Name: Terry's Chocolate Orange Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 210 g Self-Raising Flour; 230 g Caster Sugar; 230 g Butter; 50 g Cocoa Powder; 4 Eggs; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (Or Orange Extract); 2 tbsp Milk; 250 g Butter; 250 g Icing Sugar; 2 Packs Terry's Chocolate Orange (200g For Buttercream And Remaining For Decoration); 30 g Cocoa Powder; ½ tsp Vanilla (Or Orange Extract)

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How To Make Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cake

A moist chocolate sponge cake topped and filled with Terry’s chocolate orange buttercream; this cake is perfect for all the chocolate orange lovers out there!

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There’s nothing quite like taking a bite into this deliciously decadent chocolate orange cake: it’s soft, moist and so indulgent!

Flavoured with Terry’s chocolate orange and cocoa powder; this cake couldn’t be anymore rich and chocolatey. It’s very simple and quick to make yet looks so impressive, that’s why it’s perfect for parties and large gatherings.

The combination of chocolate and orange is a festive and all year-round flavour that’s completely irresistible. Make this cake for Christmas, birthdays or simply because you feel like it.

Why You’ll Like This Recipe

The Texture: This cake is fluffy, moist and light; everything you’ll ever want in a cake.

So Easy: Sometimes making cake can be quite daunting, especially when there’s layers involved. This chocolate orange cake is very simple and easy to make; you can’t go wrong with this recipe.

The Flavour: Chocolate orange is a popular flavour. Making this cake is a good way to use up any spare Terry’s chocolate orange you have around; I always get given a few over the Christmas period.

One Bowl: You only need one mixing bowl to mix the cake ingredients together, you can even wash the same bowl and reuse it to make the buttercream. Like this coffee and walnut loaf cake!

Watch How To Make It

How Tall Can I Make This Cake?

You can make this cake as tall as you like!

If you want to create a chocolate orange cake with more than two layers, you can double the ingredients to get 4 layers or even triple the ingredients to get 6 layers. You can easily double or triple the ingredients on the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

If you’re making a tall layered cake, it needs to be supported with straws or dowels to prevent it from falling or sliding apart.

Recipe Ingredients

To make this Terry’s chocolate orange sponge cake, you’ll need the following ingredients below:

Self-Raising Flour: Flour gives structure to the cake; self-raising flour has baking powder added to it.

Caster Sugar: Best for making cakes; it’s mixed into the butter until light and fluffy.

Butter: I used salted butter but you can use unsalted butter or margarine. If I’m using margarine, I use Stork butter on most occasions.

Cocoa Powder: This cocoa powder is my favourite ever to exist! I just love it, it adds a fine and rich cocoa taste to this cake.

Eggs: I used medium eggs at room temperature.

Vanilla: Using vanilla is optional, you can use orange extract instead. This will give the sponge a chocolate orange flavour instead of a chocolate and vanilla flavour. If you want more of an intense chocolate orange flavour, add orange extract to the cake mixture.

Chocolate Orange Buttercream: To make the buttercream: butter, icing sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder and Terry’s chocolate orange are whisked together until combined. The buttercream is spread between the cakes and on top.

Moist Terry's chocolate orange sponge cake

How To Melt Terry’s Chocolate Orange

Melting Terry’s chocolate orange is quite simple and is done in the same way as any other chocolate. Simply break the chocolate orange apart and place into a large mixing bowl.

To melt in the microwave, heat on a medium heat and stop every 10 to 20 seconds and stir the chocolate each time. Do this until the chocolate has completely melted.

It’s great that Terry’s chocolate come already broken into small segments, this increases the surface area of the chocolate making it easier to melt.

How To Make Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cake

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make this easy and moist Terry’s chocolate orange cake. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card at the bottom.

Step One:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (gas mark 4, 350°F) and line two 20cm (8″) sandwich tins with parchment paper. Leave aside for later use.

Place butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy.

Step Two:

Add the eggs and vanilla (or orange extract) to the mixing bowl and mix together until evenly distributed.

TIP: Don’t worry if the eggs look split at this stage, it will come together in the next step when flour is added.

Step Three:

Add flour and cocoa powder to the mixing bowl and mix together until combined, then add two tablespoons of milk (this will make the mixture easier to stir). Split the cake mixture evenly between two sandwich tins and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

TIP: To see if the cake is cooked poke a skewer through the middle, if it comes out clean then the cake is done.

Once the cake is baked, leave the cake aside on a cooling rack for it to cool down.

Step Four:

Whilst the cake is baking, it’s time to make the buttercream.

Break the chocolate orange apart and place into a large mixing bowl. Melt in the microwave on a medium heat, mix the chocolate every 10 to 20 seconds until completely melted.

Place butter into a clean mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

Step Five:

Then add icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla and whisk together until combined.

TIP: Add the cocoa powder and flour gradually when whisking to avoid it going everywhere!

Step Six:

Add melted chocolate to the mixing bowl and whisk until combined. If the mixture is too hard and stiff add one to two tbsp of milk.

Step Seven:

Chocolate sponge decorated with Terry's chocolate orange

Once the cakes have cooled down, trim off the tops if they are domed shaped instead of being flat. Then place the bottom sponge onto a plate or serving dish.

Using an offset spatula spread half of the buttercream on top of the bottom sponge, then place the second sponge on top. Spread the remaining buttercream and smooth over with an offset spatula. Decorate with extra chocolate orange pieces.

How To Store & How Long Will This Cake Keep?

Store your cake in an airtight container or an appropriately sized cake carrier for around 5 days. You can keep this cake at room temperature or in the fridge. I like to keep my cake at room temperature; I find that they turn dry in the fridge.

You can also freeze this chocolate orange cake! After baking the cake, leave it to cool down fully. Then wrap the sponges in clingfilm or place in an airtight container and place into the freezer. Put a layer of parchment paper between each layer to avoid sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to eat the cake, defrost it fully before decorating the cake.

My Top Tips For Making This Chocolate Orange Cake

If you want an intense chocolate orange flavour, you can add a teaspoon of orange extract to the sponge mixture instead of vanilla. You want to use orange extract instead of orange essence for greater flavour.

If you only have one deep baking tin at home, you can pour all the batter into one baking tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until fully cooked throughout. Then cut the cake evenly from the middle to get two separate halves.

Make sure you wait until your cake is fully cooled before you start to ice the cake with buttercream. If the cake is too hot, then the buttercream will melt and not hold its shape.

Use Terry’s dark chocolate orange in the buttercream instead of Terry’s milk chocolate orange if you don’t want it too sweet.

A slice of homemade chocolate orange cake

Do I Need An Electric Whisk To Make This Cake?

Nope! You don’t need an electric whisk to make this chocolate orange cake, using a wooden spoon is easy enough. I used a wooden spoon and mixing the cake ingredients together was quite simple to do. It does take a bit longer than using an electric whisk, but it’s definitely not a necessity.

To make the buttercream, it easier to use a stand mixer or handheld electric whisk. This easily smoothens the butter and combines the buttercream ingredients together.

Can I Make This Cake With Real Oranges?

Making a chocolate orange cake with orange juice is not going to give you the best results. It’s best to use orange extract or you can grate orange zest into the cake batter.

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