• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cookie Dough Diaries
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Brownies and Bars
    • No Bake Desserts
    • Cakes and Cupcakes
    • Muffins, Scones, and Loaves
    • Vegan Desserts
    • Drinks & Smoothies
  • About
    • About Me
    • FAQ
  • Work With Me
    • Portfolio
  • Subscribe
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Cakes and Cupcakes > Chocolate Orange Cake

    Chocolate Orange Cake

    Published on October 14, 2021. Last updated on May 12, 2022. By Gabby. 21 Comments

    507 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

    Jump to Recipe

    This is the BEST chocolate orange cake ever. It’s moist, decadent, and bursting with chocolate and natural orange flavor in the cake and in the chocolate orange buttercream. It’s so easy to make too!

    a slice of chocolate orange cake on a plate
    TABLE OF CONTENTS show
    1 Why you'll love this Chocolate Orange Cake
    2 Ingredients Needed
    3 Step By Step Instructions
    4 How to Assemble the Cake
    5 Decorating the Cake
    6 Cake Pan Size Adjustments
    7 Storage and Freezing Instructions
    8 Chocolate Orange Cake

    Chocolate and orange are always a winning flavor combination to me. Chocolate orange cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts to make when I’m craving something decadent - so I’ve tweaked the recipe a little and adapted it for chocolate orange cakes!

    This chocolate orange cake is perfect for impressing your guests at the holidays, or enjoying year-round! I could literally sit down and eat this entire cake to myself with a fork. It's so rich and delicious and the buttercream frosting is just perfect!

    a slice of chocolate orange cake on a plate with a bite taken out of it

    Why you'll love this Chocolate Orange Cake

    • This cake is naturally flavored with real oranges. It uses orange zest and orange juice, so you don't need to run out and buy any fancy ingredients (although that is an option - more on that in the ingredient notes below).
    • This is a two layer cake recipe that is made using an 8 inch cake pan, but you can easily make it into a 3 layer cake and use different sized pans (I've provided instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post).
    • The chocolate orange cakes use oil instead of butter, making the cake so light and fluffy it almost melts in your mouth!
    • This cake is perfect for the holiday season and Christmas, but since oranges are usually available all year, you don’t have to wait for the holidays to make it!

    Ingredients Needed

    • Milk: you can use regular milk or unsweetened dairy free milk. I personally like to use soy milk, but any milk will work great!
    • Orange zest: You’ll need 3 ½ tablespoons of orange zest, which is about two oranges. If your oranges are small and you don’t have enough, you can also use a little orange extract.
    • Hot water: Many chocolate cake recipes use hot water because it helps dissolve the cocoa powder, causing it to "bloom". Blooming helps bring out the chocolate flavor. No need to boil water, it just needs to be hot.
    • Orange juice: you can use store-bought orange juice (no pulp), or the juice from the fresh oranges that were zested. Store bought juice is often made from concentrate, so the flavor is a bit stronger.
    • Flour: I recommend all-purpose flour. In order to achieve a soft, fluffy cake, you MUST properly measure your flour!
    • Vegetable oil: you can use any neutral oil in this recipe, like canola oil or sunflower oil.
    ingredients needed to make chocolate orange cake in bowls with labels
    • Cocoa powder: I have the best results using unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder, so that's what I recommend. If you only have natural, that will still work fine.
    • Sugar: this recipe is made using granulated/white sugar. I don't recommend replacing this as it will affect the texture of the cake.
    • Butter: you can use softened regular butter or dairy free butter for the buttercream.
    • Vegetable shortening: I like to use a little vegetable shortening because it helps the buttercream hold its shape well, but you can also substitute this for butter if you’d prefer.
    ingredients needed to make chocolate orange buttercream in bowls with labels

    Step By Step Instructions

    Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

    Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8 inch round cake pans. Spray the inside of each pan with cooking spray, then cut round pieces of parchment paper out in the shape of the pans and place one into each pan. Set the pans aside.

    Step Two: To make the orange chocolate cakes, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, milk, orange juice, and oil and mix until combined. Lastly, add in the hot water and whisk until smooth.

    Step Three: Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans and bake for 20-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans then remove them from the pans upside down onto a cooling rack.

    Step Four: While the chocolate orange cakes cool, make the buttercream. Combine the butter and shortening together in a large bowl using a handheld mixer or standing mixer. Mix in the orange zest. Add in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and salt. Add milk to thin out the buttercream if needed. Store the buttercream in the fridge until the cakes have cooled completely and it’s time to assemble the cakes!

    step by step showing how to make chocolate orange cake

    How to Assemble the Cake

    Flipping the cakes upside down and letting it cool that way on the cooling rack helps to flatten out the top of the cake, because we don't want to try to stack domed cake layers. If it still looks rounded on top, flatten the top of each cake layer. To do this, remove the cakes from the pan and use a serrated knife to level them out.

    Next, place the thickest cake layer onto your cake plate, cake stand, or cake board. Add a large scoop of buttercream onto the cake and spread it around, but leave about an inch of unfrosted cake around the edges.

    Add the second layer of cake on top, then freeze the cake for about 15 minutes. I like to do a crumb coat on this cake, which basically helps you get a smoother frosting, but it's optional. After 15 minutes, remove the cake from the freezer and use an offset spatula to frost the cake with a small amount of frosting. Smooth it out using a bench scraper, scraping the crumb filled frosting into a separate bowl so that the crumbs don't mix into the rest of the frosting. Don't worry about making it pretty, this layer will be covered.

    Freeze the cake again for 15 minutes, then add the remaining frosting to the cake and smooth it out, then decorate!

    If you want to learn more about how to decorate a cake, this is a great tutorial.

    two chocolate orange cakes cooling on a rack and instructions showing how to make chocolate orange buttercream

    Decorating the Cake

    There are so many fun ways to decorate this cake! You can make an easy chocolate ganache by melting chocolate chip and coconut milk (or regular milk) over the stove and then drizzling it over the buttercream, or you can use any of the ideas below!

    • Sprinkle extra orange zest over the frosted cake.
    • Pipe buttercream along the top and bottom edges of the cake.
    • Decorate the frosted cake with a few orange peel twists, like I did! Here is a simple tutorial for how to make them!
    • Terry’s chocolate orange slices would look lovely on this cake (note that if you are making this cake dairy free, do not use Terry’s chocolate oranges, as they are not dairy free)
    • Decorate the cake with a few sliced candied oranges

    Cake Pan Size Adjustments

    You can make this chocolate orange cake in a variety of different pan sizes! Here are a few helpful adjustments:

    9 Inch Round Cake Pans: The cake layers will be slightly thinner and will bake quicker. Start checking on them after around 16 minutes in the oven.

    9x13 Rectangular Pan: To make this into a sheet cake, use a 9x13 pan and bake for around 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You will only need around half of the amount of buttercream since there aren’t any layers.

    3 Layer Cake: Whenever I want to convert a two layer cake into a three layer cake, I find it easiest to just divide the batter between three cake pans. You will have thinner cake layers using this method, since the cake batter is divided between three pans. Alternatively, you can also multiply the ingredients in the recipe by 1.5.

    close up of a slice of chocolate orange cake
    Do chocolate and orange go together?

    Um YES!!!! The combination of the two flavors is truly divine. It feels sophisticated and decadent yet so simple!

    How do I zest an orange?

    You can zest an orange using a microplane zester, a box grater, or even a vegetable peeler. Be sure to avoid the white parts under the orange peel, as they can be bitter. Here is a helpful tutorial on how to zest citrus fruits.

    How many oranges do I need for this cake?

    Two large oranges provided enough orange zest for me, but if the oranges you have are smaller, you may need to use more.

    What kind of oranges should I use?

    I like to use navel oranges, since I find they have the best and strongest flavor, but any kind of orange works fine. You can even use mandarin oranges!

    Can I make this into a Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake?

    If you have an allergy to eggs or follow a vegan diet, use the recipe for this vegan chocolate cake for a similar recipe! You can double the recipe, add in the orange zest into the batter, and divide the batter between two 8 inch cake pans. Then make the chocolate orange buttercream with vegan ingredients.

    Can I make this cake as cupcakes?

    I already have a chocolate orange cupcake recipe that this recipe is based off of, so you can check that out here!

    I ran out of orange zest, what do I do?

    If you run out of oranges or don't have enough zest, you can add in some orange extract to replace the flavor.

    Can I make this cake ahead of time?

    Yep! The buttercream will be fine tightly covered in the fridge for a few days. You can re-whip it using a mixer or give it a stir before frosting the cake. I recommend waiting until the day you are going to serve the cake to assemble and frost it.

    The cake layers can be made and kept wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days ahead of time as well, but the cake will be fluffier and moister closer to when you bake it. See freezing instructions below for how to store the cake layers in the freezer.

    Expert Tips

    • Don't skip the parchment paper lining at the bottom of the pan! I never used to do this and my cakes would always crumble underneath or be super hard to remove. If you aren't doing this with every cake you make, it will change your life! Line the bottom of the pan then lightly grease the insides of the pan with cooking spray.
    • Measure your flour properly, please! I highly recommend a kitchen scale. They cost less than $15 and will make a HUGE difference. If you don't have one, you can use the fluff, scoop, and level method, but do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with a measuring cup. This goes for cocoa powder too.
    • Add extra orange zest or orange extract to the buttercream for more orange flavor: for me, the amount of orange flavor is perfect in this recipe, but you can absolutely taste it then add more orange zest or ⅛ teaspoon of orange extract to it.
    • Don't over-mix the cake batter! Mix the cake batter only until it is just combined!
    • Adjust buttercream recipe as needed: If the buttercream seems too thin, add a little more powdered sugar, around ¼ cup at a time. If it seems too thick, add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
    • Let the cakes cool completely before you try to take them out of the pan so that they don't fall apart! The easiest way to do this is to run a butter knife around the outside of the cake then flip it over onto the cooling rack.

    Storage and Freezing Instructions

    The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for 3-4 days. I store mine in a cake carrier.

    To freeze the cake layers (once they’ve completely cooled), then tightly wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap, then repeat with aluminium foil. Put the cakes into a large ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months, then let them thaw at room temperature.

    You can also freeze the leftover cake slices individually in the same way that you would freeze the cake layers!

    Any leftover buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months, then thawed in the fridge when ready to use. Once it has thawed, you can use a handheld or standing mixer to re-whip it back to its fluffy consistency.

    More Cake Recipes You'll Love

    • Biscoff Cake
    • Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
    • Vegan Oreo Cake
    • Dairy Free Chocolate Cake

    If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

    chocolate orange cake on a plate with orange twist on top

    Chocolate Orange Cake

    Gabby
    This chocolate orange cake is moist, decadent, and bursting with chocolate and natural orange flavor in the cake and in the chocolate orange buttercream. Easy to make too!
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Bake 22 mins
    Total Time 47 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 slices
    Calories 383 kcal

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowl
    • 2 x 8 inch round cake pans
    • Cooling Rack

    Ingredients
     
     

    Chocolate Orange Cake

    • 1½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
    • ½ cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
    • 1¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 tablespoon orange zest
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs
    • ¼ cup orange juice
    • ½ cup milk (regular or dairy free)
    • ¾ cup hot water

    Chocolate Orange Buttercream

    • ¾ cup butter, softened (regular or vegan)
    • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp vegetable shortening (or butter if not dairy free, SEE NOTES)
    • 1½ tablespoon orange zest
    • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2½-2¾ cup powdered sugar (icing sugar/confectioner's sugar) SEE NOTES
    • ½-1½ tbsp milk, if needed (regular or dairy free)

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two 8 inch round cake pans. Spray the inside with cooking spray, then cut round pieces of parchment paper so that they fit in the bottom of each pan (do not skip the parchment paper lining!)
    • Whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda together in a large bowl.
    • Add in the eggs, vanilla, oil, orange zest, orange juice, and milk. Pour in the hot water and mix until smooth.
    • Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
    • Let the cakes cool in the pans, then run a butter knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the pan and flip upside down onto a cooling rack.
    • Make the buttercream. In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat butter and shortening together until combined. Skip if using all butter. Beat in the cocoa powder until smooth.
    • Add in the orange zest, then add the icing sugar, ¼ cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. If the buttercream is too thick, add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time to thin it out to the consistency you want. If it's too thin, add in more confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) ¼ cup at a time.
    • Once the cakes have cooled completely, frost them and enjoy!

    Notes

    PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above under the "Metric" tab.
    MEASURING FLOUR: Properly measure your flour and cocoa powder using either a kitchen scale or using the scoop and level method.
    POWDERED SUGAR: When making the buttercream, start with 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar. After adding in the cocoa powder, add in more powdered sugar if the buttercream is too thin. 
    MILK: For the buttercream, you can add in ½ tablespoon or more if it seems too thick.  Add the milk a little at a time until you've reached your desired consistency.
    ORANGE EXTRACT: If you don't have enough oranges for the amount of zest required, or if you want a really strong orange flavor, add ¼ - ½ teaspoon of orange zest into the cupcakes.
    VEGETABLE SHORTENING: Vegetable shortening can be replaced at 1:1 ratio with more butter. Note that if you are using a soft dairy free butter, the shortening helps keep it firmer.
    Cake Pan Adjustments:
    9 Inch Round Cake Pans: Cake layers will be slightly thinner and bake quicker. Start checking on them after around 16 minutes in the oven.
    9x13 Rectangular Pan: Bake for around 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. You will only need around half of the amount of buttercream since there aren’t any layers.
    3 Layer Cake: Whenever I want to convert a two layer cake into a three layer cake, I find it easiest to just divide the batter between three cake pans. You will have thinner cake layers using this method, since the cake batter is divided between three pans. Alternatively, you can also multiply the ingredients in the recipe by 1.5.
    Storage and Freezing Instructions:
    The cake can be stored covered at room temperature for 3-4 days (I use a cake carrier)
    To freeze the cake layers: Once completely cooled, tightly wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap, then wrap with aluminium foil. Put the cakes into a large ziploc bag for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature.
    To freeze individual cake slices: Same method as above.
    To freeze buttercream: Leftover buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge when ready to use. Once thawed, you can use a handheld or standing mixer to re-whip it back to its fluffy consistency.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 383kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 4gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 271mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 3gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 457IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.

    « Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
    Biscoff Butter Cookies »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tammy

      December 23, 2022 at 4:50 pm

      This sounds amazing but I'm wondering if you can use chocolate cake mix instead of making it from scratch? I came across this today and I'd like to make it for Christmas.

      Reply
      • Gabby

        December 23, 2022 at 6:01 pm

        Hi Tammy! You can yes - but I'm not sure about quantities of orange juice in a box mix so I'd suggest skipping that and just adding the orange zest into the box mix. Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Thea

      November 10, 2021 at 7:36 pm

      5 stars
      This was a terrific cake recipe! It tasted amazing and even came out of the pan well.

      Reply
      • Gabby

        November 11, 2021 at 1:42 pm

        Hi Thea! I am so pleased to hear how much you loved the cake! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂

        Reply
      • PhatDesserts

        March 15, 2022 at 7:25 pm

        I scaled this down (by half for a 2 layer 6” cake) and it turned out AMAZING. The flavor and texture of this cake could not be any better!! I made my own frosting and an orange curd to fill the cake and it was a huge hit. I can’t wait to add this recipe to my recipe box.

        Reply
        • Gabby

          March 17, 2022 at 2:43 pm

          Hi! I am so thrilled to hear that you loved the recipe!! The orange curd sounds delicious too! Thanks so much for the review 🙂

    3. Holly Luke

      October 24, 2021 at 2:45 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely LOVED this cake and will be incorporating it into my Holiday baking! I’m also looking forward to trying all your other recipes!

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 25, 2021 at 3:36 pm

        Hi Holly! I'm thrilled to hear that you loved the recipe and will be making it again too! I hope you find more recipes you love - and thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂

        Reply
        • Lee

          September 13, 2022 at 4:40 pm

          Hi, my oven is quite small. Hence, planning to bake a 6 inch cake instead of 2. Then, I'll cut the cake into 2 layers. Any idea how long would the baking time be? May I also know the weight of your eggs with shell?

        • Gabby

          September 26, 2022 at 5:50 pm

          Hi Lee. The eggs are around 60 grams with shell. The baking time will likely be quite long - the baking time in the recipe is written for two 8 inch cakes. That is quite a lot of batter for one 6 inch cake pan. If you are planning to bake just one 6 inch cake then I would recommend cutting the recipe in half instead.

      • Linda

        March 04, 2022 at 4:33 am

        5 stars
        Delicious!!

        Reply
        • Gabby

          March 04, 2022 at 2:45 pm

          Hi Linda! So glad to hear that you love the recipe - it's one of my favorites! Thanks so much for the review 🙂

    4. Mike

      October 22, 2021 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      Chocolate - yes. Orange - yes.

      Thank you for providing such a wonderful recipe!

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 22, 2021 at 10:28 pm

        Hi Mike! I am so happy to hear that you loved the cake! Thanks so much for trying it out 🙂

        Reply
        • Tammy

          December 23, 2022 at 4:48 pm

          This sounds amazing but I'm wondering if you can use chocolate cake mix instead of making it from scratch? I came across this today and I'd like to make it for Christmas.

    5. Nathan

      October 22, 2021 at 4:07 pm

      5 stars
      Made this cake for Thanksgiving family dinner and it was a total hit! So soft and moist I'll be making it for every family gathering!

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 22, 2021 at 10:29 pm

        Hi! Yay! I'm so happy to hear that the cake was a hit at Thanksgiving! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Andrew

      October 22, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      So easy and SO delicious. This is my families new favourite cake.

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 22, 2021 at 10:29 pm

        Hi Andrew! I'm so happy to hear that you all loved the recipe - thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂

        Reply
    7. Kate

      October 21, 2021 at 3:18 pm

      5 stars
      This cake is soooo good omg. I’m not usually a fan of chocolate and orange, but my boyfriend is so I thought why not try it out. The orange flavor in this is so much better than artificial (in my opinion) and the texture of the cake was heavenly. Will be making again at Christmas!

      Reply
      • Gabby

        October 22, 2021 at 3:40 pm

        Hi Kate! I'm so happy to hear that you loved the cake! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    photo of a girl laughing

    Hi Friend! I'm Gabby! I'm here to share easy, approachable dairy free/vegan dessert recipes that taste just like the real deal. Most recipes can be easily made with dairy products too, so there's something for everyone!

    Read more →

    Popular Recipes

    • Small Batch Brownies
    • Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
    • Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
    • Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
    • Biscoff Brownies
    • Cookie Monster Cookies

    Valentine's Day

    • Oreo Red Velvet Cookies
    • Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
    • White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies
    • Red Velvet Oreo Cake
    • Raspberry Cupcakes
    • Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies (Stuffed!)

    Featured In

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Keep In Touch

    Sign up for free e-book!

    Find us on Pinterest

    Find us on Facebook

    Find us on Instagram

    Join our Dairy Free Recipe & Support Group

    Contact

    Contact Me

    Work With Me

    As an affiliate partner, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. I only recommend products I really use and love.

    Copyright © 2023 - Cookie Dough Diaries