A deliciously decadent and easy to make chocolate orange cake covered in a dark Terry's chocolate orange flavoured ganache. Topped with segments of Terry's chocolate orange you won't be able to resist a slice or three!
I entered this cake in my village fete and it came first place in the Best Cake category. What a proud moment!
First Place In The Best Cake Category
The judges pronounced this cake to be:
Well proportioned with a dense crumb and fudgelike consistency. Excellent orange flavour throughout. The contestent showed originality by making a a wonderful tasting chocolate orange ganache that had a mirror-like shine.
So if it's a prizewinning chocolate cake you're after - you've come to the right place ;-)
What Makes This Chocolate Orange Cake So Good?
- Dense, fudgy, REALLY chocolatey cake
- Luxuriously rich and moist
- A winning combination of chocolate and orange
- Dripping with ganache made from dark Terry's Chocolate Orange
- Simple to make yet seriously impressive looking
- Easy, everyday ingredients
All In One Method
Don't you just love the simplest cake recipes? Baking this came couldn't be any easier. because it uses the all in one method.
All you have to do is put all the cake ingredients into a bowl, pour over boiling water and mix. Then pour the mixture into the tins and bake to perfection. Simples!
The chocolate ganache is a total breeze too. I know the phrase ganache might be off-putting for some of you but it is so easy.
Equal measures of chocolate (in this case the gorgeous dark Terry's choc orange) to double cream. Heat the cream and dump in the chopped chocolate, wait a few minutes then stir. That's it.
What You Need To Make This Chocolate Orange Cake With Chocolate Ganache
- Light Brown Soft Sugar: For optimal flavour and texture in this cake opt to use brown sugar. I've used light brown but dark will also work. If you can't get brown sugar then the same quantity of caster sugar will be fine.
- Cocoa Powder: Choose the highest-quality cocoa powder you can afford, it really does make a difference. I recommend Dr Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa powder. The acidity of the powder has been reduced so it won't interfere with the rise on your bakes.
- Eggs: Use large free-range (organic if possible) eggs to add structure and stability to your cake batter.
- Plain Flour: For a denser more fudge-like crumb opt for plain flour over self-raising.
- Baking Powder and Bicarbonate of Soda: For a slight 'tang' and to lift the cake batter.
- Salt: I add a smidge of salt to balance and intensify the flavour.
- Whole Milk: To bind the dry ingredients together. Whole milk is preferred as it adds a little fat and really helps the cake's overall moistness.
- Vegetable Oil: Coats the flour and prevents the cake from becoming chewy.
- Orange Extract: Use extract not essence for the best orange flavour.
- Orange Zest: to intensify the orange flavour.
- Boiling Water: It's important to use boiling water as it helps the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve. It makes mixing the cake ingredients much easier too.
Chocolate Orange Ganache
- Double Cream: (heavy or whipping cream - US) For the chocolate ganache.
- Dark Terry's Chocolate Orange: For a dark coloured, glossy and intensely flavoured chocolate ganache use the dark version of chocolate orange.
- Milk Chocolate Terry's Chocolate Orange: For topping and because no one can resist them!
- Candied Orange Slices: Totally optional extra topping to add a splash of colour.
How To Make A Terry's Chocolate Orange Cake With Chocolate Ganache
To make the cakes
- Preheat oven to 190ºC/ 170ºC Fan/ 375 F/ Gas 5.
- Line two 20cm (8-inch pans) with greased baking paper. Greasing and lining the tins is an important step to ensure your lovely baked cakes don't get stuck.
- Add all the cake ingredients to a large bowl except for the boiling water. Mix well.
- Slowly add the boiling water mixing well as you pour. You will end up with a very runny batter. This is normal!
- Distribute the batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted to the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
- Once baked, leave the cakes to completely cool while you make the chocolate ganache.
To make the chocolate orange ganache
- Chop the dark Terry's chocolate orange into small pieces and add them to a bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream until just below boiling point.
- Pour the cream over the Terry's chocolate and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk well until all the chocolate has melted and combined with the cream.
- Set the ganache aside in the fridge for about 20 minutes. The ganache will thicken so that you can use it as filling in between the two cakes. (we will loosen the ganache for dripping over the cake later)
Assembling and decorating
- When the cakes are cool, even the tops of the cakes using a serrated knife.
- Place one cake on a turntable or cake stand, ready for filling.
- By now your ganache should have been in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. It will be stiffer and a better consistency for using as the cake layer filling.
- Using a spoon, transfer around a quarter of the chocolate ganache on to the cake on the turntable. Use a palette knife to spread it around. Don't worry if some of the filling drips down the side of the cake.
- Place the other cake on top of the cake on the turntable and press down sandwiching the two cakes together.
- Next, you will need to thin the consistency of the ganache so that it's pourable. You can do this by microwaving it in very short bursts and stirring well or using the bain-marie/double boiler method. Watch this video if you are unsure.
- When the ganache has melted and thinned (it will look much like it did when you first made it) you can pour it over the top of your cakes. Use a palette knife or spatula to spread it evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Watch my step by step video in the recipe card below to see how I cover my cake with the ganache.
- To decorate, add Terry's milk chocolate orange segments in a circle around the edge of the cake and a couple of candied oranges in the centre.
Notes
- The cake batter will be very runny so make sure that your loose-bottomed cake tins don't have any gaps or the batter will leak and run out.
- You can easily turn this cake into a 4-layered cake by slicing the cakes in half and dividing a quarter of the ganache between each layer.
- To make ahead follow the cake instructions to step 7, then wrap and refrigerate for 2 days or freeze for 3 months.
- You can also make the ganache in advance. Leave it to cool then refrigerate for up to one week. Bring the ganache to room temperature before use.
- Wrap the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The ganache will act as a barrier so your cake won't dry out in the fridge.
- This cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.
No, this is actually a very simple recipe to follow and can be done by hand. I use a Kitchen Aid handheld electric whisk because it's quicker but as there's quite a lot of liquid in this cake mixture you can whisk it all by hand very easily.
I've included orange zest in the recipe as well as orange extract. I use extract because it's reliable and I know how much to use to flavour a whole cake. I haven't tried it but you could replace half the boiling water with orange juice and increase the orange zest to 3 teaspoons, leaving out the orange extract.
Yes definitely! For a chocolate orange buttercream, I would use 600g icing sugar 300g of butter and one (melted) dark Terry's chocolate orange. Cream the butter and the icing sugar then add the melted Terry's chocolate.
Yep! That would also work. The ganache I've used in this recipe is very shiny but for a chocolate mirror glaze you could try this recipe.
You can make this recipe flourless by substituting the flour with the same amount of almond flour/meal or hazelnut flour/meal.
I personally love the dark richness of the chocolate orange ganache but you could certainly try buttercream or glaze icing as mentioned above. I would like to make this again sometime and try it with salted caramel frosting as I think that would be a really good combination.
Plain flour gives a denser more fudge-like consistency. If you would prefer a lighter cake you can use self-raising flour. Cut the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and omit the bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Yes, the cake batter is really thin and runny and not at all like most cake batters. It will turn into a beautiful cake once it's baked so please don't worry! Just don't forget to check your baking pans for gaps or the mixture will run.
I like using 8-inch baking tins as they make a good-sized cake. Not too big nor too small. I favour loose-bottomed tins over springform because I make so many deep-filled cheesecakes the high sides prevent the mixture from spilling out over the top. In this instance, a standard 8 or 10-inch springform tin will also work.
I bought mine on Amazon (usually the answer to all my prayers!) I was impressed with the quality and taste. You can find them here.
You can add a ring of chocolate orange segments around the top, just like I did. Or you could use a few candied orange slices and chocolate curls. I would advise the Terry's milk chocolate orange though as people go wild for it!
Once baked and cooled, the cake can be tightly wrapped and then refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
More Cake Recipes To Tempt You
Chocolate Orange Cake
A deliciously decadent and rich chocolate orange cake covered in a dark Terry's chocolate orange flavoured ganache and topped with segments of Terry's chocolate orange.
Ingredients
For the chocolate orange cake
- 350g (1.5 cups) light brown sugar
- 85g (0.75 cups) cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- 370g (2.25 cups) plain flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 3 tsp orange extract
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 250ml (1 cup) whole milk
- 125ml (0.5 cup) vegetable oil
- 250ml (1 cup) boiling water
For the chocolate orange ganache
- 314g dark Terry's chocolate orange, equates to 2 dark chocolate oranges
- 314g (1.25 cups) double cream, heavy/whipping cream - US
To decorate
- 157g Milk Chocolate Terry's Chocolate Orange, equates to 1 Terry's chocolate orange
- 2 slices candied orange, optional
Instructions
To make the chocolate orange cakes
- Preheat oven to 190ºC/ 170ºC Fan/ 375 F/ Gas 5
- Line two 20cm (8-inch pans) with baking paper.
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl except for the boiling water. Mix well.
- Add the boiling water and mix. You will end up with a very runny batter. This is normal!
- Distribute the batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
To make the chocolate orange ganache
- Chop the dark Terry's chocolate orange into small pieces and add them to a bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream until just below boiling point.
- Pour the cream over the Terry's chocolate and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk well until all the chocolate has melted and combined with the cream.
- Set the ganache aside in the fridge for about 20 minutes. The ganache will thicken so that you can use it as cake filling. (we will loosen it for dripping over the cake later)
To assemble and decorate
- When the cakes are cool, even the tops of the cakes using a serrated knife.
- Place one cake on a turntable or cake stand, ready for filling.
- By now your ganache should have been in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. It will be stiffer and better consistency for using as the cake layer filling.
- Using a spoon, transfer around a quarter of the chocolate ganache onto the cake on the turntable. Use a palette knife to spread it around. Don't worry if some of the filling drips down the side of the cake.
- Place the other cake on top of the cake on the turntable and press down sandwiching the two cakes together.
- Next, you will need to thin the consistency of the ganache so that it's pourable. You can do this by microwaving it in very short bursts or using the bain-marie/double boiler method.
- When the ganache has melted and thinned (it will look much like it did when you first made it) you can pour it over the top of your cakes. Use a palette knife or spatula to spread it over the sides of the cake. Watch my step by step video below to see how I cover my cake.
- To decorate, add Terry's milk chocolate orange segments around the edge of the cake and a couple of candied oranges in the centre.
Notes
NOTES
- The cake batter will be very runny so make sure that your loose-bottomed cake tins don't have any gaps or the batter will leak and run out.
- You can easily turn this cake into a 4-layered cake by slicing the cakes in half and dividing a quarter of the ganache between each layer.
- To make ahead follow the cake instructions to step 7, then wrap and refrigerate for 2 days or freeze for 3 months.
- You can also make the ganache in advance. Leave it to cool then refrigerate for up to one week. Bring the ganache to room temperature before use.
- Wrap the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The ganache will act as a barrier so your cake won't dry out in the fridge.
- This cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 556Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 14gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 3gSugar: 25gProtein: 6g
Carol
I am very happy that you have shared the Chocolate orange recipe! I used to make this cake about 20 years ago and lost the recipe over time. My now grown up son was saying we should try to recreate it and then I searched the internet and found your post. Thrilled to bits, thank you,
Carol x
Amy Treasure
Hi Carol, so pleased you came across my recipe. I hope it's as lovely as you remember, do let me know how you get on! x
Melissa
Do you mean fresh orange peel (i.e., zest)?
Amy Treasure
Yes zest - sorry will make that clearer!
Priya Chudasama
This cake was spectacular, much loved and will do it again. So moist and tasty
Amy Treasure
Wow, thank you so much for the amazing feedback. I'm so happy to read this!
Ciara
Do you think I could make the ganache with just regular milk chocolate terry's chocolate orange as I can't find the dark? Should I add some plain dark chocolate?
Amy Treasure
Hi Ciara, yes you can make a ganache with the regular Terry's milk chocolate. You will need less cream though as the milk choc contains more milk solids. A ratio of 2:1 will work. So that would be half the amount of cream to chocolate which works out at 157g of cream to two choc oranges. Let me know how you get on :) Amy