Name: Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 300 g Butter or baking spread (softened, unsalted); 300 g Light brown soft sugar; 5 Eggs (large); 2 tbsp Milk; 2 Oranges (zest and juice (approx 110ml)); 1 tsp Orange extract (optional); 225 g Self raising flour; 75 g Cocoa powder; 1 tsp Baking powder; 150 g Terry's Chocolate Orange; 100 ml Double cream; 12 pieces Terry's Chocolate Orange; Sprinkles (optional)

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This Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake is a gorgeously moist cake that's packed with chocolate orange flavour. It's drenched in a divine chocolate orange ganache, and decorated with plenty of chocolate orange pieces. This cake is easy to make, and because you are using a bundt tin it creates a beautifully shaped cake. While I highly recommend the ganache, you could just enjoy this cake with a dusting of icing sugar. Either way, it is such a tasty cake for any chocolate orange lover!

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter/baking spread and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
For the best flavour, make sure to use a good quality orange extract and not an essence.
I used a baking spread for the cake, you can also used unsalted butter.
You can use any cocoa powder for this cake, of course the better quality it is, the better flavour it will have. Also do make sure you are using cocoa powder and not a hot chocolate powder.
I used a 10 cup Nordic Ware Swirl Bundt Pan for this recipe.
If you don't want to use Terry's Chocolate Orange for the ganache, you can use the same amount of either dark or milk chocolate, and add 1 tsp orange extract.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

Start by greasing the tin really well with melted butter, use a pastry brush to get it in all of the crevices. Then dust the tin with cocoa powder. To make the cake, mix the baking spread and light brown soft sugar together for about three minutes until fluffy, then mix in the eggs, orange zest, orange juice, orange extract and milk.

Add the self raising flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, and mix in gently. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a thin skewer comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully flip the tin over and put the cake on a cooling rack to cool fully. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate orange and double cream together, leave it to cool and thicken, then pour it over the cake and decorate with chocolate orange segments.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

What can you use instead of orange extract?

I get my orange extract from either the supermarket or Amazon. If you can't find orange extract you can omit it from the recipe.

How long does the cake last for and can it be frozen?

The cake will last for 2-3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. You can freeze the cake on a plate until frozen solid, then carefully wrap in cling film. Or slice up and freeze in slices for up to 3 months.

Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons of additional baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can the cake be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons of additional baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Terry's Chocolate Orange is not gluten free, so you will also need to use an alternative orange flavoured chocolate to decorate and to make the ganache. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake. You will also need to make the ganache with and decorate the cake with a dairy free orange flavoured chocolate. Please check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this cake to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

What is a bundt cake?

A bundt cake is simply a cake baked in a bundt tin, which are usually donut shaped with a hole in the middle. This ensures an even bake as the cake gets heat from the central part of the tin as well as the edges. The name is similar to a German cake called a Bundkuchen, however the Bundkuchen is a yeasted cake similar to a sweet bread.

What size bundt tin do you need for this recipe?

The bundt tin I used was 9.4 inches wide and 3.6 inches tall, it has a capacity of 10 cups. This is a very standard bundt tin size, and if your tin only differs very slightly, you can still use it for this recipe. The tin I used was a 10 cup Nordic Ware Swirl Bundt Pan.

How do you stop the cake from sticking to the bundt tin?

It's best to both grease and dust your tin with cocoa powder to ensure the bundt cake doesn't stick. To do this, use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of melted butter or vegetable oil all over the tin, and especially in any small crevices and detailed sections your bundt tin may have. Then adding a dusting of cocoa powder using a sieve, turn the tin upside down over your sink and give it a tap to shake off any loose cocoa powde.

More tips for making the Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake:

I recommend using a good quality orange extract (not an essence) to get the best orange flavour in this cake. I like to use the brand Nielsen Massey.
If you don't have Terry's Chocolate Orange where you live, or you can't get hold of it, just use any other orange flavoured chocolate treat like Lindt, Matchmakers, or orange Twirl to decorate the cake. Or you could use some orange zest.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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