Christmas Chocolate Cake with Cranberries and Orange (gluten-free)

This gorgeous Chocolate Layer Cake with Cranberries and Orange is a perfect compromise for all the cake lovers in your family who aren’t impressed with a traditional Christmas cake. However you can bet your bottom dollar they are big fans of a good fudgy chocolate cake.

Fresh orange zest is used in the cake sponge to make a lovely moist chocolate orange cake which is sandwiched together with cranberry sauce also laced with orange which is tangy and sweet. 

Ingredients and Notes

Gluten-Free Flour Blend

This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well for most gluten-free baking recipes (not bread though – that’s a totally different ball game). This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours:

• Sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour).
• Sorghum flour.
• Oat flour.
• Tapioca flour (tapioca starch).

There are plenty of flour substitution tips if you can’t have the oat flour or can’t find sweet rice flour or sorghum flour if you click on the original post for this flour mix. READ MORE >>> Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend.

This is the best gluten free flour for cakes as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a soft and tender sponge which can hold together without needing any extra binders.

All Purpose Flour. If you don’t have to follow a gluten-free diet then all of the amount of flour (230g) can be subbed for all purpose flour.

The rest of the ingredients

Dark chocolate. This recipe uses 70% dark chocolate. However, you can use 50-60% chocolate for a softer chocolate flavour.

Cocoa powder. Choose a high quality organic brand if possible. This recipe was tested with Dutch-processed cocoa powder (which is the more common type in the UK) which means it has been treated with an alkalizing agent to neutralize its acidity, resulting in a smoother, milder flavour.

Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.

Baking powder. A leaving agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Espresso powder. Brings out the chocolate flavour rather than giving a coffee flavour. It can be omitted.

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

Buttermilk. It’s a fermented dairy product with a tangy flavour and used here to tenderise the crumb, act as a leavening agent, add moisture, and enhance the flavour.

Caster sugar. A fine white baking sugar which gives lightness and helps with the structure as well as the sweetness of the recipe.

Light soft brown sugar. Using brown sugar adds a gentle molasses flavour and moisture to the batter, enhancing the depth of taste and providing a subtle caramel undertone, contributing to a more flavourful and moist cake.

Oranges. We use all the orange in this recipe. The zest is used for the sponges and the juice is used for the buttercream. If you can buy unwaxed organic oranges. If you can’t then you will need to scrub off the wax lightly with a wire brush. 

Olive oil. This is my preferred oil to use in cakes but to avoid a strong flavour use a flavourless mild and light olive oil.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell).

Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nielsen Massey.

Cranberry sauce. I recommend this Homemade Cranberry Sauce for the cake filling. Alternatively, you can use any leftover cranberry sauce, homemade or shop bought, warm it up in a small saucepan with the zest of 1 clementine and leave to cool until needed.

Fresh cranberries and extra oranges. These are for the sugared cranberry and caramelised orange slices decoration and they are totally optional but worth the little extra effort.

Other Substitutions

Buttermilk. If you can't get hold of buttermilk then you can use whole milk + 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar stirred together and allowed to sit for 5 minutes. (apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar is fine). If you need a dairy-free alternative then you can use your favourite plant milk. Almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk work very well here.

Olive oil. You can substitute for vegetable oil or coconut oil.

​Cranberry sauce. You can substitute for a fresh cranberry compote or even an easy cranberry chia jam.

How to make Chocolate Cake with Cranberries

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (bain marie or bowl set over pan of simmering water) or in the microwave then set aside.

Dry ingredients. Whisk the dry ingredients together (flours, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, coffee and salt) in a separate bowl and set aside.

Wet ingredients. In another bowl (or a stand mixer) beat together the wet ingredients (buttermilk, the sugars, orange zest, olive oil, eggs and vanilla).

Combine the batter. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until combined. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix in until fully incorporated.

Bake. Divide the cake batter between the two cake tins then bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the cake tins and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the cranberry filling and covering with buttercream.

How to Make Chocolate Orange Buttercream

Melt the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (bain marie or bowl set over pan of simmering water) or in the microwave then set aside.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add cocoa powder, melted chocolate, orange juice, salt and vanilla extract and beat into the creamed butter and sugar until everything is smooth and evenly combined.

How to Make Sugared Cranberries

What makes this cake truly special is the festive decoration of this cake. Of course it’s absolutely delicious as it is but if you want to go that extra mile then this decoration is easier than you think and incredibly effective.

1. Simmer caster sugar with water until the sugar dissolves.
2. Allow to cool a little then pour in the cranberries and stir to coat evenly with the sugar syrup.
3. Place in the fridge overnight.
4. Remove the cranberries from the syrup with a slotted spoon, pat dry with a kitchen towel then spread out evenly onto baking parchment.
5. Roll the cranberries so they are totally coated with sugar.
6. Leave to dry for at least an hour before using.

For full instructions on how to make the delicious Candied Orange Slices then I have written a full recipe with all the steps so it's totally foolproof. 

How to Assemble Your Chocolate Cranberry Cake

Place one of the sponge layers on a cake board and pipe a circle of buttercream at the very edge of the top of the cake to act like a dam for the cranberry sauce.

Spread the cranberry sauce on top of the sponge, right to the edges of the buttercream dam in an even layer.

Place the second cake layer on top and cover the top and the sides of the cake with the buttercream.

Decorate the top of the cake with the sugared cranberries and caramelised orange slices.