Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

If you're a lover of the classic combination of orange and chocolate, this delicious chocolate orange bundt cake is for you. It's rich, chocolatey, and tender, with bold orange flavor coming from orange juice, zest, and extract. This cake recipe is easy enough for beginners, no special equipment is needed, and the chocolate orange glaze is the perfect finishing touch.

I love the combination of chocolate and orange (Terry's Chocolate Orange, anyone??), and this chocolate orange bundt cake is the perfect way to highlight this fantastic pairing. The rich, earthy, and bitter notes of chocolate pair beautifully with the light, zesty, fruity, and citrusy notes of orange.

One of the secrets of this cake is that it's egg-less, and we use mayo and buttermilk in its place. This produces a super tender crumb and also gives it a slightly tangy flavor.

It's a decadent cake that makes a beautiful centerpiece for your holiday table.

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why This Orange Chocolate Cake is the Best
• 🍊 How to Zest an Orange
• 🍰 Ingredient Notes
• 📝 Cake Variations & Substitutions
• 🥄 How To Make Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
• 💭 Expert Tips
• ⏲️ Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍰 More Cake Recipes
• Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

⭐️ Why This Orange Chocolate Cake is the Best

• Easy enough for beginners. It's a "one-bowl cake" with no special equipment needed. You can use an electric hand mixer, or you can just mix by hand.
• Super moist cake that isn't cloyingly sweet. The chocolate orange glaze is the perfect finish to this rich and decadent cake.
• A versatile cake that can be turned into cupcakes or a round layer cake.
• Using a bundt pan makes a beautiful presentation on your table, like this moist spice bundt cake. So you don't need to worry about creating elaborate decorations - the cake is beautiful right out of the pan.
• Chocolate and orange are a classic flavor combination, especially around the winter holidays.

🍊 How to Zest an Orange

Whether you use a microplane, grater, or vegetable peeler, make sure that you aren't getting any of the pith of the orange. You just want the orange rind, which is where all of the oil (and flavor) is. Here is a guide on how to properly zest an orange.

🍰 Ingredient Notes

• All-purpose flour - Use your regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. You don't need to use cake flour as this recipe produces a very moist and tender crumb due to the buttermilk and mayonnaise.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder - I recommend using a high-quality cocoa powder since it provides the majority of the chocolate flavor in this cake.
• Instant espresso powder - Espresso/coffee powder intensifies the chocolate flavor. It does not make your cake taste like coffee! You don't need to use this ingredient, but I highly recommend it.
• Buttermilk - Provides a slight tangy flavor and helps to tenderize your cake.
• Mayonnaise - Mayo takes the place of eggs in this recipe, and provides a lot of moisture.
• Orange zest - Gives the cake a bright and citrusy flavor. See above on how to properly zest an orange.
• Vanilla extract and orange extract - Adds warm vanilla and bright citrus flavor.
• Freshly-squeezed orange juice - Using fresh orange juice makes a difference, but you can always use store-bought juice if that is easier.

📝 Cake Variations & Substitutions

• Make gluten-free: Substitute all-purpose gluten free flour for a gluten free version. I don't recommend almond flour or a similar nut flour, as they will be too moist.
• Dairy-free bundt cake: Use dairy-free buttermilk. Make your own dairy-free buttermilk by combining 1 cup of any plant-based milk (e.g. almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc.) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Combine and let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
• Vegan bundt cake: In addition to using vegan buttermilk, the mayonnaise can be substituted with vegan mayonnaise.
• Add spice: Alter the flavor of your chocolate orange cake by adding (½ teaspoon) of warm spice like cinnamon, cardamon, or allspice.
• Use store-bought frosting if you don't want to make the glaze. I recommend dark chocolate or milk chocolate frosting.
• Chocolate orange cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 24 cupcake liners into cupcake tin. Fill cups ¾ full and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Make a round layer cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Divide batter between both pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place on cooling rack. After completely cooled, invert cake layers, frost, and assemble.

🥄 How To Make Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

*See the recipe card below for printable instructions.

Make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat 10-inch bundt cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. Using an electric hand mixer or using a whisk (by hand), combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt.

Add orange juice, buttermilk, mayonnaise, vanilla extract, and orange extract, and mix until just combined.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the orange zest. Pour cake batter into pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, and then invert cake onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the chocolate glaze:

Whisk together the confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, orange juice, zest, and pinch of salt. The glaze should be thin enough to drizzle but not too runny. Drizzle glaze over top of cooled cake.

💭 Expert Tips

• Use a high-quality cocoa powder. This is going to provide all of your chocolate flavor, and it makes a big difference. Dutch-processed (alkalized) is recommended since it will impact the taste and texture.
• Don't over mix your cake batter. Stir just until combined, and stop at the point where you can still see a small amount of flour. Over-mixing can toughen the gluten in your flour and create a denser, chewier cake.
• Use fresh orange juice. It will make a difference in the orange flavor. Store-bought orange juice can taste processed and mask the fresh citrus flavor.
• How to store: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place into a large freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
• Grease your bundt pan well. It's very important to both spray your bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust it with flour to prevent your cake from sticking to the pan.
• Don't skip the espresso powder. Using espresso powder isn't required per se, but I highly recommend it. Adding espresso or coffee to any chocolate recipe always concentrates the chocolate flavor, and gives it a nice little boost. If you are caffeine sensitive (like myself), use decaffeinated instant espresso/coffee powder.
• Use a toothpick to prevent overbaking. Insert a toothpick into the center of your cake to determine when your cake is done. The toothpick should come out clean.

⏲️ Frequently Asked Questions

🍰 More Cake Recipes

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