This moist Chocolate Orange Cake recipe is made even easier thanks to boxed cake mix, orange extracts, and zest working to create an aromatic and flavorful cake worthy of licking the plate clean after.
Recipe: $8.17 | Per Serving: $0.68 | Servings: 12
If you're looking for a cake that is as elegant as it is easy, this one is it. This chocolate and orange cake is easy to make and tastes incredibly good too. The orange isn't overpowering and is just visible enough that you can notice its presence.
This cake is a harmonious marriage of two beloved tastes that create a heavenly dessert experience. The deep, moist chocolate cake layers provide the perfect canvas for the bright and citrusy orange accents, making every bite a symphony of flavors.
The chocolate orange ganache frosting is the crowning glory of this cake. It's incredibly smooth and creamy, creating a delectable contrast to the cake's texture. You're going to love every slice of this choc orange cake!
For more orange flavored recipes, be sure to check out my Chocolate Orange Banana Bread, Orange Lemonade, Banana Orange Muffins, and Strawberry Banana Orange Smoothie.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's easy to make. This cake might look impressive and difficult, but the hardest part about it is having some patience. The ganache takes a while to set up in the fridge before being whipped, but you can easily prep it the night before for a faster prep on the day of.
- It's delicious. Not too sweet, not too fruity, this cake has found the perfect balance between all things tasty.
- It's perfect for any occasion. Whether you just want a cure for that sweet tooth craving you've got going on or you want a nice dessert for your anniversary, birthday, or holiday, this cake can be there for it all.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Boxed Cake Mix- I used Betty Crocker Delight's super moist chocolate fudge cake mix, but any good chocolate cake mix will do (Devil's Food cake, etc.) You can also use this mix in our other recipes like Chocolate Crockpot Lava Cake and Devil's Food Cake Mix Brownies.
Orange extract- We want orange extract because it's an orange concentrated flavor that we can't get from orange juice (I tried). But the good news is we also use this extract in our Banana Orange Muffins so there's more chances to use it up.
Orange zest- Adding in fresh orange zest will enhance the orange flavor and give a burst of freshness throughout the cake.
Chocolate- You can use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate chips, a mixture of different chocolates, or even chopped chocolate bars. I don't recommend white chocolate as the process for ganache is different.
Heavy cream- Adding heavy cream makes our ganache perfectly thick, creamy, and rich. For a non-dairy version, you could use canned coconut milk.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🔪 Instructions for Chocolate Orange Cake
Step 1: Prepare the ganache as directed in the recipe card and store it in the fridge until ready to use (Images 1&2).
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line 2 baking round cake pans with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray.
Step 3: Add cake batter ingredients to large mixing bowl (Image 3). Beat together until fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Step 4: Divide the batter between the two prepped cake pans and bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean (Images 4&5).
Step 5: Let cool for 10 minutes in the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (Image 6).
Step 6: Remove a cup of chilled ganache and mix it with orange zest in a bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form (Images 7&8).
Step 7: Frost the top of a cake with the whipped ganache and layer the other cake on top (Images 9&10).
Step 8: Spread half of the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake to cover and frost well.
Step 9: Place the last portion of the ganache into a piping bag with a fitted tip and pipe a nice border around the top and bottom of the cake.
Step 10: Garnish with oranges as desired and serve or place in the fridge until ready to slice.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Chocolate Pairing: Orange pairs wonderfully with bittersweet chocolate, but milk chocolate works too. I prefer semi-sweet for a perfect balance of bitter, rich, tangy, and sweet flavors with the cake.
- Ganache Frosting Tip: Prepare the ganache frosting ahead if possible and chill it overnight. This saves time and hassle.
- Whipping Ganache: For whipped ganache frosting, ensure the ganache is cold and use an electric mixer for faster whipping. The colder the ganache, the quicker it whips up.
- Quick Chilling Method: In a hurry? Create an ice bath with a glass bowl of ganache mixture while another portion chills in the freezer for up to 20 minutes. Be cautious not to let water get into the chocolate, as it may seize.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, this cake can be made up to a few days in advance or the ganache can be prepped up to two days in advance as well. Assembled or disassembled just keep it well covered in the fridge for safekeeping.
This cake is good for up to a week if stored covered in the fridge. Perfect for making sure you have plenty of time to enjoy every last bite.
Chocolate and orange make a perfect pair, enhancing each other's flavors. The natural sweetness of oranges balances the rich bitterness of chocolate. Give this dessert a try and savor the unique flavor fusion.
❤️ More Delicious Dessert Recipes
If you tried this Chocolate Orange Cake, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Orange Cake
Ingredients
Ganache Frosting
- 16 ounces chocolate (about 2⅔ cups) ($2.07)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream ($2.98)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (for the filling) ($0.05)
Chocolate Orange Cake
- 1 box (15.25oz) chocolate cake mix ($1.00)
- 3 large eggs ($0.45)
- ½ cup vegetable oil ($0.35)
- 1 ¼ cups water ($0.00)
- 2 teaspoon pure orange extract ($0.62)
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest ($0.15)
- ½ cup sour cream ($0.50)
Instructions
Ganache Frosting (prep BEFORE cake!)
- Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl and in a saucepan heat your cream until just barely boiling. There should be skin forming at the top of the cream and bubbles around the edge, or the pan, this is a good sign it's warm enough.
- Pour the hot cream over the top of the chocolate in the bowl. Place a lid or plate over the top of the bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes without touching.
- Remove lid/plate and whisk ganache until thick, creamy, and wonderful. It wil look like runny chocolate milk at first but it gets darker and thicker as you whisk.
- Once ganache is made, place in fridge to chill while you prep the cake.
Chocolate Orange Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line two 8 inch cake rounds with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients for the cake. The cake mix, eggs, oil, water, extracts, zest, and sour cream.
- Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer until well combined and fluffy.
- Divide between two cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in pan before flipping onto wire cooling racks and finish cooling completely.
Assembly
- Remove one cup of chilled ganache and place it in a mixing bowl with one teaspoon of orange zest. Leave remaining ganache in fridge.
- Beat the orange and ganache mixture until stiff peaks form.
- Fill a plastic bag with snipped corner with the whipped ganache filling and spread it on top of one cooled cake layer. Spread it out evenly and then top with the other cake layer.
- Fill another baggie with snipped corner with half of the remaining ganache and spread it around the top and sides of the stacked cake, spreading it around to frost the entire thing evenly.
- Now grab a piping bag with fitted tip and fill it with the last half of chilled ganache. Pipe a border around the top and bottom of the cake.
- Top with orange slices, zest, or other garnishes and serve or place in fridge and let chill before serving. The ganache will continue to set as the cake chills.
cyndy says
Chocolate and orange is like a marriage of flavors made in heaven! Can't wait to give this one a try. Perfect for this weekend.
Jamie says
I love the combination of chocolate and orange, it's one of my favorite flavor combos! It looks so decadent too!
Bintu | Budget Delicious says
Chocolate orange is a combination that everyone in my family loves so this would go down a real treat! I love how easy it is to make too!
Michelle says
Loved making this recipe! I was looking for a good orange dessert recipe since it's citrus season and my partner wanted a chocolate recipe, so this was perfect! We loved the frosting!