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Chocolate orange cake. Rich, decadent and moist, this chocolate orange cake is filled and covered with a dark chocolate orange ganache and decorated with some dehydrated oranges. Simply stunning! Recipe by movers and bakers
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Chocolate Orange Cake

Rich and decadent, this Rich Dark Chocolate Orange Cake is this an incredibly moist and fudgy cake. Smothered in a glossy, zesty dark chocolate ganache and packed with the aroma of fresh orange zest, this triple-layer showstopper is the perfect centerpiece for birthdays, celebrations, or a luxurious weekend treat.
Servings 12 servings
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the cakes

  • 240 g (1 ½ cups + 3 tbsp) plain (all purpose) flour
  • 230 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar
  • 70 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 180 ml (¾ cup) buttermilk (see notes below)
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) oil (I used vegetable oil)
  • 120 ml (½ cup) boiling water
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) orange juice (about one large orange)
  • 1 large orange, zest

For the ganache and decoration

  • 580 ml (2 ¼ cups + 3 tbsp) double (heavy) cream
  • 325 g (2 ½ cups) dark chocolate
  • 1 large orange, zest only
  • 7 dehydrated orange slices, to decorate (optional)

Instructions

For the cakes

  • Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Grease and line three 6" loose bottomed cake tins, then set these aside whilst making the cake.
  • In a large mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Give it a quick whisk, then set this bowl aside.
  • Separately (I like to use a large jug, but another bowl will be perfect too), mix together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, orange juice and orange zest until totally combined.
  • Tip the wet mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat it all together. The mixture will be quite thick. This is perfect, just make sure it is all really thoroughly mixed at this stage.
  • With the mixer running on a low setting, drizzle the boiling water in and mix it all in until the cake mixture is silky smooth and shiny.
  • Divide the mixture between the three tins and bake in the hot oven for 25-30 minutes until the cakes have shrunk from the sides slightly and are springy to touch. A wooden skewer inserted into the cakes will come out clean or with a couple of moist crumbs. Leave to cool for five minutes in the tins, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the ganache and decoration

  • Break or chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Heat the double cream until almost boiling, then pour over the chocolate. Leave to sit for one minute, then stir to dissolve the chocolate and mix everything together until glossy and smooth. Zest the orange directly into the bowl, mixing it in really thoroughly to make sure all the zest and oils are incorporated into the ganache. Leave to cool and firm up.
  • Once the cakes are fully cool, level them if necessary. Place a splodge of ganache on the cake plate/cake stand and place the first layer of cake on this. Spoon some ganache on top of the cake and spread out evenly to the edges of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, pressing down to make sure it is level. Repeat with the ganache and the third layer of cake.
  • Cover the top and sides of the whole cake with as much ganache as you would like (you might not use all the ganache). Smooth the top and sides to the effect you want. Press some dehydrated orange slices in a diagonal pattern coming up the side of the cake, then push a few slices into the top. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Use ingredients at room temperature when making the cake. The reason for this is simple: ingredients all at room temperature will combine better and make for a better bake!
  • Zest oranges before juicing them, every time. Trying to zest a floppy orange half is hard and frustrating, so save yourself the stress and zest first!
  • Before juicing any citrus fruit, I like to roll it firmly on my kitchen worktop. This softens the pulp of the fruit, helping to release the juices more easily when I come to squeezing it. If your fruit is especially firm, you could also try gently heating it in the microwave for a few seconds before rolling and juicing too.
  • To make buttermilk, I like to use equal quantities of whole milk and a thick yogurt, such as Greek yogurt. You can also make buttermilk by adding 2-3 tsp of lemon juice to some milk and leaving it to sit for about 15 minutes.
  • The cake mixture is really thin and runny before baking. This is perfect, it will bake up to wonderful moist cakes in the oven, no need to worry!
  • I would recommend making the ganache while the cakes are baking. This is to allow the ganache time to cool down and firm up before you use it to decorate the cake. The ganache can be left to cool and firm up at room temperature, but if you are in a hurry, you could pop it in the fridge to speed up the cooing process.
  • I used orange slices I dehydrated myself to decorate this cake. If you want to make your own, simply place thinly sliced oranges on a parchment lined baking tray, then bake in the oven at 120C/250F for 60-90 minutes until dried out, flipping over halfway through. Allow to cool before using.
    • Author: Andrea
    Calories: 534kcal
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British, International
    Keyword: Dark Chocolate Orange Cake with Ganache, Easy Homemade Chocolate Orange Layer Cake, How to Prevent Ganache from Splitting, Incredibly Moist, Dark, and Fudgy Crumb, Making Homemade Buttermilk with Greek Yogurt, The Best Moist Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe, Zesting Oranges for Maximum Essential Oils

    Nutrition

    Calories: 534kcal