Description

This Moist and Easy Chocolate Orange Cake combines rich cocoa and fresh orange zest to create a decadent yet bright dessert. The cake uses buttermilk and orange juice for a tender crumb and vibrant citrus flavor, perfect for any celebration or a special treat. Topped with chocolate buttercream and garnished with chocolate-dipped oranges or extra zest, this cake is both visually stunning and deliciously flavorful.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp orange zest (plus 1 more for garnish)
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

3 eggs (at room temperature)
1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup orange juice (cooled)
⅓ cup vegetable oil

For Decoration

Chocolate buttercream or fudge frosting
Chocolate-dipped oranges or additional orange zest for garnish

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Sugar: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl or mixer bowl, combine the granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of fresh orange zest. Zesting oranges directly over the sugar helps infuse it with citrus aroma and flavor.
Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the sugar mixture. Mix on low speed or whisk until all dry ingredients are evenly combined, ensuring no lumps remain.
Add Eggs: With the mixer on low speed or using a spatula, add the eggs one at a time, mixing each fully into the batter. This step builds a smooth base for the cake batter.
Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Slowly pour in the buttermilk, vanilla extract, orange juice, and vegetable oil while the mixer runs on medium speed or mix by hand for about one minute until the batter is smooth and even in consistency.
Prepare Pans and Bake: Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray containing flour to prevent sticking. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake edges begin to pull away from the sides.
Cool Cakes: Remove the pans from the oven and allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before removing. This prevents the cake from breaking apart.
Assemble and Frost: Place one cake layer on a serving tray or cake board. Spread a generous layer of chocolate buttercream or fudge frosting atop this bottom layer. Position the second cake on top and cover the entire cake with frosting, using the back of a spoon to create swooping textures for an attractive finish.
Garnish and Serve: Decorate the cake with chocolate-dipped orange slices or a sprinkle of additional orange zest. For a creative touch, add more zest on top of the frosting between the layers before placing the top cake. Serve and enjoy your vibrant chocolate orange cake.

Notes

For best flavor, use freshly squeezed orange juice and fresh orange zest.
Make sure eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature to ensure proper mixing and texture.
Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
You can substitute vegetable oil with light olive oil or melted coconut oil for a different flavor twist.
For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend, adjusting as needed.
Dried orange slices add beautiful garnish; bake thinly sliced oranges at low heat for 2-3 hours, flipping occasionally.
Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of cake)
Calories: 410 kcal
Sugar: 32 g
Sodium: 210 mg
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 58 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 65 mg

Keywords: chocolate orange cake, moist chocolate cake, easy chocolate cake, citrus chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream cake, dessert, baking