The flavors that are in this cake are oh so worth the wait!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword birthday, cake, chocolate, orange
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 16
Calories 7389kcal
Author Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 1/3cupsall-purpose flour
1/4teaspoonbaking soda
2teaspoonsbaking powder
3/4cupunsweetened cocoa powder
1/8teaspoonsalt
3tablespoonsbuttersoftened
1 1/2cupswhite sugar
2eggs
3/4teaspoonvanilla extract
2zests of orange
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
1cupbuttersoftened
3-4cupsicing sugar
1cupcocoa powder
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
pinchsalt
2-3tablespoonsmilk or heavy cream
For the Chocolate Ganache:
1cupmelting chocolate or chocolate chips
1Tablespoonshorteningoptional
For the Candied Oranges:
2orangessliced into 1/4” thick slices
2cupssugar
2cupswater
Instructions
To prepare the Chocolate Orange Cake:
Preheat your oven to 325°F
Prepare (3) three 9" circle cake pans with a spray of oil and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients, alternately with the milk; beat well. Add orange zest to batter.
Divide the the cake batter evenly among your three pans.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
To make the Chocolate Buttercream:
Place the cocoa, 3 cups of the icing sugar, butter, vanilla, and 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream in a large bowl and beat until completely blended.
Adjust the consistency with additional heavy cream, or adding more icing sugar or cocoa (select which to use based on the taste of the buttercream and your desired level of chocolatey-ness.)
To put the whole thing together:
When the cake has cooled, level your cakes, and then sandwich them together using a generous, even layer of the chocolate buttercream.
Using an offset spatula, cover the entire cake in an initial crumb coat - this helps keep crumbs out of the final icing layer and does not need to be perfect, but try to make it as even and smooth as you can.
Cover your icing (I like to place mine in the fridge) and let the cake set for about 1-3 hours until no longer soft to the touch.
Using the offset spatula, smooth a final layer of frosting on the cake.
Place the remaining buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 2D Wilton tip and set aside.
Heat your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 25 seconds. Stir thoroughly and reheat if necessary.
Take your time placing spoonful after spoonful of chocolate along the side of the cake, rotating as you go. The chocolate will remelt nicely, so don’t worry about it hardening.
When you have covered the cake with the chocolate drips, take your candied oranges and dip them halfway in the melted chocolate. Set back on the cooling rack to set.
Take your piping bag and make short, quick spots of icing along the top, squeezing the bag to start the dollop, and then stopping pressure and pulling your hands away quickly to create that defined peak. This is a repetitive motion that you will quickly get the hang of - and feel free to use that offset spatula to remove any peaks that you don’t like and re-do them.
One you have covered the cake in a crown of chocolate buttercream peaks, arrange your dried chocolate oranges as you desire on top of the cake.
Notes
Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.