Orange Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

This Orange Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze is super easy to make. It's a cake mix hack recipe that comes out so moist and delicious- this one's a keeper!

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So Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I don't know if it's the fact that I think it's a totally lame, hallmark holiday or if I'm just not feeling the pink and red motif (or pure laziness, which is the most likely scenario) but I've decided that this year I won't be featuring any super romantic, hearts-and-flowers Valentine's Day posts. #sorrynotsorry.

With that in mind, I recently made a cake for my dear husband, entirely because it's a flavor combination that he loves (though I am honestly lukewarm about those particular flavors- this is more a personal preference thing than anything else). So this is the the story of a not-so-Valentine's-Day-romantic-gesture-in-the-form-of-a-cake. Because honestly, is there really any better romantic gesture? This particular cake is an Orange Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

Now as I mentioned, this is definitely not my go-to flavor combo. I mean I'll eat it. Who am I to turn down cake and chocolate?? But I don't get the same glee that J does when he opens his stocking on Christmas Morning to find one of those chocolate oranges that he loves so much. You know, the one's that you bang on the table to get them to break into individual wedges?

Well J has been working so hard lately, not only just being awesome and taking care of business during the homestretch of this pregnancy but making some big strides on Bubbles' nursery (more on that Wednesday). In addition to trying to give him as many breaks as I can, I knew another way into this man's heart was through his stomach.

While my baking skills aren't exactly superior, I do have a tried-and-true boxed cake hack, that has proven time-and-time-again to adapt beautifully to a slew of different flavor combinations. And this latest flavor combo was yet another win.

Seriously, you guys. Even me, the gal who can take or leave the orange and chocolate mixture could not stop eating this cake. It is so beyond moist! If I wasn't so busy eating it I would have taken a nap on it, because it's that light and fluffy. And the flavor was lovely! While orange flavoring can sometimes to be a bit overwhelming to the point of medicinal in certain dishes, that is absolutely not the case here. It's apparent that orange is the primary flavor, but it's subtle enough that it balances out the vanilla pudding that's included in the recipe.

The chocolate ganache is the most fantastic addition to this cake! I was tempted to make a glaze using confectioner's sugar and juice from the orange that I zested. But since J is all about chocolate and orange, I knew a chocolate ganache glaze was exactly what this cake needed and I truly believe that the ganache elevated this cake! Not only that, it's so darn easy to make!

This cake would be a showstopper at an family gathering and it has definitely cemented a spot in our family's dessert rotation. Give it a shot and I'll bet you'll be hooked!

Other great boxed mix hack recipes:

Poppy Seed Cake

Super Easy Chocolate Pudding Cake

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Helpful tools:

Hand Mixer

Bundt Pan

Pyrex Bowl

Orange Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Jessy Freimann

This Orange Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze is super easy to make. It's a cake mix hack recipe that comes out so moist and delicious- this one's a keeper!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

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For the cake:

• Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix not sponsored, I just love them!
• 2 pkg. of Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 5 extra large eggs I used large because that is what I had on hand
• ¾ cup of canola oil
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 Tbsp. of orange extract
• The zest of 1 orange

For the ganache:

• ¾ cup of heavy cream
• ¾ cup of high-quality dark chocolate chopped
• 1 tsp. of orange extract

Instructions

 

For the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth.
• Pour into greased bundt or loaf pans.
• Bake for 1 hour (check it around 50 minutes just in case your oven is an overachiever).
• Once the cake has cooled, flip it onto a plate and drizzle with the chocolate ganache (see the recipes below).

For the ganache:

• Heat the heavy cream over medium heat. Stir it frequently so that it doesn't scald, until it's at the point just before it begins boiling (it'll be bubbling ever so slightly). Remove from the heat.
• Place your chocolate in a separate bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk it so that it melts evenly and is well combined. Stir in the orange extract and let it sit for 10 minutes to cool and thicken before you drizzle it over your cake.
• Enjoy!

Notes

If you let the ganache sit for too long, it gets so think that it becomes spreadable (this isn't a bad thing, but it's not ideal for drizzling). The measurements allow for you to have some left over ganache, but if you cut it down to ½ cup of the chocolate and the cream it'll likely be just enough for the cake.

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