Cakes

Christmas Chocolate Cake with Orange & Choc Chip Frosting and Cranberry Compote

A festive, rich chocolate cake layered with bright cranberry compote, silky orange choc frosting, and sparkling sugared cranberries.

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Prep

3-4 hours

Cook

35 minutes

Total

4 hours 35 minutes

Serves

giant cookies

Christmas Chocolate Cake with Orange & Choc Chip Frosting and Cranberry Compote

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake (unchanged)

190 g plain flour (1 ½ cups)
220 g caster sugar (1 cup)
100 g Dutch cocoa powder (1 cup)
10 g baking soda (2 tsp)
4 g baking powder (1 tsp)
½ tsp fine salt
2 large eggs
240 ml hot strong black coffee (1 cup)
120 ml full-fat milk (½ cup)
120 g plain yoghurt (½ cup)
240 ml neutral oil (1 cup)

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Cranberry Compote

200 g fresh or frozen cranberries
90g sugar
60 ml water (¼ cup)
Zest of 1 orange
1–2 tsp orange juice, optional

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Orange Chocolate Frosting

230 g unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
230 g cream cheese
360–400 g powdered sugar (3–3 ¼ cups), sifted
2–3 tbsp fresh orange juice
Zest of 2 large oranges
1 tsp vanilla extract
70 g finely chopped (preferrably shaved) dark chocolate

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Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary (optional)

100 g fresh cranberries (½ cup)
A few rosemary sprigs
100 g sugar (½ cup)
120 ml water (½ cup)
Extra sugar for rolling (about ½ cup)

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Directions

Chocolate Cake

Preheat your oven to 338°F (170°C) bake.
Grease and line two 20cm / 8-inch cake tins.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, hot coffee, milk, yoghurt, and oil until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until just combined, don’t overmix.
Divide the batter evenly between the tins.
Bake for 28–35 minutes, or until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

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Cranberry Compote

Add cranberries, sugar, water, and orange zest to a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat for 8–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat; stir in a splash of orange juice if you want extra brightness.
Cool completely — it will thicken more as it cools.

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Orange Dark Chocolate Frosting

Beat the softened butter for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.

Add powdered sugar gradually, beating between additions.

Mix in orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Beat 2 more minutes until smooth and creamy.
Fold in the shaved dark chocolate.

(If too thick, add 1 tsp orange juice.
If too thin, add 2–4 tbsp powdered sugar.)

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Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary (optional)

Heat ½ cup sugar + ½ cup water until the sugar dissolves (don’t boil).
Remove from heat and stir in cranberries + rosemary.
Let sit 10 minutes.
Lift them out and place on a rack or parchment for 1 hour to become tacky.
Roll in granulated sugar until coated and sparkling and sit for another hour.

Why You’ll Love This Cake

It’s the perfect balance of rich & bright. The deep chocolate cake stays unbelievably moist, and the cranberry compote cuts through with this gorgeous tart pop of flavor.
A holiday flavor combo that isn’t overdone. Instead of the usual peppermint or gingerbread, you get chocolate, orange, and cranberry. It's festive but still a little unexpected.
The orange dark chocolate chip frosting is insane. Silky, citrusy, and studded with tiny dark chocolate flecks. It tastes like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange but grownup.
Every bite has texture. Soft cake, jammy cranberry, creamy frosting, and the sparkle crunch of sugared cranberries and rosemary on top.
It looks effortlessly impressive. Those sugared berries and rosemary twigs make the whole cake look snowy and magical with almost zero effort.
It’s make-ahead friendly. The cake, compote, and sugared cranberries can all be made ahead, so assembly is easy and stress free.

Substitutes & Variations

• Fresh or frozen cranberries:
You can use either. Frozen cranberries work perfectly and don’t need to be thawed.
If you can’t find cranberries, use fresh raspberries, cherries, or pomegranate arils cooked down the same way.

• Orange zest/juice:
Swap for mandarin, tangerine, or blood orange if that’s what you have.

• Dark chocolate:
Use semi sweet, milk, or even white chocolate shavings for the frosting depending on what you like. Mini chips, chopped bars, or grated chocolate all work.

• Yoghurt in the cake:
Swap for sour cream, buttermilk, or Greek yoghurt, just keep the same amount.

• Coffee in the batter:
Replace with hot water, hot milk, or hot cocoa if you prefer a non-coffee cake.
(The coffee only boosts flavor; it won’t taste like coffee.)

• Neutral oil:
Vegetable, canola, sunflower, grapeseed, any neutral oil works.

• Sugared cranberries:
You can decorate with:
Candied orange slices
Fresh rosemary sprigs dusted with powdered sugar
Chocolate curls or shards
Pomegranate seeds for extra sparkle

• Gluten-free option:
Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, but whisk well and don’t overmix.

• Dairy-free variation:
Swap butter for a dairy-free baking butter, yoghurt for coconut yoghurt, and milk for oat or soy milk.

Christmas Chocolate Cake with Orange & Choc Chip Frosting and Cranberry Compote