Chocolate and orange are like a dream to me. Although my dream last night had nothing to do with chocolate and orange, and everything to do with watching some bizarre alley cat trying to eat giant hissing grasshoppers, or something. I woke up wanting a thick slice of this cake for breakfast. You know, to make everything right in the world again. It’s that simple.
Another reason I think this cake is dreamy is that it’s one moist cake batter, divided into two, flavored, then dumped in a bundt pan. It’s great for those last minute, in a pinch desserts.
The cake is loaded with sour cream, and is incredibly moist. The orange zest adds brightness and chocolate and chocolate chips add richness. It’s absolutely delicious, and perfect if you wake up from bad dreams.
Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter at room temprature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, left at room temperature for 30 minutes
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
zest of 1 large orange
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Put rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan and set aside.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add half of flour mixture, and mix until just blended. Add sour cream, mixing until just combined, then add remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth.
Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. In one bowl add the orange zest and orange extract and stir to combine. In the other bowl add sifted cocoa powder and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
First pour the orange batter into the buttered Bundt pan, spreading it evenly around the bottom of the pan. Next, simply add the chocolate batter on top of the orange to cover. No swirling is necessary, although you can swirl the batters together if you like.
Bake until cake is springy to the touch and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove from oven and cool cake in the pan for 30 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
J
This was a total fail for me. Followed the recipe exactly, even had my husband double check everything before and afterward. The batter was thick like biscuit batter; it was totally striated, not orange cake enclosing the chocolate; took way longer than time stated to bake, and was in general a disaster. I even used all organic ingredients (expensive!) Any idea what happened? Your recipes always work wonderfully, but this did not.
joythebaker
So sorry that wasn’t a success for you. I will go back and look at the recipe and see if there is anything I can change.
Zoe Szewczyk
I followed this recipe to the letter, and was so apprehensive because there was SOOOO much cake batter! So much liquid, so many ingredients! But all i can say is, this cake was perfection.
I felt like I’d truly achieved something when it was iced, the compliments and thanks I received for baking such a beautiful cake were delightful. When we cut into the cake, the marble was perfect, the taste wasn’t like a traditional fake “jaffa” but a decadent mixture of an orange cake and a chocolate cake all in one and the texture was dense and buttery, but with a heavenly fluffy lightness to it.
I made this for my partners birthday and whenever I discuss baking he always suggests it, but its definitely a special occasions treat. This cake is well worth the effort, the instructions are flawless (i even used JTB’s instructions on how to make cake flour) and I have since tried a number of your recipes.
Thank you for sharing the joy of this recipe with us :)
I have photos on my instagram @zoewonderedwhy if you’re curious as to how it worked out.
x
Firdous
Made this lovely cake today. Replaced the orange extract with juice. Mmmmm………..deliciousness
Renee @ Awesome on $20
I actually dreamed about chocolate orange scones recently. Is there something wrong with my brain? There’s nothing wrong with this cake.
fflambeau
Two of my favorite flavors, orange and chocolate, which supplement each other so beautifully. A great recipe. I cut back on the sugar and used half canola oil instead of all the butter and it came out beautifully. I also added a bit of orange juice to the orange batter. Terrific!
Jill
Found this recipe when searching for “chocolate orange cake” and just finished baking it for my husband’s birthday. It smells amazing – can’t wait to cut into it at the party tonight. Thanks!
Gloria
The recipe calls for chocolate chips, is it semi-sweet chips or milk chocolate chips? Can’t wait to try. Thank you.
joythebaker
whichever you prefer.
Mary
Made this recipe and it is delicious. I only added a teaspoon of baking powder though because I had never heard of adding a tablespoon – seemed like too much. I used the juice from half the orange instead of the extract. It turned out great! Thanks for sharing!
jason
hi would it work to use fat free yoghurt in place of sour cream and milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips,thanks very much
Rachael
Just made this on friday night and it all went by Monday! delish! and not bad as my first attempt at bundt cake! YUM!!!
Lacey
I made this cake a few days ago for my friend’s birthday. It turned out great; it was so delicious. I did a not very good job of dividing the batter, so there was more orange cake than chocolate, but it still tasted great!
Adelle @ ready...GO!...get set...
I think this could seriously be one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. It was deceptively simple and downright GORGEOUS. Love how the chocolate sinks into the orange, hiding until you slice it.
I, too, used the juice of one orange in lieu of extract.
I glazed mine with a dark chocolate ganache. It was glorious!
Kayla
I made this cake last night using lite sour cream, cutting back the sugar by 1/2 a cup and using orange juice in place of the extract. It is irresistable. Even though I love cake usually I can walk away after 1 decent sized piece but not in this case. Delicious, thank you so much for the recipe :)
crazybaker
hey joy, just a quick question: is it possible to use orange juice instead of the extract? will the acidity in the orange juice change anything in the cake?
the pics are just gorgeous! can’t wait to try :)
Sophie
I made this cake last night using juice instead of extract as my local grocer was out of it and it was FABULOUS! I used the zest and juice of one large orange and it couldn’t have turned out better!
Lisa
hay joy,
this fabulous bundt cake sits, cooling on a rack in my kitchen right now. we are having my mom and dad over for dinner, and seeing as my dad LOVES chocolate/orange combo, (um, and everone else, too!)…i made it. can’t wait to delve into it after our steak dinner tonight!
thanks for all your great recipes, i am always very pleased with the results.
lisa
Adriana
I made this last night! This recipe will be on my favorites list from now. Thank you Joy!
Valerie M.
I am looking for a cake to bake today for a friend. If I had the sour cream on hand, this would definitely be the one I’d make! But since I don’t, I copied it to make very soon!
essie
thanks for sharing the recipe! i only had half the ingredients so was planning to cut all the portions in half, but as i was at the end mixing the final product, i was wondering why it was not mixing completely, till i realized i had used the FULL portion of flour eeps! so in a daze i added the juice from the orange in which i got the zest plus a bit of milk and it surprisingly turned out great!! a bit of a crunchy crust, but still yummylicious.. i’m a total fan of your blog!
Gloria
I made this cake today for my son’s 25th birthday. OMG! This has to be one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted. It was so moist and the chocolate and orange flavors are sublime.
Thanks for the recipe!
Gloria
Deborah Compton
Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
Did you use milk chocolate or semisweet chips?
Thanks!
Debbie
KELLI
Thank you for a great cake recipe! I tried your recipe for chocolate orange bundt cake and I loved it! I shared it with family and friends too! I returned to your web page for the recipe and to peruse your web site. Thanks for sharing the JOY! -Kelli
TINA CICCONE
I FOUND THIS SITE, PURELY, BY ACCIDENT, I WAS SO GLAD, I DID. THIS CAKE LOOKS, SO LOVELY & GOOD..
WELL, I MADE THE ATTEMP, TO BAKE IT, BUT IT TURNED OUT DRY…. COULD SOMEONE, HELP & TELL ME WHY?
IT IS GOOD, BUT I DON’T THINK, I MADE THE TWO BOWLS OF BATTER, EVEN, HAD MORE CHOCOLATE THAN ORANGE, BUT I DO LIKE IT VERY MUCH, THINK I WILL TRY TO MAKE IT AGAIN….THANK YOU JOY THE BAKER.
chanina
what a great cake! made this one this evening, used goat yoghurt instead of sour cream, and chocolate covered orange peels instead of chocolate chips.
we just had a piece, so moist and zesty! turned out just like the picture :)
Jackie
Hi Joy
I freeze orange and lemon zest, I would like to know what’s the measurement of 1 large orange in teaspoons or tablespoons.
Amy
Thanks for this recipe, Joy! It has seriously become a staple in my recipe arsenal now. I’ve passed the recipe along to at least half a dozen fellow bakers already, and my co-workers’ faces light up whenever I walk through the door with this wonderful bundt cake.
Here’s a variation I’ve been working on, using strawberry instead of orange as the fruit flavor:
Substitute half the sour cream for strawberry yogurt. Use strawberry extract (found in a specialty grocery store) instead of orange extract. Add in an extra tablespoon or two of flour and a couple of tablespoons of strawberry preserves into the non-chocolate batter.
The strawberry ends up being very subtle and it’s just so delicious.
Shweta
This cake looks awesome! In fact, all the recipes on this site do. I love baking cakes, and I’m going to try this one, earliest possible.
kimberleyblue
Orange and chocolate, my favourite!
I just bought my first bundt pan yesterday, and this cake is the first bundt I’ve ever made. It’s baking now – I’ll let you know how it turns out. It certainly sounds wonderful.
Ashley
Yum! My boyfriend loves chocolate and orange, and I haven’t used my new mini bundt pans yet – so this sounds perfect.
Deeba
Love the flavours Joy…have to say that orange & chocolate go together really beautifully! I haven’t made a pound cake in ages (mainly because of so much butter)…but am now seriously tempted to make one!! Cheers
Jerri
never had this, but it looks great!
kate
I just made this today. I haven’t cut into it yet but it looks and smells delicious!
I didn’t have orange extract so I used zest of two oranges and it certainly smells orangey.
Katie
I’m a recent convert to the chocolate and orange combo and this looks delicious!
Michelle
Oh my- I need to make this!!! I love poundcakes, and I love chocolate and orange!
Stephanie
Do you think this would work with a strawberry infused bundt cake instead of orange? I love the combo of strawberries and chocolate, so I’m curious how it would taste in cake form…
Deborah
This cake says perfection to me!
Cheri
Yum – one of my favorite combinations. The photos are beautiful and the cake looks very good. I’m going to have to give this a try!
Mansi
that looks beautiful Joy! looks rich and moist! and I too love chocolate and orange together:)
giz
You’re right – chocolate and orange is a terrific combination. I can’t help but laugh though – every time I see a bundt cake I remember the Seinfeld episode about bundt cakes. If you haven’t seen it – check it out on YouTube – it’s hysterical.
peabody
Looks great. I love Bundts with sour cream in them…so moist.
brilynn
You’ve certainly got me dreaming about a piece of this cake, looks awesome!
Melanie
I love this combination of orange and chocolate! And I love bundt cakes – I am in heaven over this recipe!
Patricia Scarpin
Orange and chocolate are irresistible together, Joy. Your cake is beautiful!
Melody
Wish I could’ve had a slice this morning…
Jenny
What a beautiful looking cake! I always love checking in to see your beautiful creations!
mari
My mouth is watering like I haven’t had cake in months, when in fact I was eating cake all weekend. Damn, that cake looks good!
KN
Oh, wow–the presentation is amazing! Looks gorgeous!
Amanda
Total food porn :) There was a recipe like this by Ina Garten and it looked rich and decadent. I’ve been planning on making it and you just reminded me of the till-now forgotten recipe. Orange and chocolate work great together, bakingwise.
Mika
I have never tried this combination of chocolate and orange in a cake…but now I think I have to…
Gigi
oooo, Joy! Your bundt cake looks delicious! You have the chocolate layer baked perfectly. :)