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Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cake!
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This showstopping Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cake consists of three deep, cocoa-rich sponge layers infused with fresh orange zest and layered with a stable, velvety chocolate orange buttercream. Requiring just 15 minutes of active preparation and 30 minutes of baking time, this decadent 15-slice masterpiece perfectly balances bright citrus notes with an ultra-indulgent chocolate finish.
Notes from The Patisserie
Yes, that’s right… this is a DELICIOUS three-layer moist and scrumptious chocolate and orange cake, with Terry’s chocolate orange buttercream frosting sandwiched between. Basically, my idea of heaven in a cake. Every bite is the most delicious thing I can imagine.
I love chocolate orange and all things chocolate but standard milk chocolate is notoriously unstable when melted into creamed butter due to its high concentration of milk solids and lower melting point. This delicate fat emulsion can easily collapse under minimal heat, causing the buttercream to curdle, or split into an unappealing grainy texture. Utilising dark chocolate provides a higher ratio of stable cocoa butter and solids. These elements link seamlessly with the dairy fats in the butter, yielding a glossy, perfectly set emulsion that mimics a rich milk chocolate taste once balanced by the icing sugar.
The rich cocoa sponge
The sponges for this beauty are a chocolate Victoria sponge style, with a little more cocoa powder in comparison to other chocolate cakes on my blog because I wanted it to be a really deep flavour. This deep flavour contrasts SO well with the orange zest and makes it such a wonderful flavour.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter at room temperature so it’s easier to cream with the sugar
- Sugar – light brown sugar provides that rich caramel flavour that compliments the cocoa powder
- Flour – self raising flour creates that beautiful rise to your sponge
- Cocoa powder – a high-quality cocoa powder is key for that deep chocolatey taste
- Eggs – as usual I am using medium eggs
- Orange zest – we want that strong orange flavour throughout the bake, you can use extract instead
Buttercream
The Terry’s chocolate orange buttercream is a bit of an odd one because its utterly delightful, but can be damn difficult to make sometimes. If you use a milk Terry’s chocolate orange, it can work, but it’s much more likely to split in comparison to the dark Terry’s. The thing about using the dark Terry’s is by the time you’ve put it in the buttercream, it tastes like you’ve used the milk Terry’s anyway.
I would completely and wholeheartedly recommend using the DARK Terry’s chocolate orange, or use plain dark chocolate orange and a good quality orange extract. For all those people who are going to whine and moan that they don’t like dark chocolate… trust me, it tastes AMAZING once in the buttercream frosting.
FAQs
Why did my buttercream turn grainy after adding the chocolate?
Your melted chocolate was likely too hot when added to the butter, or the buttercream was over-beaten, breaking the fat emulsion.
Can I make this if I only have two 8-inch cake tins?
Yes, you can adapt the recipe using the smaller ingredient ratios detailed in the notes section below to suit a two-layer variation perfectly.
How can I make the cake layers even more moist?
You can mix the juice of 2 fresh oranges with 75g of caster sugar and drizzle this warm syrup directly over the sponges while they cool.
What should I do if my frosting feels too stiff to pipe?
Simply beat in one to two tablespoons of boiling water at the very end of mixing to relax the fats and make it smooth.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cake!
A three-layer chocolate orange cake with Terry's chocolate orange buttercream frosting!
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Servings: 15 Slices
Ingredients
For the Cake!
- 400 g unsalted butter
- 400 g light brown sugar
- 325 g self raising flour
- 75 g cocoa powder
- 8 medium eggs
- Zest of 2 oranges
For the Frosting!
- 350 g unsalted butter (not baking spread)
- 700 g icing sugar
- 250 g Terry's Chocolate Orange ideally dark
For the Decoration!
- Terry's Chocolate Orange
- sprinkles
Instructions
For the Cake!
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc Fan, and line three 8"/20cm cake tins with parchment paper. Leave to the side for now!
- Beat your butter and sugar together until light and fluffy!
- Add in the flour, cocoa powder, eggs, and orange zest and beat until smooth!
- Split evenly between the three tins, and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
- Check its cooked by using a skewer, it should be clean! Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, and then on a wire rack to cool fully.
For the Frosting!
- Make sure your unsalted butter is at room temperature.
- Beat the butter until its smooth and supple, and gradually add in your icing sugar.
- Whilst doing this, melt your DARK Terry's chocolate orange carefully until smooth!
- Beat the butter and icing sugar for a few minutes until its really lovely and smooth.
- Add in your melted dark Terry's chocolate orange and beat again. If the mix is a bit hard, or way too thick, add in 1-2tbsp of boiling water. Don't do this straight away, make sure you beat the buttercream first as it might not need it.
- Once all together, don’t beat for too long or it might split.
For the Decoration!
- Get your first layer of cake, and pipe little dollops of buttercream onto it. I do this with a large round nozzle, piping directly downwards!
- Do this all over, and then add the second layer, and repeat. Add the third layer of cake, and pipe the rest of the buttercream on top! I do it all over, then add another ring to sandwich the slices between.
- I put 21 segments on top and alternated two milk chocolate slices and one dark chocolate slice all the way around to use up the rest of the second dark Terry's chocolate orange, but you can do what you want.
- Sprinkle over your fave sprinkles, and enjoy!
Notes
- If you can’t find dark chocolate orange, use 250g of dark chocolate and 2tsp orange extract instead!
- You can make a smaller version of this cake using
- 300g butter, 300g sugar, 250g self flour, 50g cocoa powder, 6 medium eggs and baking for 30-35 minutes in to 8″tins.
- This cake will last for 3 days at room temperature!
Storage and freezing
This chocolate orange cake stores beautifully and will stay completely fresh and moist for up to 3 days when kept in an airtight container at room temperature. If you prefer a warm dessert, you can pop a single slice into the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds just before serving to slightly melt the buttercream. The un-iced sponges can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months. Simply defrost them at room temperature before frosting.
Related recipes
I do have FIFTEEN or so Terry’s chocolate orange recipes on here already, which might seem a smidge over the top. However, my Terry’s chocolate orange cheesecake, my Terry’s chocolate orange cookies, and my Terry’s chocolate orange tart are genuinely all some of my favourites. All in the top ten recipes on my blog!
Hi Jane
Can I freeze any left over buttercream. And how long will it last.
Yes you can! And 3+ months! x
Hi Jane, could this be turned into a celebration cake and would it taste ok with vanilla buttercream maybe on the outside to give it some colour? Thanks
Where do you buy your ingredients from. Can you bulk buy. X
Hey, any supermarket x
Hi Jane, could this be turned into a celebration cake and would it taste ok with vanilla buttercream maybe on the outside to give it some colour? Thanks
Love this recipe
Hi, Jane. I’m hoping to make this for my mums birthday, but the smaller version. Is the quantity of ingredients for the smaller version to split between 2 or 3 8” tins? I’m just wanting to do a two layer 8” cake – will this change the amounts?
The smaller version is two layers!
Hi Jane. How would I make a Terry’s milk chocolate drip? Would it be 100mls of cream & 100 grams terry’s chocolate? Thanks
No it wouldn’t – terry’s works different as the cocoa percentage is completely different! So it would more likely be 200g chocolate to 100g of cream, but still not 100% the same! x
Hi Jane,
I’m looking to do this recipe as a drip cake, how much would you suggest increasing the buttercream by if I’m going to cover the outside of the cake and swirls on top
Thank you x
To do a decent crumb coat and then a decent layer I would just say double to be easier, and freeze any leftover, but at least another half would be needed!
Hi Jane,
I’m planning on making the smaller version, but only have one 8inch tin. Would it be okay to bake the first half of the mixture and then bake the second half after? x
So usually I would say no because cake mixture shouldn’t be sat for too long. You could mix half and bake it, and then mix the other half and bake it though x
What could I do for the frosting, looked in so many shops and there are no dark chocolate oranges so really struggling is there a substitute?
You can use a dark chocolate and and orange extract in, or use the milk chocolate orange and just be aware the taste will be lighter and sweeter x
Hi Jane,
I am planning on making this for a friend and I noticed that yourself and a few other people are having a problem finding Terry’s dark orange chocolate, I don’t know if all the stores are doing them but my Asda in Bridgwater had loads,so would recommend trying Asda.
Hello Jane,
I am hoping to make this in a few days however I would not like to do the blobs and I’d rather cover the whole outside and top with frosting would the quantities be the same?
I would maybe use at least 1.5x so there is enough for the layers and outside x
Hi Jane, how much orange extract should be used if baking as a two layer cake? And I saw you say in the comments to bake for 40-45 minutes as a two layer cake, but your notes say 30-35 minutes – which one is it please ? Xx
I believe the other comment is because they wanted to bake the full mixture into two tins, rather than the smaller amount. And maybe 1/2-1tsp.
Delicious as always! So easy to make and everyone loved it!!
Made this recently. The cake was delicious but the buttercream was a bit sweet for myself and my family. Will definitely make again but modify the amount of sugar in the buttercream.