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baked and frosted cake cut into squares topped with orange zest on blue serving platter with orange slices garnish
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Chocolate Orange Cake

This chocolate orange cake recipe is easy to follow, takes under an hour to prepare, and, best of all, results in a delectable, heavenly cake you’ll want to gobble whole.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 510kcal
Author Anne Clark

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch cake pan
  • sauce pans
  • mixing bowls
  • Electric mixer
  • whisk
  • zester
  • measuring cup(s)
  • measuring spoons
  • spatula (optional but good for scraping batter out of bowl)

Ingredients

CAKE INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup water
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (usually about 1 large navel orange. Save the orange so you can use it for the zest)
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • cup ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 1 (16-ounce package) confectioner’s sugar (about 3 and ½ cups)
  • ½-1 teaspoon orange extract (I like to use 1 teaspoon for more orange flavor)

Instructions

CAKE INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13-inch pan.
  • In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine the butter, cocoa, and water.  Stir with a whisk until the butter is melted.  Remove from heat.  Rinse whisk and dry it off.
  • In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, mix the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, orange juice, orange extract, and orange zest.  Mix on low speed for 1 minute.
  • To the bowl, gradually add the warm butter and cocoa mixture; stirring constantly with a whisk.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Then add the flour mixture to the large bowl containing the buttermilk mixture.  TIP: add 1 cup flour mixture at a time to the liquid mixture; and mix on low speed 1 minute between each increment. When all the flour mixture is incorporated, mix for one minute on medium speed.
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (no gooey batter attached).
  • Place cake pan on cooling rack then start preparing the frosting.

FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine butter, cocoa, buttermilk. Stir with a whisk until the butter is melted and mixture is well combined.  Remove from heat.
  • Add the confectioner’s sugar and orange extract.  Stir with whisk until well blended. Pour over the cake while it is still warm.  Garnish with orange zest, if desired.

Notes

TIPS:
How do I zest an orange?
If you don’t have a zester specifically designed for this, you can use a grater with small holes, or a paring knife. Scrape them on the peel of the orange. You essentially want to gather small bits and strips of the orange peel to add to the recipe for flavor.
How do I juice an orange?
Don’t have a juicer or a sieve? No worries. To easily juice an orange, just:
  1. Roll it on the counter to break down the cell walls of the fruit.
  2. Heat it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.
  3. Cut the orange into eight slices.
  4. Squeeze the juice from these slices.
While you’ll have sticky hands, I guarantee you won’t notice a difference in taste or anything like that!
How do I measure the dry ingredients in this recipe?
Always fill measuring spoons and cups to the top and level off any extra. Don’t pack the ingredient into the cup/spoon, either. That’s my most important tip if you don’t already have a kitchen scale.
How do I store chocolate orange cake for later?
You can store the cake itself, without the frosting, in the freezer for up to three months if necessary. Be sure to use plastic wrap! You can store the frosting separately in the fridge for two weeks, so long as you use an airtight container. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1oz | Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 1025IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg