Description

This festive Chocolate Orange Reindeer Cake combines rich cocoa and zesty fresh orange juice to create a moist, fudgy sponge layered with a smooth chocolate orange buttercream. Decorated charmingly with chocolate buttons, red Smarties, pretzels, and edible eyes, it’s an impressive yet easy-to-make holiday centerpiece that’s sure to delight guests of all ages.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Sponge

300 g White or golden caster sugar
250 g Self-raising flour
50 g Cocoa powder
200 ml Vegetable or sunflower oil
100 ml Whole milk
3 large Eggs (at room temperature)
1 large Orange (juice and zest)
100 g Dairy Milk Chocolate Orange (chopped)

Chocolate Orange Buttercream

100 g Salted butter (at room temperature)
180 g Icing sugar
1 tbsp Cocoa powder
1 tbsp Boiling water

Decoration

7 Dairy Milk Chocolate Orange Buttons
7 Red Smarties
7 Pretzels
14 Edible eyes

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Instructions

Prepare the Cake Batter: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the self-raising flour and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, caster sugar, oil, milk, and the freshly squeezed juice and zest of the orange until well combined. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just blended.
Add Chocolate: Gently fold in the chopped Dairy Milk Chocolate Orange pieces to distribute evenly throughout the batter.
Bake the Cake: Grease and line a circular cake tin (around 20 cm in diameter). Pour the batter into the tin and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream: To prepare the chocolate orange buttercream, beat the softened salted butter until creamy. Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, then add the boiling water a little at a time to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency. Beat until light and fluffy.
Assemble the Cake: Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the chocolate orange buttercream evenly over the top and sides of the sponge.
Decorate the Reindeer: Arrange the 7 Dairy Milk Chocolate Orange Buttons in the shape of antlers on top of the cake. Use the 7 red Smarties as noses by attaching them with a little buttercream. Use the pretzels on either side for antler detail, and place the 14 edible eyes appropriately to give each reindeer character and a festive look.
Serve: Chill the cake briefly if desired to set the buttercream before slicing and serving. Enjoy your delightful holiday Chocolate Orange Reindeer Cake!

Notes

This cake has a rich but not overly dense texture with a refreshing zing from the fresh orange juice and zest.
Ensure eggs are at room temperature for better batter consistency.
For best flavor, use freshly squeezed orange juice rather than bottled.
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to avoid melting the buttercream.
The decorative details can be customized; ensure edible eyes and candies are suitable for the ages attending.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/10th of cake)
Calories: 385 kcal
Sugar: 32 g
Sodium: 150 mg
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 45 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 5 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg