Description
This chocolate-orange cake is a rich, moist dessert that perfectly balances deep cocoa flavor with bright, fresh citrus notes. Made with real orange zest and juice, and finished with a silky orange-infused frosting, it’s an elegant yet comforting cake for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee or hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Orange Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3–4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prep Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla.
- Combine: Add wet ingredients to dry, mix until just combined, then stir in hot coffee until smooth.
- Bake: Divide batter between pans and bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Let cakes cool completely before frosting.
- Make Frosting: Beat butter until creamy, add powdered sugar, orange juice, zest, and salt. Beat until fluffy.
- Assemble: Frost cake layers evenly, decorate as desired, and serve.
Notes
- Flavor boost: Do not skip the orange zest—it provides the strongest citrus aroma.
- Moist crumb: Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.
- Clean layers: Chill cake layers before frosting to reduce crumbs.
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Unfrosted layers freeze well for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: Chocolate Orange Cake, chocolate orange dessert, chocolate and orange cake, orange chocolate cake recipe, citrus chocolate cake