Orange-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
This Orange-Chocolate Chip Cake is a wonderfully moist buttermilk cake spiked with tons of orange flavor and loads of mini chocolate chips.
I had this cake on the menu for Sunday dinner dessert for weeks and kept running into roadblocks that prevented me from getting it into the oven. From missing orange extract to a toddler who kept me up from midnight until 4am cutting a molar, I was convinced I just wasn’t meant to make this cake. Luckily the stars aligned last weekend and I finally got it done!
Full disclosure here: I generally do not like citrus-flavored desserts, but for some reason I was totally drawn to this cake when flipping through Baked Occasions. It’s a buttermilk cake with orange zest, orange juice AND orange extract and it’s full of mini chocolate chips. Believe it or not, the orange is not overpowering like I thought it might be; it’s just the right amount of flavor to balance the chocolate.
This cake reminded me quite a bit of an Italian cake that a friend’s grandmother used to make around the holidays. It was a dense, moist cake shaped like a biscotti log – it was flavored with lemon and had chocolate chips. Again, I really don’t care for lemon-flavored desserts, but I could have eaten that cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I’m convinced that the chocolate gives just enough of a sweet balance to the citrus to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Once this orange-chocolate chip cake comes out of the oven, you poke holes all over with a toothpick or skewer and brush on a syrup made from orange juice and sugar. It keeps the cake nice and moist on top, but if I’m being honest, I’m not completely convinced that the cake even needs it! It certainly doesn’t hurt, of course, but I suspect this cake would be just as amazing without it.
I love the texture – you can eat it with a fork or easily pick it up and eat it while walking around. In the cookbook, it’s described as a picnic cake – one you can slice up, pack, and then eat while leisurely lounging on a big blanket on the grass.
I could go for a nice, long nap in a hammock right about now (toddler teething again!), I’ll just grab a slice or two to devour when I wake up :)
P.S. Does anyone have a hammock I can take a nap in? ;-)
One year ago: Salted Dark Chocolate Pretzel Truffle Cake
Five years ago: Root Beer Float Cake
Six years ago: Classic Lemonade
Seven years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie-Topped Brownies
Eight years ago: Instant Pancake Mix
Orange-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) cake flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) baking powder
- ¼ cup (62 ml) orange juice
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (11.09 g) + 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) pure orange extract
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 orange
- ¾ cup (135 g) mini chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
For the Orange Syrup:
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
To Finish:
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease the parchment, dust the inside with flour and tap out any excess.
- In a small bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the orange juice and buttermilk; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat well, then add the orange extract, vanilla extract and orange zest and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and mix again for 15 seconds. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- In a small bowl, toss together the chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of flour until evenly coated. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter, then transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out completely clean with no crumbs attached, 32 to 37 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.
- For the Orange Syrup: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over very low heat, whisk together the orange juice and sugar until combined. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium-low and simmer until the syrup is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Turn the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper, and flip the cake right side up. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes evenly all over the cake. Brush the cake with the orange syrup and allow it to sink in and set, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar immediately before serving. The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Wow. Tastes even better one day later. Will definitely make again. Â
Excellent Snack Cake: For more orange flavor double the amount of orange extract. I ‘healthed’ it up and it came out great. Use two tablespoons less butter, eliminate the 1 egg yolk and use one less tablespoon of sugar in the syrup.
This recipe was amazing! I didn’t have orange extract so I used a full teaspoon of vanilla and it still had so much orange flavor!! I also had to make my own buttermilk with 1% milk, half and half and lemon juice. This was one of the tastiest and moistest cakes I’ve had on a while. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Looks delicious! Fanny May candy in Chicago makes a chocolate covered orange peel that I just love. I may try making this cake. Thanks for sharing it!
This cake was fantastic! I’ve made it twice in the last two weeks and may make it again today to take to work. Lovely balance of flavors. Cake is moist and the glaze works great on top. I forgot to dust with powdered sugar – that would have made for a more elegant presentation – but no one minded because it was so delicious. Thanks for what will be a “go to” recipe from now on!
I made this cake today. Really good. It’s not the usual run-of-the-mill flavor. It would make a nice breakfast cake too. Thank you for another keeper. I can always depend on your recipes.
I like this recipe soon. Thank for sharing
It’s in the oven now! Taking it to meet some friends at a house in the Poconos this weekend :)
I too wondered about the mixing for 15 additional minutes. I did it, but it felt wrong to keep it going so long
*gulp* Just saw your replies and corrections. Hope I didn’t screw it up! fingers crossed …
It will probably screw up the texture, but at least it will taste good
The orange sounds like a surprising but welcome pop of flavor!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I am in the process of making this cake now and just noticed the additional 15 minutes mixing time after adding the eggs and extracts. Should that be 15 seconds? 15 minutes sounds excessive to me.
DOH! Yes, 15 seconds! Fixing that now!
This sounds fantastic, and I LOVE the idea of a “picnic cake!” Even if we’re sitting around indoors in the air conditioning (it’s hot here!) I can close my eyes and pretend I’m enjoying the great outdoors. Pinning and trying soon!
Oh does this look like a great spring/summer dessert! I wonder if serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be close to a creamsicle? I think a chocolate covered orange peel (as mentioned in the above comment) would be a nice complement to this as well for a more elegant dessert.
Be sure to take a nap when Joseph does today. You need your rest since you’re hard at work growing another sweet boy. Happy Napping . . . and then snacking on a slice of this beautiful cake ;)
Ohhhh my this cake looks amazing! I think I’d make it sans syrup. If it really just stays towards the top of the cake and the bottom stays dry, it might seem like a mistake. Thanks for the suggestion!
Is that correct in step 4 to mix for 15 minutes?
15 seconds! So sorry for that typo!
Looks delicious! Fanny May candy in Chicago makes a chocolate covered orange peel that I just love. Must try making this cake. Thanks for sharing it!