Chocolate Orange Cake

Cross section view of two layer chocolate cake with orange frosting and chocolate ganache frosting. Topped with candied orange peels.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate orange cake, chocolate orange cake recipe

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 28

Total Time: 1 28

Servings:

Calories: 377kcal

This Chocolate Orange Cake balances rich chocolate with the sweet, bright notes of orange. Tender, moist chocolate cake layers sandwich a creamy orange filling, with chocolate ganache coating the top and sides. Bake it in one square pan, then cut and stack for a beautiful presentation. Save this recipe for birthdays, holidays and special occasions!

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Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons all purpose flour additional
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
½ cup milk any milk, whole milk preferred
¼ cup vegetable oil or other neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup hot water or hot coffee
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier optional, but delicious

Orange Frosting

3 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese 1/4 of a package, or use an additional 3 tablespoons butter
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon pure orange extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
orange food coloring - optional

Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate or 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
⅔ cup heavy cream

Garnish (Optional)

Candied Orange Peel optional

Instructions

Make the cake

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 inch square cake pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a bit of an overhang (so you can pull out the cake after it's baked). Lightly butter the two sides of the pan not covered by parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour ¾ cup PLUS 2 tablespoons), unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
1 cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Whisk together, egg, milk, oil and vanilla until combined and stir into the dry ingredients.
1 large egg, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add hot water (or hot coffee) and blend or whisk until fully incorporated. The batter will be very thin, this is right.
½ cup hot water
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 22 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake come out clean.
While the cake cools, use a pastry brush to brush the top of the cake with the Grand Marnier.
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Make the frosting

In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the soften butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until fully combined.
3 tablespoons salted butter, 2 ounces cream cheese
While mixing, slowly add powdered sugar, then extracts. Add a drop of orange food coloring, if desired. Blend until smooth. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure orange extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, orange food coloring - optional

Make the ganache

Chop chocolate, or use good quality chocolate chips, and add to a medium bowl.
4 ounces semi sweet chocolate
Heat cream in the microwave until hot, but do not let it boil.
⅔ cup heavy cream
Pour hot cream over chocolate and allow it to sit, undisturbed 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir until smooth, then move to the fridge to firm up a bit.

Assemble the cake

Remove (fully) cooled cake from the pan by pulling up on the exposed parchment paper. Place cake on a cutting board. Cut cake in half, so that you have two 4.5" x 9" rectangle pieces.
Move one of the pieces of cake to a wire cooling rack with a baking sheet under it (this will be needed shortly, when frosting with ganache).
Spread the orange frosting onto the cake (on the cooling rack), using an offset spatula. Top with the second piece of cake.
Check on the ganache, it should be thickened slightly, but still pour-able. Pour some of the ganache onto the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it down the sides of the cake. Once the cake is covered with a thin layer of ganache, move the entire cake (on the rack) to the freezer for 5-10 minutes to allow the ganache to set up a bit.
Once the first layer of ganache has set, use 2 large spatulas to move the cake to a serving platter of your choice. Pour a second layer of ganache over the cake. You will need to experiment with how thick or thin you want the ganache. You can chill it in the fridge to thicken, or microwave (on 50% power) for short periods to thin it. For my cake the top layer of ganache was thick enough that I was able to add some texture to the very top of the cake with an offset spatula (spreading from side to side).
Garnish generously with Candied Orange Peel.
Candied Orange Peel

Notes

For the best flavor, be sure to use pure extracts and good quality cocoa powder and chocolate.

Storage Information

This cake is a good candidate for making ahead, especially if you bake the chocolate layer the day before assembling. Keep the finished cake covered in the refrigerator to preserve the cream cheese filling and ganache.

Refrigerator: Store the assembled cake in a covered cake container for 3 to 4 days. Let individual slices sit at room temperature briefly before serving so the cake, filling and ganache soften slightly.
Make ahead: Bake the cake a day ahead, cool completely and wrap well. You can also assemble the cake a day before serving and refrigerate it, adding the candied orange peel closer to serving for the best appearance.
Freezing the unfrosted cake: Wrap the completely cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw while wrapped before filling and coating.
Freezing the assembled cake: Freeze the cake or individual slices until the coating is firm, then wrap well and place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator; the ganache may lose a little of its shine. Add the garnish after thawing when possible.

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