Name: Chocolate & Orange Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1¾ cups (250g/9oz) all-purpose flour; 2 cups (400g/14oz) sugar; ¾ cup (2oz/50g) unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup (225g/8floz)buttermilk*; 1 cup (225g/8floz) freshly brewed hot coffee; ½ cup (115G/4oz) flavorless oil (veg, canola or sunflower); 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; Buttercream Frosting; 2 teaspoons of orange extract or zest of 1 orange; Orange food coloring ((optional)); Chocolate ganache

Chocolate and Orange is a popular flavor combination around the holidays. Wow friends and family with this gorgeous cake.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Chocolate and Orange is a popular flavor combination around the holidays. It reminds me of Christmas in Ireland so I’m making a Big and Bold Chocolate and Orange cake perfect for any celebration.

The chocolate and orange combo is most commonly associated with Terri’s Chocolate Oranges around Christmas. Terri’s Chocolate Oranges are something you would find in the bottom of your stocking on Christmas Day. After eating turkey and ham all day you would eat one while watching the movie, Home Alone.

This recipe is going to be an easy one for you because a lot of ingredients you can make from scratch as you have seen in my Bold Baking Basics series. I added my Homemade Orange extract to my Buttercream recipe to give it that lovely orange flavor. The cake is one of my favorite kinds because it’s made on Buttermilk. I really want you to use buttermilk instead of milk so that’s why I show you how to make your own. Check out my Buttermilk recipe here.

The chocolate cake I used is my “Best Ever Chocolate Cake Recipe”. Now, I wouldn’t say it was the “Best Ever” without hundreds of comments and emails telling me so.

This cake doesn’t only look out of this world but it tastes amazing too. The cake is incredibly soft due to the buttermilk and is a good contrast for the firmer texture of the buttercream. Neither flavors overpower one other, they only compliment.

Watch The Recipe Video!

Chocolate & Orange Cake

4.42 from 36 votes

Print Recipe

A Chocolate and Orange Cake combines two incredible flavors perfect for the holidays. Try my best Chocolate Cake recipe and buttercream for a winning combo!

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: servings

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

A Chocolate and Orange Cake combines two incredible flavors perfect for the holidays. Try my best Chocolate Cake recipe and buttercream for a winning combo!

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: servings

Ingredients

1¾ cups (250g/9oz) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400g/14oz) sugar
¾ cup (2oz/50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (225g/8floz)buttermilk*
1 cup (225g/8floz) freshly brewed hot coffee
½ cup (115G/4oz) flavorless oil (veg, canola or sunflower)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting
2 teaspoons of orange extract or zest of 1 orange
Orange food coloring (optional)
Chocolate ganache

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350oF (180oC). Butter and line 3 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. You can use 2 tins, I just wanted 3 layers in mine.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients together by hand.
In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and coffee.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and GENTLY mix the batter just to combine. Do not over mix or beat as this cake can toughen up.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Note: this cake cooks fast so check if after 25 minutes. You don’t want to overcook it.
Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
To make the Orange Buttercream Frosting: Follow my mater recipe for Buttercream Frosting. Add in Orange extract or the zest of 1 orange. Add in orange food coloring a drop at a time until you have reached your desired color. You can use the frosting immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for 3 days, or freeze if for up to 3 months. Allow frosting to come to room temperature before using.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle with buttercream. Pipe big round dollops of buttercream on each layer. make sure your buttercream is very firm so it will hold each layer of cake.
When you place on the last layer firm you can pour Chocolate Ganache over top. let it drip down the sides for a rustic look. Finish the cake by piping more orange buttercream on top pf the cake.
Store at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4 days. If storing in the fridge make sure it reaches room temperature before eating.

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Christina

3 years ago

Hey Gemma! As always I was craving for a cake and hopped on here in search of it, coz your recipes have always been the best ever versions!!! ❤️ Love you for that and for all the efforts you put in. However this time I came here craving for an orange pound cake but couldn’t find it or it’s similar on the blog, if it’s ever possible please do create one, pretty please?! 😅🤗

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Tammy G

2 months ago

Hi Gemma,
Is there something I can substitute for the coffee, or can I just leave it out altogether?

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Tiya

1 year ago

Hey Gemma, I love your classic chocolate cake recipe..Can I add melted butter instead of vegetable oil to the recipe

ShamimaS

Hi Gemma!

I made this cake today,it looked so gorgeous and the taste is also awesome. Loved it,I made homemade chocolate to decorate it.Have also shared a pic.

Lots of love
Shamima

S Jadav

2 years ago

Hi Gemma,
How can I make this Vegan? Eggs can be replace by flaxseed egg but buttermilk?
Thank you

Deepa Chauhan

Hey Gemma! Is sugar u used in the cake is regular powder sugar or castor sugar?

Deepaa chauhan

Hey Gemma! Can i make this in convection mode of microwave?

Ridhika

Hi Gemma,

I really want to try baking this one. This recipe has buttermilk and eggs both together. Can I substitute the eggs with more buttermilk? Or can you suggest something that would work well in place of egg here?

Nupur

Hey Gemma. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes. Can I replace the orange in this with raspberry. I want to make a chocolate raspberry cake, also can I add raspberry compote to the buttercream to get raspberry flavour buttercream. Tia
Nupur

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Sue

Oh my gosh! You are not kidding when you say this is the best chocolate cake ever! It is incredibly moist and rich but light and delicate at the same time. I made this recipe for a family get-together and it was the hit of the whole dinner. Everyone loved it, even the two people there who were not chocolate cake lovers. I followed the recipe almost exactly since the only thing I did slightly different was that I add 2 heaping teaspoons of espresso powder to 1 cup of hot water instead of making coffee from fresh grounds and… Read more »