This Chocolate Orange Pound Cake will fulfil all your chocolate dreams in one go. Decadent, rich and intense...this is pound cake combines those beautiful rich chocolate tones with fresh, fragrant orange with a sweet cream cheese frosting. This is one for all the chocolate lovers out there. It's divinely delicious.
Every baker should have a steadfast pound cake recipe that they can rely on. Adding chocolate to the mix takes the humble pound cake to the next level. It becomes rich and decadent and the addition of orange creates an utterly elegant and divine cake. The flavour profile is out of this world good. The sweet but tangy cream cheese frosting cuts through the richness perfectly creating an awesome balance to the cake.
How to make your Chocolate Orange Pound Cake
SIFT: First we sift our dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside
BEAT: Next we beat the butter, both types of sugar and orange zest until creamy and smooth, this take about five minutes. By adding the orange zest at this point, all the natural oils will be released during the creaming.
ADD: The wet ingredients are next to go in. Beat the eggs in one at a time and then add the juice and vanilla bean paste.
ADD: Lastly the dry ingredients (flour etc) go in next, mix them in until just incorporated.
BAKE: At 180C it takes between 60-70 minutes for this pound cake to bake. Whilst its cooling you can make the cream cheese frosting. This is just beating the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until smooth and then adding the icing sugar to sweeten and thicken your frosting. Then spread and serve!
And THAT'S IT! Not complicated right! For something so tasty this pound cake is quite simple to make but you’d never guess it with the flavour it imparts.
How to store your pound cake
Due to to the cream cheese frosting, this pound cake has to be stored in the fridge. Box up in an air tight container or wrap well in cling wrap, this pound cake will last up to three days in the fridge.
I recommend letting it come to room temperature before eating but that’s my personal opinion. For me personally I find super cold cakes become dry and dense in the fridge. Once left to warm to room temp, the crumb loosens up and moistens. But it's all personal isn’t it!
Let’s brainstorm why you need this pound cake in your life!
- Easy to make
- A delicious chocolate cake that isn’t as complicated as a layer cake
- Super decadent and luscious in its intense chocolate flavour
- The chocolate orange combination is a surprising touch of elegance
- The delicious layer of cream cheese frosting cuts through the richness of the pound cake.
For more delicious chocolate recipes, checkout the following!
Triple Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake.
Chocolate Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate orange pound cake
- 190 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 75 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 225 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200 g caster sugar
- 110 g brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 oranges, zest
- 4 eggs
- 45 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Cream cheese frosting
- 320 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 180 g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
- 20 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate orange pound cake
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and place your oven shelf in the centre. Grease and line with parchment paper, a 2 lb 23 x 14cm (9 x 5.5-inch) loaf pan.
- In a separate bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- Add the butter, caster and brown sugar and orange zest into the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or using your handheld electric whisk) and beat until smooth and creamy, about five minutes.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined between each addition. Then add the vanilla bean paste and orange juice and mix to combine. Ensure that you scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the mixture gradually and beat until just combined.
- Pour cake batter into the greased loaf tin and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin for ten minutes and then run a knife around the edge before turning out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Cream cheese frosting
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla bean extract on medium-high until completely smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted icing sugar. Then beat on high speed for 1 minute. If the frosting is too runny then add more icing sugar, 2 heaped tablespoons at a time.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the frosting over the cake and decorate with orange zest. Slice and serve.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
Nutrition
Avneet
Amazing recipe!
Emma
Thats great hear! So glad that you liked it!
Emma
Kristel
Loved this cake. It’s delicious and simple to make. The cream cheese frosting goes so well with the flavors. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Emma
Hi Kristel, Thank you so much for leaving this review on my chocolate orange pound cake, and I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!
Rebecca
Could I reduce both sugars in the cake to 50g each. I am always conscious about how much sugar goes in my bakes. Would it still turn out okay?
Emma
Hi Rebecca, I haven't tested this recipe with a reduced amount of sugar, so I can't say whether it will work or not. I guess just have a go knowing that the end result will be different to what my pound cake would be. Sugar acts in multiple ways in baked goods- it tenderizes the sponge by providing moisture, helps to leven the sponge when creamed with the butter, and also provides the necessary sweetness. Let me know how you go 🙂