Chocolate Orange Cake

5 from 5 votes

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Cool Time2

Total Time2 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: slices

Calories: 248kcal

Author: Nicole Durham

Cost: Recipe $8.17 / Serving $0.68

Equipment

Ingredients

Ganache Frosting

16 ounces chocolate, chopped (about 2 ⅔ cups) ($2.07)
2 cups heavy whipping cream ($2.98)
1 teaspoon orange zest, divided ($0.05)

Chocolate Orange Cake

1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix ($1.00)
3 large eggs ($0.45)
½ cup vegetable oil ($0.35)
1 ¼ cups water ($0.00)
2 teaspoon orange extract ($0.62)
1 tablespoon orange zest ($0.15)
½ cup sour cream ($0.50)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Ganache Frosting

Heat the cream. Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until very hot with bubbles around the edges but not boiling.
Make the ganache. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Cover the bowl and let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Refrigerate until chilled and thickened.

Chocolate Orange Cake

Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the batter. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, orange extract, orange zest, and sour cream. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

Assembly

Whip the filling. Remove 1 cup of chilled ganache and beat it with 1 teaspoon orange zest until stiff peaks form.
Fill the cake. Spread or pipe the whipped ganache over the top of one cake layer, then place the second layer on top.
Frost the cake. Use half of the remaining ganache to frost the top and sides of the cake evenly.
Decorate. Transfer the remaining ganache to a piping bag and pipe a border around the top and bottom of the cake. Garnish with orange slices or zest if desired.
Chill and serve. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. The ganache will continue to set as it chills.

Notes

Chocolate choice. Semi-sweet chocolate provides a balanced flavor, but milk chocolate can be used for a sweeter cake.
Ganache prep. Making the ganache ahead and chilling it helps with whipping and frosting.
Whipping tip. Cold ganache whips faster and holds its shape better.
Flat layers. Baking at 325°F creates flatter cake layers with less need for leveling.
Make ahead. The cake and ganache can be prepared in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition