Chocolate Orange Cake

Sometimes a simple, classic dessert is just what you need to ring in the holidays, and this chocolate orange cake does the trick like no other! A fudgy chocolate cake topped with a rich chocolate ganache tastes as classic as it gets, but with added fresh orange juice and zest, the flavor brightens up to make a gorgeous holiday dessert. Plus, assembling is a breeze–no cake layers or crumb coats on this cake, so you can easily slice and serve to all your guests in no time!

For more chocolate cake recipes, try Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake, Fudgy Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake, Dark Chocolate Malt Snack Cake, and Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake.

Why you'll love this chocolate orange cake

• Fudgy, Moist Texture: Unlike most chocolate cake recipes, this recipe bakes up incredibly fudgy & moist with a pronounced chocolate flavor, an even, tight crumb, and a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is utterly irresistible. 
• Easy, Yet Impressive Dessert: I LOVE an unassuming sheet cake that delivers on flavor! And this cake does exactly that. The subtle orange flavor throughout the deep cocoa profile balances out the decadence, making it hard to stop at just one bite!
• Easily Sharable: In sheet cake form with no layers, this cake is the perfect dessert for a crowd–especially around the holidays!

Ingredient Notes

• Cocoa Powders: I used a combination of dutch process and black cocoa powders for an extra rich chocolate experience.
• Oranges: Use your favorite type of oranges!
• Heavy Cream: You'll need about 1 ½ cups of heavy cream for the ganache. 
• Oil: I recommend using a neutral oil, such as light tasting extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. 
• Buttermilk: Use a high quality buttermilk at room temperature.
• Unsalted Butter: Use high quality European-style butter for best overall flavor.
• Flour: Use high quality unbleached all-purpose flour best results.
• Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
• Vanilla: Add a high quality vanilla extract for optimal flavor.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this chocolate orange cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Mix zest and sugar. In a medium bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Rub them together with your fingers until it resembles wet sand and smells aromatic.

STEP 2: Add dry ingredients. Whisk in the flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

STEP 3: Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl using a whisk or an electric mixer, whisk together the buttermilk, orange juice, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

STEP 4: Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until fully combined.

STEP 5: Bake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Wrap the cake strips around the outside of the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan or on a cooling rack before topping with the ganache.

STEP 6: Make ganache and decorate. In a small saucepan, place the heavy cream over low-medium heat. Stir frequently with a rubber spatula, and bring to simmer, or about 190 degrees F. Remove the pan from heat and add the chocolate and butter. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Immediately pour the warm ganache onto the cooled cake and spread into an even layer. Top the cake with some orange zest, then cut into 24 squares, add some orange slices, and enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

• Black cocoa powder substitute: If you do not have black cocoa powder, you can use an equal amount of dutch process cocoa powder, making it a total of 84g or 1 cup.
• Use an immersion blender to mix the ganache. It can be easy to over-mix ganache, resulting in a split, grainy texture. I recommend using an immersion blender, as it will mix it efficiently without aggravating it to the point that the milk solids separate. 

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x