Chocolate Orange Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and placing a parchment paper circle into the bottom of each one.

In a small jar or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the fresh squeezed orange juice with the whole milk and set aside. The mixture will begin to curdle over the next few minutes, and that chemical reaction is a good thing in this recipe!

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer with a large bowl), mix together the sugar and orange zest until fragrant and well combined, about 1 minute. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, mix together with the orange-sugar mixture until combined.

Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange-milk mixture, then mix on low speed until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot coffee (or hot water!) in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.

Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before removing and continuing to cool on a wire rack or flat surface. Cool completely to room temperature before frosting.

With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter with the orange zest on medium-high until the butter is creamy and light, about 5 minutes.

Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add the cocoa powder, half of the powdered sugar, and half of the milk. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel (to prevent ingredients from flying out), then turn the mixer on low speed. Remove the kitchen towel after about 30 seconds and continue mixing on low speed until well combined.

Add the rest of the powdered sugar, the rest of the milk, the orange juice, and the salt. Then, continue mixing on low speed until well combined and smooth, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.

Once the cake layers are completely cooled, level them to your desired height. Add a swipe of chocolate orange buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill and stack the cake with chocolate orange buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with chocolate orange buttercream. Place the crumb coated cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.

To create the design pictured, reserve about 1/2 Cup of the remaining chocolate orange buttercream for the piping on top of the cake, then use the rest of the buttercream to frost the cake. Use a cake comb to create the scalloped texture, then place the cake in the refrigerator for another 15+ minutes to let the frosting firm up.

Place all of the remaining chocolate orange buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton tip 1M and pipe swirls around the top of the cake. Place quartered orange slices in between each swirl, then zest some orange peel over the top of the cake.