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Chocolate Orange Drip Cake

rosesandwhiskers
A light and citrusy three-layer orange cake with a hint of cinnamon stacked between layers of rich chocolate buttercream. Finished with more chocolate buttercream, a chocolate drip and sprinkles.
Baking, cooling and decorating time 4 hours
Servings 16 slices

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour substitute all-purpose flour for gluten-full cake
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1/4 cup blood orange olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tbsp orange zest room temperature
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice room temperature

Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 8 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6-7 tbsp whole milk
  • 6-7 tbsp heavy cream

Chocolate Drip

  • 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp + 2 tsp heavy cream divided
  • 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp milk chocolate chips divided
  • sprinkles optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and grease three 8-inch round cake pans. (See the recipe notes.)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter, sour cream, olive oil and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until well incorporated. Gently stir in the orange zest.
  • Add 1/3 of the flour mixture on low speed, followed by 1/2 of the orange juice, 1/3 of the flour, the remaining orange juice and the remaining flour. Stir until just combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. You can use a food scale to make sure there's an equal amount in each pan.
  • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are lightly browned. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire cooling rack. (See the recipe notes.)
  • Let the cakes cool completely. Then tightly wrap them in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Place them in the freezer. I recommend doing this overnight.

Decorating the Cake

  • Start by making the buttercream. Cream the butter and Crisco until light and fluffy. Add in 1/2 of the powdered sugar and 1/2 of the cocoa powder. Mix on low speed until incorporated and then beat on high speed until creamy. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, the vanilla extract and half of the milk and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Add in more milk and heavy cream as needed, one tablespoon at a time. Beat on high speed until creamy and fluffy.
  • Remove the cakes from the freezer and unwrap them. Use a serrated knife to level out the cakes so that they're as flat as possible. Begin assembling the cake. Put one layer of cake on a cake board and spread 1 cup of frosting on top. Don't worry if it hangs over the edges of the cake. Add another cake layer and another cup of frosting. Top with the final cake layer and use another cup of frosting to add a crumb coat on the top and sides of the cake. Freeze the cake for 20 minutes. (See the recipe notes.)
  • Take the cake out of the freezer and add a second layer of frosting to the sides of the cake (not the top). Spread it on using an offset spatula and use the spatula or a scraper to smooth the edges. Wipe the blade clean frequently to achieve a smoother finish. Place the cake in the refrigerator.
  • Prepare the first batch of chocolate ganache for the drip. Pour 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp of milk chocolate chips and 2 tbsp + 2 tsp of heavy cream in a glass, heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a small sauce pan that's about 1/2 full of water (make sure the water doesn't touch the bowl). Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Once the chocolate is almost melted remove the bowl from the heat and whisk until it's completely melted and smooth. Let the ganache stand for 10 minutes.
  • Take the cake out of the refrigerator and pour the ganache into a squirt bottle or piping bag. Hold it at a 45-degree angle along the top edge of the cake and gently squeeze. Apply varying levels of pressure on the bottle/bag as you pipe around the entire top of the cake. Varying levels of pressure achieves varying drip lengths. Let the drip stand for 5 minutes and then carefully add sprinkles. (I added sprinkles to every other drip.) Place the cake in the freezer.
  • Take the cake out of the freezer after 10 minutes. Place another cake board on top of the cake and carefully flip it over. The original top is now the bottom of the cake! Remove the original cake board and frost the top of the cake. Place it back in the refrigerator.
  • Prepare the second batch of ganache. Pour 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of milk chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of heavy cream in a glass, heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a small sauce pan that's about 1/2 full of water (make sure the water doesn't touch the bowl). Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Once the chocolate is almost melted remove the bowl from the heat and whisk until it's completely melted and smooth. Let the ganache stand for 10 minutes.
  • Repeat the drip step explained above. Before adding the sprinkles, pour the remaining ganache on top of the cake and smooth it out using an offset spatula. Then let it rest for 3-5 minutes before adding the sprinkles. Pipe the remaining frosting around the top of the cake to create a border. I used the Wilton #1M tip. Top with more sprinkles.
  • Store the cake in the refrigerator, but bring it to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

*Grease the pans using butter. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. Add more butter on top of the parchment paper and then coat with a light layer of flour.
**Gently run a knife around the edges of the pan before removing the cakes. Then carefully flip them onto a cooling rack. The cakes should slide easily out of the pans if you greased them well.
*** A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that seals in stray crumbs. Once it's chilled you can apply more frosting to achieve a smoother look.