Chocolate Orange Cake

Indulge your taste buds with the smooth flavors of Chocolate Orange Cake. Infused with freshly squeezed juice and orange zest, this tender chocolate cake is topped with an unforgettable chocolate sour cream frosting.

“If today all you did was hold yourself together, I’m proud of you.” These words of support are not a mantra for my stressed-out self, they’re for the 4-layer cake in my kitchen that’s currently leaning more than the Tower of Pisa. Oddly enough, giving pep talks to imperfect cakes is something I do on a regular basis. It may sound certifiably crazy, but a lifetime of stacked cake failures has made me borderline nuts.

From lopsided layers that succumb to our planet’s gravitational pull to snowy white frosting that slides off like an avalanche in the Florida heat, multi-layer cakes are infamous for causing me multi problems. And not just nuisance problems, either. I’m talking stop-drop-and-roll troubles, like the time my niece’s unicorn birthday cake literally caught fire after the sparkly horn went up in flames from a misplaced candle. That had my fingerprints on it.

There’s no shame in admitting the obvious: if cakes were buildings my high-rises would have OSHA violations. Okay, I lied, my shoddy construction is quite shameful, which is why I’m sticking to single layer cakes from here on out. Unlike their stacked counterparts, single layer cakes never let me down—mostly because they aren’t high enough to fall down–but regardless of the reason (and in the interest of everyone’s safety), it’s one and done for me starting today.

While I can’t be trusted with the civil engineering of cake stacking, one thing I have down to a science is cake flavors. And two flavors that pair perfectly on a molecular level are chocolate and orange. The tried-and-true combo of sweet citrus and rich, chocolaty cocoa powder strikes the right balance of contrast–especially when merged together in a tender, moist cake. (Single layer, of course.) Plus, these flavors partner up again in the glossy, sour cream frosting. Try a slice soon and see for yourself how this fabulous, one-layer cake doubles down on flavor with citrus and chocolate in every bite.

Before sharing the recipe for Chocolate Orange Cake, here are a few baking tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

I used a total of 4 large oranges to make this recipe: 2 were zested and juiced for the cake, 1 was zested for the frosting and 1 was sliced for the garnish. Always zest oranges before juicing.

For best results be sure eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature before beginning.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a sour milk substitution by stirring 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and letting it set for 5 minutes before use.

My chocolate sour cream frosting got its color and flavor from black cocoa powder. Try Amazon if you’re unable to find black cocoa powder in your area or feel free to substitute Dutch processed cocoa powder (like Hershey’s Special Dark) in the frosting. Note that the cake itself uses natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, do not use Dutch processed cocoa powder in the cake.

Preparation Tips

Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour. Scooping flour is a no-no. That technique overpacks flour into the measuring cup which results in a drier, denser cake than the moist, tender cake you get from properly measured flour.

The keys to orange cake success are avoiding over-measuring, overmixing and overbaking.

A 9-inch springform pan is a must for this single layer recipe. Do not substitute a standard 9-inch cake pan because it won’t be deep enough to accommodate this cake when it rises. If you do not have a springform pan, divide the batter between two 9-inch cake pans and reduce baking time to 25 minutes.

How to Store Chocolate Orange Cake

This cake will keep up to 3 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Wondering if you can you freeze chocolate orange cake? Yes! This cake will keep in the freezer for 3 months. After cake has cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap then with a layer of aluminum foil and place in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Orange Cake! Please leave a comment and a rating at the bottom of this blog when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you like chocolate cake then you’ll love this recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake. Packed with moisture-rich zucchini, this heavenly cake is frosted with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream and bakes up perfectly every time.