Description
Soft, tender orange chocolate cake with a hint of cocoa, topped with creamy orange cream cheese frosting and little pieces of candied Satsuma peel.
This cake brings together the fresh taste of orange and just enough chocolate to make every bite interesting. Whether you bake it as cupcakes or a whole cake, that tangy, sweet frosting makes it a lovely treat to share.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Orange Chocolate Velvet Cake
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (or low-fat yogurt)
- 2 tsp orange extract or Grand Marnier
- 1 tsp orange food colouring
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup - 110 g butter, softened
- 1 cup - 225 g cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups - 480 g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp orange essence
- 1 tbsp finely chopped candied Satsuma peel
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C). Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners or grease and line your cake pans with parchment paper. If you’re making a layered cake, prepare two 8 inch round pans.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 3/4 cup vegetable oil until well combined.
- Add 2 large room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is smooth and uniform in colour.
- Mix in 1 cup buttermilk (or low fat yogurt), 2 tsp orange extract or Grand Marnier and 1 tsp orange food colouring. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Slowly mix in 1/2 cup hot water and 1 tsp white vinegar. The batter will be quite thin, which is perfectly fine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 2 tbsp cocoa powder. Make sure the cocoa is evenly distributed to avoid any little lumps.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until combined. Don’t overmix, as this can make the cake dense. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to catch any flour that hasn’t been incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full, or divide it between the prepared cake pans. The batter is thin, so pour slowly to avoid spills.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. For a whole cake, start checking at 25 minutes and continue baking as needed, depending on the pan size. Don’t wait for the toothpick to come out completely clean, as overbaking can dry out the cake.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them rest in their pans for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat 110 g softened butter and 225 g softened cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and well blended.
- Gradually add 480 g sifted icing sugar, beating on low speed at first to prevent a cloud of sugar from escaping. Add 1 tsp orange essence and 1 tbsp finely chopped candied Satsuma peel. Beat until creamy, smooth and fluffy. If the frosting feels too soft, refrigerate it briefly before using.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, spread or pipe the orange cream cheese frosting over the cupcakes or between the cake layers and over the top. Finish with a little extra finely chopped candied Satsuma peel, if you like.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Preshana and Umarah
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 879
- Sugar: 112.2 g
- Sodium: 475.8 mg
- Fat: 35.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 24.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 137.8 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 87.7 mg
