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Chocolate Orange Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Dark Chocolate Orange Cake with a dense and moist dark chocolate orange sponge with a smooth and delicious buttercream frosting - also with chocolate and orange! It is the best combination of flavors, in this easy and fabulous cake.

 

Orange chocolate cake with chocoate and orange colored buttercream on top.

 

And here it is. Dark Chocolate Orange Cake with Buttercream Frosting. YUM. Dark chocolate and orange is one of my favorite flavor combinations.

 

The citrusy tang from the orange and the bitter but sweet dark chocolate makes me so happy. That is also why I love this zesty orange hot chocolate, Terry's orange brownies, and coconut cupcakes with chocolate orange buttercream

 

A slice of chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream layered inbetween.

 

How to make a smaller sized cake

 

Simply make the cake layers as stated in the recipe card below. Once you're ready to assemble, you can just make one layer! The other two layers can be frozen (see next paragraph) and eaten within 3-4 months. 

 

It doesn't even have to be orange chocolate cake like this one, but it could be a black forest cake (with a hint of orange of course), or frosted in this brown butter buttercream frosting. They are also pretty delicious with Baileys and coffee frosting.

 

One layered cakes may not be as festive, but then you're sure nothing goes to waste. You could also make them into cupcakes. 

 

Chocolate cake with orange and chocolate droplets on top. Two slices cut. Flatlay.

 

How to convert cake recipes into cupcakes

 

It's easy to convert practically any cake recipe into cupcakes. You don't have to do any changes to the cake batter. This recipe yields about 24 standard cupcakes. If you want to know more about conversion to different cake pans, you can check out the infographic in my chocolate sheet cake recipe - and make sure you try that cake too! 

 

This orange chocolate cake is usually baked at 325F (160C). Low and slow baking is to make sure the cake stays nice and flat. Perfect for layer cakes!

 

However, that's not so important when making cupcakes. Instead I like to bake them at 375F (190C) to create that beautiful cupcake dome. You can of course bake them at 325F, as the cake and bake for 22-25 minutes. But my preference is 375F for about 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out pretty clean!

 

Let them cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack. 

 

Fork holding a piece of cake.

 

How to store this cake

 

The beauty about this orange chocolate cake is that it keeps really well in the refrigerator. There's no very perishable ingredients, like whipped cream or fresh berries (as in my fresh strawberry cake). Considering that, you can keep it in a cake carrier or something completely covered for a week in the fridge. 

 

So, you may not have room in your fridge. Shouldn't be a problem, as this cake is so darn delicious it will go fast. It also keeps covered on the counter for about 3 days, but this will depend on how hot it is in the room. 

 

The cake is also freezable. The best way to freeze it is to just freeze the single chocolate cakes without the buttercream (in other words; unfrosted cake layers). Cover each of them well with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and write what kind of cake it is. Keeps about 3-4 months.

 

It is best to frost the cake while it is still frozen, as you won't get any crumbs in the frosting - so that's a bonus! 

 

Two plates with slices of orange chocolate cake. The rest of the cake is in the bottom left corner.

 

Chocolate Orange Cake - the cake layers

 

This recipe is adapted from Taming Twins. Begin with greasing 3 x 18cm (7inch) or 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).

 

Cream your room temperature butter with the sugar, until it's pale, light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.

 

Combine the dry ingredients together. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture into the butter mixture a small amount at a time. You can also sift it. This makes the cake fluffier. Stir in the melted and slightly cooled chocolate, orange extract and zest of one orange.

 

Pour equal amounts of batter into the cake tins, smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake for around 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

 

Two plates with orange chocolate cake slices.

 

Dark Chocolate Orange Buttercream

 

Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat your room temperature butter until it's pale, light and fluffy. Beat in your powdered sugar, orange extract and orange juice.

 

Either combine all this with the melted chocolate for one single color, or you can divide the buttercream for several colors.

 

Divide it into two bowls, ¾ in one and ¼ in the other. In the largest bowl, add in the slightly cooled melted chocolate, mix in completely. You can color the other bowl with orange if you want. 

 

Side angle of the orange chocolate cake to show both the top and the sides.

 

Assemble the cake

 

When the cakes are completely cold, level them if needed. Since we baked them low and slow at 325, the chances are good that your cakes already are pretty flat.

 

If they are domed, take a serrated knife and make them level. I've explained this more in detail in my fresh strawberry cake recipe. If you baked the cakes in 2 x 8" cake pans, I would slice them in half, making 4 layers instead of 3. 

 

Spread chocolate buttercream on each layer, including the top, but reserve some for decoration.

 

Place the buttercreams into two piping bags with a round tip. Pipe droplets around the edges of the two (or three) lower layers, decorate with the two different colors on top. Some sprinkles never hurt either!

 

Enjoy!

 

Flatlay of the chocolate cake with orange decorations.

 

Did you like this chocolate orange cake? Here's more perfect birthday cakes:

 

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don’t forget to Pin it for later! To make sure you’re never missing another recipe, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter. As a thanks you will receive a free e-cookbook Travels Through the Seasons, with many delicious recipes from around the world that suit different seasons of the year. 

 

 

In order to keep the blog up and running this post may contain affiliate links, it will be at no extra cost to you, please read the disclosure for more information.

 

This recipe was originally published on Jan 31st 2018, but updated on Aug 31st 2020 for better photos and content.

📖 Recipe

Orange chocolate cake with chocoate and orange colored buttercream on top.

Dark Chocolate Orange Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Dark chocolate and orange is a perfect flavor combination. Add in sponge cake and buttercream and it makes for a stunning cake!

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate and Orange Layer Cake

  • 1 ⅓ cups softened butter* (300g)
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar (350g)
  • 6 large eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk (125ml, Norwegian: kulturmelk)
  • 2 ⅛ cups all purpose flour (270g)
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (80g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 ½ oz dark chocolate (100g, melted)
  • 1 tablespoon orange extract
  • 1 orange (zest only, about 1 tbsp)

Orange Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 ⅓ cups softened butter (300g)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (600g)
  • 5 ⅓ oz dark chocolate (150g, melted)
  • 1 tablespoon orange extract
  • ½ cup orange juice (125ml, about 1 to 1.5 large oranges)
  • orange food color, optional

Instructions

Dark Chocolate and Orange Cake

  1. Begin with greasing 3 x 18cm (7inch) or 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).
  2. Cream your room temperature butter with the sugar, until it's pale, light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add in buttermilk.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients together: flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture into the butter mixture a small amount at a time. This helps keep the sponge fluffy. Stir in the melted and slightly cooled chocolate, orange extract and zest of one orange.
  4. Pour equal amounts of batter into the cake tins, smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake for around 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

Buttercream Frosting

  1. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat your room temperature butter until it's pale, light and fluffy. Beat in your powdered sugar, orange extract and orange juice.
  2. Optional: Divide the buttercream into two bowls, ¾ in one and ¼ in the other. In the largest bowl, add in the slightly cooled melted chocolate, mix in completely. You can color the other bowl with orange if you want. Or you can simply add all of the chocolate into one bowl and make just one color buttercream!

Assembling

  1. When the cakes are completely cold, level them if needed. Take a serrated knife and cut them level. If you used the 2 x 8" pans, I would also slice the cakes in half, creating 4 layers instead of 3.
  2. Spread equal amounts of chocolate buttercream on each layer and on top of the cake, reserve some for decoration. Place the reserved buttercreams in two piping bags with a round tip. Pipe droplets around the edges of the two (or three) lower layers. Decorate using the piping bags as you wish!
  3. Keeps 3 days on the counter and about 1 week in the fridge in a cake carrier or something completely enclosed. Best to let it come to room temperature before eating.

Notes

* I ALWAYS recommend using a kitchen scale for baking. This will yield more even results each time. 

Adapted from: Taming Twins

Nutrition: Calories: 686 | Fat: 37.7g | Saturated Fat: 23.5g | Protein: 6.8g |  Carbohydrate: 85.4g |  Fiber 2.8g |  Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 377mg | Vitamin D: 28mcg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg | Potassium: 260mg. Estimate for informational purposes only.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 686Total Fat: 37.7gSaturated Fat: 23.5gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 377mgCarbohydrates: 85.4gFiber: 2.8gProtein: 6.8g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or tag @thegingerwithspice on Instagram, I'd love to see!

An old photo for old time's sake!

Orange Chocolate Cake

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River

Sunday 3rd of April 2022

I made just the frosting for some macarons, and it tasted great! Sort of like a Cadbury creme egg but with better flavor hahaha Also added an extra 33 grams of (semisweet) chocolate because I only made the chocolate version and didn't split it up for other colors. This frosting tastes nice, looks great, and smells amazing. I'd make it again :)

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 4th of April 2022

Cadbury creme egg but with better flavor sounds like my thing too! And I'm glad you liked the frosting, thank you for taking your time to comment.

Beth

Tuesday 8th of September 2020

Chocolate and orange are one of my favorite flavor combinations too. This cake looks so moist I can't wait to try it out on my family.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Wednesday 9th of September 2020

Thank you, Beth, it is a magical combination.

sapana

Monday 7th of September 2020

The dark chocolate orange cake looks so delicious. I love the flavors of chocolate with oranges. Love the beautiful pictures of this stunning cake.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 7th of September 2020

Thank you so much!

Mirlene

Monday 7th of September 2020

I can almost taste how soft and delicious this cake is through the screen. I am definitely interested in making this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 7th of September 2020

Thank you so much!

Ramona

Monday 7th of September 2020

This cake looks so delicious and mouthwatering. I love, love the combination of ginger and orange and spice so I am absolutely sure this cake tastes delicious I really need this in my life right now. Recipe saved !

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 7th of September 2020

Thank you, Ramona. I hope you will love it as much as I do!

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