Chocolate Orange Cake
How to make a stunning Chocolate Orange cake, featuring orange cake layers, chocolate cream cheese buttercream, and Chocolate Orange slices!
Equipment
- 1 10 inch cardboard cake circle (or 8-inch; I've found moving cakes easier on larger circles)
- large piping bag + star tip (linked is a set that contains both)
- Wilton icing comb (optional, but adds a fun decorative effect)
Ingredients
Chocolate Orange Cake layers
- 2 boxes Vanilla cake mix (I used Duncan Hines - don't follow the package directions!)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (melted & cooled)
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup White Chocolate liqueur (I used Godiva)
- ½ cup Triple Sec
- 7 eggs
Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
- 1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
- 5 ½-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 3-4 Tablespoons Triple Sec or other orange liqueur
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling / Decorations
- 3 small tangerines/oranges (optional, but I added a bit of an extra orange kick to my cake layers with fresh orange juice after they were baked)
- 2 Chocolate oranges (I bought mine at a local grocery store, but you can find them online as well)
Instructions
Chocolate Orange Cake layers
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Prepare three 8 inch round pans with baker's floured spray (or grease and line with parchment rounds).
- Combine butter, buttermilk, liqueurs, and eggs in a bowl (make sure your butter's not warm enough to scramble the eggs), and blend in packaged cake mixes. (Essentially you're making a boxed mix but replacing most of the water with flavored liqueurs, subbing butter for oil, and adding some extra eggs.)
- Stir until combined, then beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting - set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting!)
Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- With a beater (or in a stand mixer) Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with the cocoa powder and orange liqueur until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. Add salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Assembly
- Level cake layers (if needed). Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle.
- (Optional) Cut one of your small oranges in half, and squeeze each of the halves over the cake layer to infuse it with fresh orange juice. Spread the layer with frosting. Place the next layer on top, and repeat the above process with your remaining cake layers.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
- Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. Once your cake is covered, place the icing comb on the cake circle against your cake and run the comb around the cake to texture the frosting. (Getting the textured I like required multiple passes around the cake with the icing comb - but it was worth it! :) )
Decorating
- Un-box and break apart your chocolate oranges – I ended up using about 1 ½ of them in total to decorate the entire cake. Full disclosure though, I broke several of them accidentally, so I probably could’ve gotten away with 1 if I were a bit less clumsy.
- Transfer remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, and alternate chocolate orange slices with frosting swirls to make a decorative edge around the upper rim of the cake.
- Halve several orange wedges and press the halves into the frosting around the base of the cake. Chop or shave another 2-3 slices and sprinkle the chocolate pieces around the base of the cake, pressing them into the frosting with a small offset spatula.
- And you're done! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate, and may not be exactly accurate.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 765kcalCarbohydrates: 99gProtein: 9gFat: 38g
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