Chocolate Orange Cake

The most soft and spongy chocolate orange cake! Orange flavor and chocolate are a classic combination that never fails. It has chocolate cake layers with a silky orange milk chocolate ganache. This cake is super easy to make and only requires three bowls and hand whisk.

This is the most delicious orange chocolate cake! It is super simple and full of flavor. The chocolate cake layers are super easy to make, and it's surrounded by an orange milk chocolate ganache. This cake could not be more simple and easy to make, and it's a showstopper of a cake!

For more layer cake recipes, try Strawberry and Blueberry Layer Cake, Ultimate S'mores Layer Cake, and Strawberry and Lemon Layer Cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Chocolate cake layer: These chocolate cake layers are super easy to make and incredible soft.
• Orange milk chocolate ganache: The chocolate cake layers are covered by a silky smooth orange milk chocolate ganache
• Super simple to make: There is no stand or hand mixer required for this cake, it can all be made by hand.
• Perfect to share: This cake is perfect to share with friends and family.

INGREDIENT NOTES

These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.

• Eggs: Take them out of the fridge 1 hours before baking (depending how warm your kitchen is).
• Sour cream: Sour cream makes for a softer and more tender cake. Measure out the sour cream and let it come to room temperature.
• Boiled water: Heat up a kettle of water before you start. Add the boiled water to a measuring cup and while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, let it cool down a bit, so it's not piping hot.
• Cocoa powder: I use high quality dutch processed cocoa powder for the best flavor, my favorite is from Valrhona.
• Orange zest: Orange zest is added to the cake layer to give a burst of orange flavor.
• Orange juice: Use freshly squeezed orange juice or store bought orange juice without pulp.
• Milk chocolate: I recommend using a high quality milk chocolate to get the best flavor, from brands like Callebaut, Valrhona or Ghiradelli.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - GANACHE

Here is how make and bake this chocolate orange cake. This recipe doesn't need an electric mixer. Just three large bowls, a whisk and a spatula. You will need a 2x 20 cm/8-inch cake pans lined with parchment paper.

The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.

STEP 1: Add the milk chocolate chips to a bowl. Heat up the heavy cream in a small saucepan to a boil. Pour the heated heavy cream over the milk chocolate chips. Make sure all of the chocolate is covered by the heavy cream and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then gently stir it together until smooth. 

STEP 2: Once smooth add the orange juice and gently stir it together until combined with the chocolate. Then add the butter and gently stir it together until combined with the chocolate.

STEP 3: Cover the ganache with some cling film so it touches the surface of the ganache and let it cool down to room temperature on the kitchen counter. When it’s ready, it should have a thick spreadable consistency. 

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS

Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven and line 2x 20 cm/8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

STEP 1: Start by boiling some water and weighing it out so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients. In a bowl, add granulated sugar and the orange zest. Rub it together between your fingers to extract the orange flavor from the zest. Add the dark brown sugar and sift in the remaining dry ingredients. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.

STEP 2: In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including water, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.

STEP 3: Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.

STEP 4: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake them for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - ASSEMBLING

STEP 1: To assemble it, start by cutting the very top of the cooled down cake layers so they have an even top. Then brush orange juice on the chocolate cake layers to add some extra orange flavor. Place the first sponge layer on your serving dish.

STEP 2: Add a big dollop of the orange milk chocolate ganache on the cake layer and with an offset spatula even it out. Then add the other cake layer and add the remaining milk chocolate ganache and cover the cake in an even layer.

STEP 3: Decorate with orange quarters. Slice an orange into slices and cut the slices into quarters. Add the orange quarters along the edge of the cake.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams as it is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
• Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula, after everything has mixed together, and give it one final gently fold together, to make sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
• Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pan are light in color and therefore attracts less heat which means they bake more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a e.g. a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat, which will then give a darker crust, that results in a dryer cake.

FAQ

STORAGE

Store the chocolate orange cake at room temperature in an airtight container. The cake is best enjoyed within 2-3 days.

Other Layer Cake Recipes To Try

Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.

Chocolate Orange Cake

Incredible chocolate orange cake with chocolate cake layer and a silky orange milk chocolate ganache. A super simple and easy cake!

5 fra 4 stemmer

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Equipment

• 2x 20 cm/8in baking pans

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 150 g heavy cream 38%
• 400 g milk chocolate chips or milk orange chocolate
• 3 tablespoon orange juice without pulp
• 15 g butter

CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS

• 120 g boiling water
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoon orange zest about 2-3 oranges
• 100 g dark brown sugar
• 240 g all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 120 g orange juice
• 180 g sour cream or greek yogurt room temperature
• 110 g vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

ASSEMBLING

• 2 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 organic orange

The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.

Instructions

 

MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• Add the milk chocolate chips to a bowl. Heat up the heavy cream in a small saucepan to a boil. Pour the heated heavy cream over the milk chocolate chips. Make sure all of the chocolate are covered by the heavy cream and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then gently stir it together until smooth.
  150 g heavy cream, 400 g milk chocolate chips
• Once smooth add the orange juice and gently stir it together until combined with the chocolate. Then add butter and gently stir it together until combined.
  3 tablespoon orange juice, 15 g butter
• TIP: If the butter isn’t melting together with the ganache, microwave it for 15-30 seconds. Then give the ganache a stir until the butter has melted into the ganache.
• Cover the ganache with some cling film so it touches the surface of the ganache and let it cool down to room temperature, on the kitchen counter, while making the chocolate cake. When it’s ready, it should have a thick spreadable consistency (see photo in the blog post).
• If you want to cool it down in the fridge, place it in the fridge, then take it out and give it stir every 10-15 minutes. Once it has a thick spreadable consistency, take it out of the fridge and place it on the kitchen counter so it doesn't harden too much.

ORANGE CHOCOLATE CAKE

• Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and line 2x 20 cm/8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Start by boiling some water and weighing it out so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.
  120 g boiling water
• In a bowl, add granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub it together between your fingers to extract the orange flavor from the zest. Add the dark brown sugar and sift in the remaining dry ingredients. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.
  200 g granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon orange zest, 100 g dark brown sugar, 240 g all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoon cornstarch, 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
• In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including hot water, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.
  120 g orange juice, 180 g sour cream or greek yogurt, 110 g vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tins and bake them for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, gently remove the cakes from the cake tins and let the cakes cool down completely.

ASSEMBLING

• To assemble it, start by cutting the very top of the cooled down cake layers so they have an even top, if needed. Then brush orange juice on both of the chocolate cake layers to add some extra orange flavor. Place the first cake layer on your serving dish.
  2 tablespoon orange juice
• Then add a big dollop of the orange milk chocolate ganache on the cake layer and with an offset spatula, even it out. Then add the other cake layer and add the remaining milk chocolate ganache and cover the entire cake in an even layer. Optional, make a wavy design using the offset spatula. The cake doesn’t have to look perfect, just have fun and enjoy being creative.
• Decorate with orange quarters. Slice an orange into slices and cut the slices into quarters. Add the orange quarters along the edge of the cake.
  1 organic orange
• TIP: When cutting the cake, heat up a sharp knife under the hot tap. Dry it off and start slicing. The warm knife will cut smoothly through the chocolate ganache.

Keyword chocolate, layer cake, milk chocolate, orange

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