Chocolate Orange Cake

If you love orange and chocolate, then you’re going to go wild for this Chocolate Orange Cake recipe! Cocoa powder brings the chocolate and orange marmalade brings that amazing orange flavor for an orange chocolate cake recipe that you’ll want to make over and over again.

Be sure to top this Chocolate Orange Cake with our Orange Buttercream Frosting for a perfect pairing. It’s an ideal Chocolate Dessert to serve at birthdays, Christmas, and any special occasion. It’s a beautiful addition to a table of Easter Desserts.

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• Chocolate Orange Cake

Are you a fan of Terry’s Chocolate Orange? The confection is a round sphere made of chocolate and orange oil and breaks apart into wedges, just like the section of an orange. It’s a fave in our family — and the flavor of one of our new favorite cakes!

This Chocolate Orange Cake tastes just like the candy, but in a luscious cake form. We’ve enjoyed it several times already this season and it’s so yummy!

Why Make This

It’s easy. Baked in a quarter sheet pan (9×13-inch baking pan), this cake mixes up and bakes in a flash. It’s easily portable for potlucks but festive enough for special occasions.

It’s delicious. The classic flavor combo of chocolate and orange really comes through. It’s moist and delicious, and perfect for snacking.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Chocolate Orange Cake:

flour – I use unbleached, all-purpose flour but you can also use the bleached variety.

cocoa – You’ll need unsweetened cocoa powder to bring the chocolate flavor.

leavening – Both baking soda and salt bring lift to this cake. Don’t omit either.

butter – You’ll need softened butter. It can be a dairy butter or plant-based baking stick, depending on your preference.

sugar – This recipe calls for 1 cup granulated sugar. 

eggs – You’ll need two eggs. There’s really no substitution for this cake.

orange marmalade – Some recipes call for freshly squeezed orange juice, grated orange zest, or orange extract. I found in testing that orange marmalade brought a delicious orange flavor and bits of chewy orange peel. Use Sweet Orange Marmalade, like this one from Smuckers, if you can. I found that other varieties were a little too bitter.

vanilla extract – Vanilla does a lot to bring out the flavor in chocolate. Try not to omit it.

buttermilk – I use cultured buttermilk for best texture. In a pinch, you can combine ¼ cup yogurt or sour cream with ¼ cup milk as a substitute.

frosting or powdered sugar – While you could certainly make a chocolate orange buttercream, I feel that the orange flavor gets lost in the chocolate. That’s why I developed this easy Orange Buttercream to top this cake. Another alternative would be to sprinkle the cake simply with powdered sugar.

optional garnish – We really enjoy this cake topped with chocolate shavings and candied orange slices. You can find the latter pretty cheaply at Trader Joe’s. They are so good on this cake!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make this easy Chocolate Orange Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.

In a second mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well. Stir in the marmalade and vanilla.

Stir in, alternately, the dry ingredients and the milk, in two additions each.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or a tester inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Cool the cake completely on a rack prior to frosting.

Spread the buttercream over the cooled cake, swirling it in spots.

Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the cake and garnish with candied orange slices, if desired.

Other cake sizes

Want to make cupcakes, a layer cake, or a Bundt cake? You’ll need to use different cake pans and baking times. Consult this chart of cake pan baking times for a good starting point. Check for doneness a few minutes before the lower time in the range to prevent over baking. 

Be sure to read these tips to know when a cake is done baking.  

TLDR? Watch the Easy Chocolate Orange Cake web story.

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