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Chocolate cake with just the right amount of orange and topped with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and a chocolate drip makes this chocolate orange cake recipe hard to top.
Who doesn't love cake - from Smith Island cake to southern red velvet cake to strawberry crunch cake to a chocolate chip loaf cake to an apple bundt cake.
You can impart so many flavors in cake. Perhaps one of the most well-known and liked flavors is the combination of chocolate and orange, made popular by Terry's chocolate oranges. I like the combo so much, I even have a chocolate orange mousse.
For me, this cake brings back memories. I wanted real orange flavor so you won't see any orange extract in this cake - only fresh juice and zest. It creates just the right amount of orange flavor to go with the chocolate.
And to offset the richness of the cake, it is topped with a silky smooth and less sweet chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. But if you really want to go over the top, it is finished with a simple chocolate drip. I mean come on!
This chocolate orange cake recipe is really one of those cakes that tastes as wonderful as it looks.
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Ingredient Notes
- Oranges - you use the fresh orange juice and orange zest to get that subtle orange flavor in the cake and buttercream.
- Cocoa powder - it is important to use natural, not Dutch cocoa powder as the cake is already rich enough. Dutch doesn't have acidity so needs to have baking powder to react.
- Buttermilk - important as the acidity reacts with the baking soda to create rise but also adds moistness to the chocolate orange cake.
- Coffee - if baking anything with chocolate, I always use coffee as it just enhances the chocolate flavor.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix up the ingredients for this chocolate orange cake. Some variations include:
- I mentioned above that I use natural cocoa powder, but Dutch cocoa powder works if you use more baking powder instead of baking soda.
- Greek yogurt is my go-to for bake goods, but sour cream is a good substitute.
- Canola oil is important for the added fat, but vegetable oil or melted butter work as well.
- I like the natural flavor of the oranges, but you can use orange extract as well. 1 teaspoon of orange extract replaces 1 tablespoon of zest.
- I'm a fan of dark chocolate for the drip, but milk or semi-sweet chocolate work too.
Step-by-Step Photos
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Beat together all of the wet ingredients and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer except for the coffee.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet with the mixer on low until there are no clumps and then mix in the coffee. Dive the batter between two parchment-lined cake pans and bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until done.
Bring pot of water 1 inch high to bowl and place bowl with egg whites and sugar on top. Whisk until sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are warm to touch. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat and add to the stand mixer, whipping for 7-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Once cool, add softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer on low, letting each tablespoon incorporate. It might deflate slightly, but just keep mixing, about 3-5 minutes until it's light and fluffy. Once it reaches desired consistency, add the rest of the buttercream ingredients and beat until combined.
Place one cake layer on a stand and top with even amount of buttercream before placing the second layer on top and covering the top and sides with the buttercream. Finish with a chocolate drip if using.
Best Oranges for this Cake
Being from Florida, I know my fair-share about oranges. There are more varieties than you might think. Great thing is, they'll all work for this chocolate orange cake recipe. Just depends on what you are looking for. Some options include:
- Navel oranges - the most common and good for juicing.
- Blood oranges - known for its color. It is quite sweet with some bitterness.
- Cara Cara oranges - my personal favorite. It has a nice zingy bite.
- Seville oranges - more sour than its cousins, making it pair well with sugar.
- Clementines - small with a honey-like sweet flavor. You just have to use more of them.
Keys to Good Swiss Meringue Buttercream
No it isn't as easy to make as American buttercream, but the effort is so worth it for this chocolate orange cake. You may encounter some issues and these are the ways to solve them:
- Meringue Won't Reach Stiff Peak - It takes some time to reach stiff peaks so be patient. If there is any egg yolk or grease, it won't either. A super humid days hurts it as well.
- Buttercream is Too Thick/Curdled - If it is separated or too thick, just keep beating and it should come together. If it's getting thicker, place over 2 inches of simmering water and let the edges of the meringue become liquid. Return to mixer and whip until smooth.
- Buttercream is Soupy/Too Thin - It is important to use soft butter but not warm. You want it to be out at room temperature for about an hour. If the buttercream is soupy, just place in the fridge for 30 minutes and return to mixer. If it is still soupy, place in the fridge again and repeat.
FAQs
It is important to cut out some parchment paper to fit the circle pans. Spray with cooking spray and add some flour. This helps it come right out.
If you don’t have buttermilk you can easily make it at home. Simply add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes and it’s ready.
Swiss meringue buttercream starts with making a meringue out of sugar and egg whites before being beaten with butter and flavors.
It is a little more difficult than American buttercream but so good. However if you want a different buttercream, this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction is a go-to.
You know cake is done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
The key with baking is DO NOT OVERMIX. It’s the death of any baking recipe and with cakes, it can lead to something that is dense and just not very appetizing.
So what does not overmixing mean? Well you mix all of your ingredients right until you see the flour disappear.
The other issue can be baking too long. Trust the toothpick test!
To maximize the shelf life of the chocolate orange cake, place it in a covered airtight container or cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
• Cake at room temperature will last 1-2 days
• Cake in the fridge will last 1 week
• Cake in the freezer will last 4 months
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Do not skip the buttermilk as it helps create the moistness you expect. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own.
- All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the batter mix easily and evenly.
- Allow the cakes to completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt.
- Make sure the cake is cold before adding the chocolate drip if using, so the coconut oil can react and harden as it drips.
- If you don't have 9 inch cake pans, you can make this chocolate orange cake recipe in a 9x13 cake pan or 12x17 sheet pan. It should take about 40-45 min or 20-25 minutes, respectively.
Other Cake Recipes
If you’ve tried this chocolate orange cake recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chocolate Orange Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (270g)
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (450g)
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder (120g)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ teaspoon baking power
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp orange juice, freshly squeeze
- 2 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot brewed coffee
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 egg whites (240g)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 ½ oz dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled (185g)
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (20g)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Chocolate Drip
- 4 oz dark chocolate
- 4 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 (9 inch) round cake pans with butter. Add parchment paper to bottom so it sticks and grease with more butter. Add a sprinkle of flour and make sure it coats the entire cake pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, greek yogurt, canola oil, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla extract until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low until there are no more clumps of flour. Add the hot coffee and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the 2 cake pans, dividing evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife or offset spatula around edge of cake to loosen. Place cooling rack on top of cake and flip to have cake set on cooling racks. Cover and let cool completely before adding buttercream.
Chocolate Meringue Buttercream
- Bring a large pot of water just 1 inch high to boil. Place bowl of stand mixer over top and add 6 egg whites and sugar. Whisk until the egg whites are warm to touch and sugar has dissolved. It should reach about 160°F.
- Remove the bowl from heat and immediately add to the stand mixer. With the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg whites for 7-10 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Allow the egg whites to cool for another 10 minutes.
- Once cool, add softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer on low speed. Let each tablespoon of butter incorporate before adding the next. The meringue might deflate slightly before all the butter is added but don't worry. Once all butter is added, you might need to mix for another 3-5 minutes until it's light and fluffy. Once it reaches the desired consistency, add the vanilla extract, salt, melted chocolate, cocoa powder and orange zest. Beat until everything is combined and still fluffy.
Chocolate Drip
- Heat chocolate and coconut oil in small bowl in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Let cool for 15 minutes.
To Assemble Cake
- To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate, top with an even layer of buttercream. Place the second layer on top, then use the remaining buttercream to frost the top and sides of the cake. If using chocolate drip, place cake in freezer for 15 minutes.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate drip around the edge of the cake. Take the back of the spoon to encourage it to drip over the edge. Add the rest to the middle so it is covered. Top with some oranges, orange peels or zest if desired.
Notes
- Do not skip the buttermilk as it helps create the moistness you expect. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own.
- If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can replace with sour cream.
- 1 teaspoon of orange extract replaces 1 tablespoon of orange zest if you prefer to use it.
- All refrigerated items should be at room temperature, which helps the batter mix easily and evenly.
- Allow the cakes to completely cool before adding the frosting, otherwise it will melt.
- Make sure the cake is cold before adding the drip if using, so the coconut oil can react and harden as it drips.
- If you don't have 9 inch cake pans, you can make this cake in a 9x13 cake pan or 12x17 sheet pan. It should take about 40-45 min or 20-25 minutes, respectively.
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