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Chocolate orange cake with orange halves in background.
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5 from 5 votes

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, British
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 322kcal
Author: MaryAnne

Equipment

  • 1 10-inch nonstick bundt cake pan

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • non-stick cooking spray
  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 2 Tablespoons grated orange zest
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract (or Grand Marnier)
  • 3 orange slices cut into wedges (optional garnish)

For the glaze:

  • 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat 10-inch bundt cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • 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. *Do not overstir.
  • Using a rubber spatula, fold in the orange zest.
  • Pour cake batter into cake 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 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.
  • *Optional: Garnish with 3 orange slices cut into wedges.

Notes

  • 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.
  • How to store: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place them 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 478mg | Potassium: 214mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg