 1½ tablespoons orange juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 160˚C fan / 180˚C / 320˚F convection / 356˚F.
  • Line a 19cm (7½ ") round tin with baking paper / baking parchment.
  • In a small bowl mix the milk with the vinegar and set to one side.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the plain flour with the bicarbonate of soda / baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar and orange zest.
  • Whisk the milk with the oil, egg and vanilla with a fork.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to just combine.
  • Pour in the 120ml (½ c) water and orange juice and mix until just combined. It doesn't matter if there are lumps of flour in the batter.
  • Pour into the lined baking tin.
  • Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  • Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the chocolate orange buttercream

  • Beat the softened butter with the orange zest.
  • Sift in the icing sugar / confectioners sugar and cocoa powder then mix to start to combine (it will look crumbly).
  • Add the orange juice and mix to combine. Add a little more orange juice or a little milk if the buttercream seems too thick.
  • Spread the buttercream over the top of the cold cake.
  • Serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight tin for up to 3 days.

Notes

Orange - you should be able to make this cake with 1 medium to large orange. It does depend on how juicy the orange is however.
Flour – plain flour or 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 🙂
Orange – The whole orange is used in the recipe – the orange juice and orange zest is used to flavour the cake. I don’t recommend using an artificial orange flavour in this cake.
Oil – a neutral oil or light olive oil work in this cake. You don’t want to use a heavy olive oil though as you will be able to taste it.
Sugar – soft brown sugar creates a moist 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 cows milk, however you can use half fat milk if you prefer.
Vanilla – vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence. I find adding a touch of vanilla helps the chocolate flavour.
Buttercream – softened butter, orange juice and zest, cocoa powder.
Beating the orange zest in with the butter and sugar helps release the oil 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 212IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chocolate and orange cake, chocolate orange cake

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