RECIPE
Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe
Give your tastebuds a zesty chocolate twist with a little help from Aero® Orange
19 December, 2025
Take your weekend baking to the next level with our super easy but stunningly good Aero® chocolate orange cake. This delicious nostalgic cake features layers of intense cocoa flavour, fresh orange zest and our signature bubbly sweet and chocolately Aero® Orange. It’s rich, soft, bright and zesty and sure to impress your guests. For more Aero® bakes, bubbly treats and tasty ideas, sign up for our newsletter.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Besides being a classic flavour combination that just works, our Aero® chocolate orange cake is a piece of cake to make! No fancy ingredients or special techniques are required, just a little measuring and mixing. Our bubbly Aero® Orange flavour is the star of the show, and the addition of fresh orange zest bumps up the citrus flavour from good to orange-you-glad-you-added-it great!
How to Achieve a Moist Chocolate Orange Cake
A moist chocolate orange cake starts with a good recipe (✅check!) that has the right ratio of ingredients like oil, milk and eggs. The fats in these ingredients keep the cake tender and moist. The second secret is not to overbake the cake. An overbaked cake is a dry cake, so stick to the recipe and test the centre of the cake with a skewer or cocktail stick. As soon as it comes out clean, the cake is fully baked.
How to Master the Perfect Orange Flavour
Nailing the intensity of the orange flavour comes down to personal preference. The chocolate and orange should sing together rather than one dominating the other. To ensure a bold orange taste to cut through the cocoa and chocolate, we’ve added zest into the batter, icing and as a garnish on top of the cake. The Aero® Orange also adds to the complexity with sweet, chocolatey orange notes. If you really love your orange flavour, you can add another layer of zest to the middle of the cake on top of the crushed Aero® Orange. For another brilliant chocolate orange bake, try our Aero® Chocolate Orange Cookies.
Storage Instructions
Place the cake into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up three days. For longer storage, pop it into the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze the un-iced cake for up to three months. To defrost, simply leave the container in the fridge overnight then ice in the morning. A frozen sponge is a great way to have fuss-fee cake for any special occasion without having to visit the shop! For another chilled chocolate orange treat, try our No-Bake Aero® Chocolate Orange Cheesecake.
Chocolate Orange Cake Decorating Tips
We eat with our eyes first so make your cake a visual feast! Add a touch of whimsy with a light dusting of cocoa powder or icing sugar and finish with gold edible glitter. For an Aero® Orange drizzle, simply melt the sharing bar you saved for the topping and drizzle over the cake to finish.
For a different orange experience, try candied orange peels. Simply peel one orange and slice it into thin sticks. Pop it into a small pot with 25g white sugar and 50g of water. Boil for 5-6 minutes until reduced, glossy and coated. Transfer the candied peels to a rack to cool then top your cake!
Looking for something that’s more fresh than zest? Try our Aero® Peppermint Loaf Cake.
You will need
- 2 x 20cm cake tins
- Baking paper
- An electric whisk (optional)
- A palette knife (optional)
For the cake
- 200ml sunflower oil
- 200ml semi-skimmed milk
- 200g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g self-raising flour, sifted
- 50g cocoa powder, sifted
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the chocolate buttercream
- 100g buttery baking spread
- 25g cocoa powder
- 150g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp hot water
For the decorations
- 90g Aero® Orange sharing bar, chopped
- A dusting of cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp orange zest
Aero Orange Chocolate Sharing Bar 90g
Each slice (1/16) typically contains:
of an adult’s Reference Intake (RI)*
Energy per 100g: 1785kJ/428kcal
Method
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 180°C/160°fan/gas 4. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, add the oil, milk, caster sugar, eggs, orange zest and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
- In another bowl, sift in the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two stages, folding gently with a silicone spatula to combine, then mix briefly until smooth.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cocktail stick or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then pop the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the chocolate buttercream
- Whisk the buttery baking spread in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Gradually whisk in the sifted icing sugar, cocoa powder and orange zest, then add one tablespoon of hot water and beat it until it's super smooth and creamy.
To assemble
- Spread an even layer of buttercream on the top of one cake.
- Sprinkle half the chopped Aero® Orange onto the middle layer.
- Stack the second layer and cover the entire cake with an even layer of buttercream.
- Top with the rest of the chopped Aero® Orange, and sprinkle on the orange zest to finish.
- Slice into 16 pieces and serve.
Top Tips
For the best results, always make sure your cake ingredients are at room temperature. This helps the mixture emulsify better which leads to better bake with a soft crumb. Another top tip is to always wait until your cake is fully cooled before icing!
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