Christmas Recipes

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake

A Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake with three dark chocolate layers, bright orange zest and juice in the sponge, orange ganache and a glossy drip, crowned with orange slices, star anise and rosemary. Rich, citrusy, and the decadent holiday cake everyone asks about.

New Be the first to rate it 1 hr 30 min total 12 servings Medium difficulty

By admin · Recipe tested in The Daily Plate kitchen

Published Nov 8, 2026 · Updated Nov 9, 2026

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Three dark chocolate layers with orange ganache and a glossy drip, crowned with orange slices, star anise, cinnamon and rosemary on a dark cake stand.

If you searched for a Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake, you found the holiday cake our readers keep coming back to — and every December there is one cake that never makes it to the table untouched, because guests start asking for the recipe before they have finished their first slice. This cake is that cake. It looks like a bakery centrepiece, complete with a glossy ganache drip, orange slices, star anise and rosemary, but it is built from the most ordinary baking staples: flour, cocoa, oranges, eggs and chocolate.

The secret is simply the orange. Zest and fresh juice go into the sponge, so the citrus runs all the way through the cake instead of sitting on top, and the ganache carries orange zest too — every bite is chocolate first, then a bright citrus lift. Build it once and it will be requested every Christmas after.

Why this Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake works every time

Chocolate and orange, the classic Christmas pairing. Dark chocolate and fresh orange are made for each other — the citrus cuts the richness, so a second slice is always tempting.
Make-ahead layers. The sponges bake up to 2 days ahead (or freeze for a month), so on the day you only stack, drip and decorate.
A bakery drip, without bakery skills. The ganache drip looks professional but it is just warm ganache poured over a cold cake — one test drip on the side tells you the temperature is right.

What size cake do you need? The 1× cake below is three 8-inch layers and serves 12 (one generous slice each after a Christmas dinner). Feeding a smaller family of 6? Scale to ½× and bake two layers instead of three. Feeding 24 at a party? Scale to 2× and bake six layers in two batches — or cut the 1× slices thinner, which stretches it to about 16 smaller servings.

Cost & timing at a glance: about $16–20 of groceries at a regular supermarket (chocolate, oranges, cream and pantry staples), 30 minutes of hands-on work, 35 minutes in the oven, and 25 minutes of cooling while you make the ganache. The layers can be baked up to 2 days ahead — see the make-ahead plan in the notes and the full storage guide after the recipe card.

Choose Your Cake

Build the Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake Your Way

Tap your occasion, how many you’re feeding and your style — the cake photo, the servings, the quantities in the recipe card below and your shopping list all update to match.

Occasion

Serves

Style

Holiday Party · Serves 12 · Classic

The Classic Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake

The classic cake: three dark chocolate layers, orange ganache and a glossy drip, crowned with orange slices, star anise and rosemary — exactly as pinned.

The original cake, exactly as pinned: dark chocolate sponge with orange zest and juice, orange ganache and a glossy drip. If it’s your first layer cake, build this one — it’s the most forgiving.

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 oranges, thinly sliced
3 star anise

See the full ingredients & steps ↓

Equipment for your Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake

3 × 8-in round cake pans, for the three layers
Parchment paper, for lining the pans
2 large mixing bowls, for the dry and wet ingredients
Whisk and rubber spatula, for mixing and folding
Wire cooling rack, for cooling the layers
Small saucepan + heatproof bowl, for the ganache
Offset spatula, for spreading the ganache
Long serrated knife, for levelling and slicing
Cake stand or turntable, for stacking and serving

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake shopping list — by store section

Take this list as-is: quantities are for the 1× cake (12 slices). Tick items off in the ingredient list below as you gather them — the counter at the top tracks you.

Baking aisle

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1¾ cups granulated sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda
12 oz dark chocolate
¼ cup chocolate curls or shavings

Produce

4 oranges (2 for zest and juice, 2 for slicing)
6 small rosemary sprigs

Dairy & eggs

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Pantry

½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp fine sea salt
3 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
½ cup sugared cranberries
1 tbsp orange liqueur (optional)

Make It Yours

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake Variations

Same three-layer shape, same method — just swap the chocolate and the finish to fit your guests.

White Chocolate

A light orange sponge with white chocolate ganache, the brightest cake on the table:

Swap the cocoa for an extra ¾ cup flour — a pale orange sponge
Use 12 oz white chocolate in the ganache instead of dark
Top with candied orange slices and a shower of orange zest
Chill 30 minutes before slicing so it cuts clean

Orange Marmalade

Marmalade between the layers and a glossy glaze on top:

Spread ½ cup orange marmalade between the layers instead of ganache
Warm ½ cup marmalade with 1 tbsp orange juice for the glaze
Top with candied orange peel and fresh orange segments
No drip to master — the glaze does the work

Serving & Pairings

How to Serve Your Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake

The finished cake on its stand with a slice cut and served — set it in the centre of the table and slice it where everyone can see it.

Serving ideas: Bring the whole cake to the table on its stand and slice it there — the layers and orange slices inside are part of the show. Cut with a long, hot knife (dip it in hot water and wipe it between slices) for clean edges. Serve at room temperature, not fridge-cold, so the ganache is soft and the orange is at its brightest.

Drink pairings: A glass of mulled wine is the classic Christmas match — the spices echo the star anise on top. For non-drinkers, a mug of hot chocolate with an orange twist, or a strong espresso, works beautifully with the dark chocolate. A small glass of orange liqueur alongside is a grown-up treat.

What to serve with it: This cake is the sweet finish for 12 after a Christmas dinner — or the centrepiece of a dessert table alongside the Christmas Pavlova and the Christmas Tree No-Bake Cheesecake.

Plan Ahead

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake Storage & Make-Ahead Guide

Make-ahead timeline

Up to 1 month ahead: Bake the layers, cool completely, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Up to 2 days ahead: Bake the layers and keep them wrapped at room temperature, or assemble the whole cake and keep it covered in the fridge — the flavours deepen overnight.
Morning of: Stack, drip and decorate; keep the finished cake cool until serving.
Up to 2 hours ahead: Set the cake out to come to room temperature before slicing — cold ganache cuts stiffly.

Storing leftovers

Room temperature: Leftover cake keeps 2 days under a cake dome or loosely covered — the ganache seals the crumb.
Fridge: Keeps 5 days, covered, at 40°F / 4°C or below. Bring slices to room temperature for 20 minutes before eating.
Freezer: Freeze individual slices for up to 1 month, wrapped well; thaw in the fridge overnight.
Use it up: Leftover cake is perfect as trifle layers, crumbled over ice cream, or blitzed into chocolate-orange cake pops.

Per Serving

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake Nutrition

Estimate for 1 of 12 slices, including sponge, ganache and decoration. Actual values vary with brands and swaps.

Calories	520 kcal
Total fat	28 g
Saturated fat	14 g
Cholesterol	65 mg
Sodium	320 mg
Total carbohydrates	62 g
Dietary fibre	4 g
Sugars	42 g
Protein	7 g
Calcium	4% DV

Questions

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake FAQs

Why did my cake sink in the middle?

Usually overmixing, too much leavening, or opening the oven door too early. Mix the batter only until the flour disappears — a few small lumps are fine — measure the baking powder and soda level, and don’t open the oven for the first 20 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, never wet batter.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes — the layers are better made ahead. Bake them up to 2 days ahead and keep them wrapped at room temperature, or freeze them for up to a month. Assemble the cake the day before serving and keep it covered in the fridge; the flavours deepen overnight.

How do I get a clean ganache drip?

Temperature is everything. Let the ganache cool until it is barely warm and flows like thick cream — about 90–95°F. Test one drip on the side of the cake first: if it runs to the bottom, it is too warm; if it barely moves, warm it 5 seconds at a time. A cold cake helps — chill the stacked cake 20 minutes before you drip.

Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark?

Yes — swap the 12 oz dark chocolate for 14 oz milk chocolate in the ganache (milk chocolate is softer, so you need a little more to set the same way). It tastes sweeter and the orange contrast is gentler, so add an extra teaspoon of orange zest.

How do I dry orange slices for the top?

Slice an orange ⅛ inch thick, lay the slices on a wire rack over a baking sheet and bake at 200°F for about 2 hours, flipping halfway, until dry and lightly golden at the edges. Cool completely — they crisp as they cool. Or buy dried orange slices and skip the step.

Is it gluten-free?

Not as written, but it adapts well: swap the flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend (one with xanthan gum) and keep everything else the same. Check your cocoa and chocolate labels — most are gluten-free, but a few are made in shared facilities.

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The Daily Plate · Recipe Card

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake

Three dark chocolate layers with bright orange zest and juice, orange ganache and a glossy drip — crowned with orange slices, star anise and rosemary.

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

1 hr 30 min

Servings

Calories

520

Scale cake:

Makes 12 slices · 3 × 8-in round pans · US measures
0 of 23 gathered

Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake Ingredients

For the chocolate orange sponge

For the orange ganache

For the decoration

How to Make Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake — Step by Step

Work in this exact order: pans first, batter second, bake third, ganache while the layers cool, stack and decorate last. Total hands-on time is about 30 minutes.

Heat the oven & prep the pans (5 minutes). Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the parchment too. A lined pan is the difference between a clean release and a stuck layer.
Whisk the dry ingredients (3 minutes). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until no streaks of cocoa remain. Sift the cocoa first if it is lumpy — lumps never mix out later.
Mix the wet ingredients (5 minutes). In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, orange zest and orange juice until smooth. The zest is where most of the orange flavour lives — use a fine grater and take only the orange part of the peel, not the bitter white pith.
Combine, divide & bake (35 minutes). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir only until the flour disappears — a few small lumps are fine, overmixing makes a tough cake. Stir in the hot water (the batter will be thin — that is correct) and divide it evenly between the three pans. Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick in the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool the layers (25 minutes). Let the layers cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and cool completely — at least 25 minutes. A warm layer melts the ganache. While they cool, make the ganache (step 6).
Make the orange ganache (10 minutes). Put the chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just simmers, pour it over the chocolate, and leave it untouched for 5 minutes. Stir from the centre outward until glossy, then stir in the butter, orange zest and orange liqueur. Let it cool until it is barely warm and flows like thick cream.
Stack the layers (10 minutes). Set the first layer on the cake stand and spread a third of the ganache over it. Lay orange slices in a single layer on the ganache, then add the second layer and repeat. Top with the third layer. If a layer has a dome, trim it flat with a long serrated knife first — a level cake stacks straight.
Drip & decorate (10 minutes). Pour the remaining ganache over the top and nudge it to the edge with an offset spatula so it drips down the sides — test one drip first, and chill the stacked cake 20 minutes if the ganache runs too fast. Arrange the orange slices, star anise, cinnamon sticks, rosemary sprigs, sugared cranberries and chocolate curls on top, as in the photo.
Slice & serve (5 minutes). Chill the finished cake 30 minutes so the ganache sets, then bring it to room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing — cold ganache cuts stiffly. Slice with a long, hot knife (dip it in hot water and wipe it between cuts) into 12 slices, and serve at room temperature.

Notes, tips & make-ahead

Make ahead: Bake the layers up to 2 days ahead (wrapped, at room temperature) or freeze them for up to 1 month. Assemble the cake the day before serving — the flavours deepen overnight.
Add last: Decorate only once the ganache drip has set slightly, or the orange slices and star anise will slide. Slice only after the cake has come back to room temperature.
Ganache drip: The ganache must be barely warm — about 90–95°F. Too warm and it runs to the plate; too cool and it won’t drip at all. Test one drip on the side first.
Orange slices: Dry them at 200°F for about 2 hours (flip halfway) or buy dried slices. Fresh slices look lovely but weep juice onto the ganache if left overnight.
Level layers: A domed layer makes a leaning cake. Trim each layer flat with a long serrated knife while it is still slightly warm — it cuts cleanest then.
Scale: ½× = 6 slices, 2 layers in 2 × 8-in pans (bake 25–30 min) · 1× = 12 slices, 3 layers · 2× = 24 slices, 6 layers baked in two batches. Servings scale 6 / 12 / 24.
Food safety: The finished cake keeps 2 days at room temperature under a dome, 5 days covered in the fridge. Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature for 20 minutes before eating.

Scale: ½× = 6 slices, 2 layers in 2 × 8-in pans (bake 25–30 min) · 1× = 12 slices, 3 layers · 2× = 24 slices, 6 layers baked in two batches. Servings scale 6 / 12 / 24.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate):
Calories 520Protein 7gCarbs 62gFat 28gFibre 4gSodium 320mg

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Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake

Why this Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake works every time

Build the Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake Your Way

Equipment for your Chocolate Orange Christmas Cake