Made with fresh orange juice, zest, and a crunchy orange glaze topping, this Ultimate Orange Cake recipe packs a citrus punch in every bite.
Love citrus cakes? Check out my Lemon Drizzle Cake while you’re here!
You Choose The Cake Size
This recipe can be made as a Bundt cake, two loaf cakes, or individual cakes using a muffin pan. Baking times are provided for all three options.
This easy-to-make orange cake is tender, moist and bursting with fresh orange flavor. It’s topped with a crunchy glaze for added texture and is sure to become a regular favorite!
Why This Recipe Works
- Using fresh orange juice as well as zest in both the cake and glaze packs this cake with amazing orange flavor.
- The crunchy glaze adds a different texture that takes this cake to a whole new level.
- Using oil as well as butter makes a super moist cake with a buttery flavor that can’t be beat.
Fresh Orange Juice Is Best
To make this recipe, I used an entire bag of small oranges. The end result was worth the effort, as the cake had a delightful orange flavor. I strongly advise using fresh oranges while making this recipe. The use of fresh juice is crucial to achieving that vibrant citrus flavor.
How to Enhance Flavor & Avoid Bitterness in Orange Cake
Make your orange cake sing with sunshiney flavor! Here’s how to unlock the vibrant taste and avoid bitterness:
- Zest magic: Use a microplane or fine grater to get just the zest (colored part) of the orange peel. This packs the most fragrant citrus punch. Avoid the white pith underneath, which can be bitter.
- Ditch the pith: Before using the zest (colored part of the peel), remove as much white pith as possible with a sharp knife. Embrace the blanch: Boiling the whole orange or peel mellows bitterness. Try blanching for a few minutes, then discarding the water and using the softened peel.
Step By Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together eggs and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the oil slowly until combined and repeat with the butter. Add orange juice and zest and keep mixing slowly until combined.
Add flour mixture mix until just combined (being careful not to overmix).
Add batter to a prepared greased pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, make the glaze by mixing orange juice, orange zest, and sugar.
When the cake is done and is still warm, transfer to a wire rack and prick the warm cake all over with a skewer and then pour over the glaze.
The juice will sink into the cake and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping.
Even Better The Next Day
With this recipe, the orange flavor becomes stronger with time, giving you a citrus burst in every bite. For the ideal texture, leave the cake to rest in an airtight container for 8 hours at room temperature before serving.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Storage: Once the cake is completely cooled and glazed or iced, store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic to keep it fresh.
The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Keep it cool and dry, away from direct sunlight or heat sources.
Freezing: If you want to freeze the cake for later consumption, it’s best to freeze it before glazing or icing to maintain the texture and freshness.
Wrap the cooled, unglazed cake securely with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil, to prevent freezer burn and odors from seeping in.
Label the wrapped cake with the freezing date for easy reference. The cake can be frozen for 2-3 months without compromising quality.
Thawing: To thaw the frozen cake, remove it from the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Once thawed, you can glaze or ice the cake if desired. If using a crunchy sugar glaze, you can apply it to the slightly warm, thawed cake.
Important Note: The freezing and thawing process may affect the texture of the glaze or icing. If you’re concerned about the appearance, you can opt for glazing or icing the cake after thawing. However, glazed and iced cakes should still taste delicious after freezing.
Tips For Best Results
- This recipe uses oil and butter, but you can use them interchangeably on your preference.
- It’s important to beat your eggs well for a light and fluffy result. You’re looking for them to reach the ribbon stage.
- I highly recommend using fresh oranges for this cake. Using fresh juice is key to getting that bright citrus flavor.
- For the zest, it’s much easier to zest the oranges before juicing.
- Be sure to only zest the orange portion of the peal as the white will be bitter.
- If the top of the cake browns quickly while baking, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Once glazed, let the cake cool completely before serving. It’s even better the next day!
- For More Vibrant Color, add some orange food coloring to the batter to achieve a bright orange color. This step is totally optional.
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Let’s Make Ultimate Orange Cake
Ingredients
For The cake
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1¼ cups freshly squeezed orange juice 3-4 large oranges
- 2 tablespoons orange zest plus more to taste*
For a Crunchy Sugar Glaze
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice 1-2 orange
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For an Icing Glaze
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F/180°C and greasing the pan.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, then set it aside.
- Next, using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and sugar on high speed until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy, which should take about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the oil and then the butter, being sure to combine thoroughly. Add the orange juice and zest and continue mixing slowly until everything is combined. Finally, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix.NOTE: depending on the brand of flour you use, the batter may be quite wet.
- Add batter to the prepared pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes for a 12-cup/10-inch bundt pan until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (see recipe notes for more pans and cooking times).
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.
For The Crunchy Glaze (Applied to Warm Cake)
- In a small bowl, mix together the orange juice, zest, and sugar and mix well until combined.
- Place a sheet of baking paper under the cooling rack to catch any glaze that drips off the cake. While the cake is still warm, remove it from the pan, prick the cake all over with a skewer, and then pour over the glaze.
- Place a second sheet of baking paper next to the cooling rack and move the cooling rack over to the clean paper.
- Use the original sheet of paper to pour any excess glaze that drips off the cake back onto the cake. Repeat this step as needed to make sure the cake is thoroughly glazed.
- Set the glazed cake aside to set the glaze and finish cooling. As the glaze sets, the juice will sink into the cake, and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping.
For A Soft Icing Glaze
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Combine the orange juice, zest, butter and sugar in a small bowl and stir until well mixed and smooth. In case the icing is not easily pourable, you may heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. If the consistency is still too thin, gradually add more sugar until it reaches the desired thickness.
Tips + Notes
- To avoid sticking to the pan, allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- With this recipe, the orange flavor becomes stronger with time, giving you a citrus burst in every bite. For the ideal texture, leave the cake to rest in an airtight container for 8 hours at room temperature before serving.
- As this recipe uses oil instead of butter for extra moisture, it’s important to beat your eggs well for a light and fluffy result.
- I highly recommend using fresh oranges for this cake. Like my Lemon Drizzle Cake, fresh juice is key to getting that bright citrus flavor.
- For the zest, it’s much easier to zest the oranges before juicing. Be sure to only zest the orange portion of the peal as the white will be bitter.
- If the top of the cake browns quickly while baking, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Once glazed, let the cake cool completely before serving. It’s even better the next day!
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was updated in 2021 to add a video.
Gary Morgan says
MM ( Mere Male ) checking in. This was my third cake and I made it for Harmony day. it turned out amazing everyone asked where I bought it from and they were shocked that it was home made!
I didn’t have a fancy cake tester but I did have bamboo BBQ skewers and I find they work good enough for baking if anyone else is missing a cake tester.
My eggs were too big I think because my mixture came back quite wet not like a soup but I knew it was too wet. I added 1/4 flour to make it more like a pancake mixture consistency.
The next day it had a small crack so perhaps it wasn’t supposed to be like a pancake consistency and maybe it was supposed to be wet.
But can’t complain for cake #3 going to try your lemon cake next – citrus cakes make for a very pleasant change for chocolate 🙂
Erren Hart says
Hi Gary, I’m so pleased you like the recipe enough to make it multiple times and to make it to celebrate Harmony Day! It’s wonderful to hear that everyone enjoyed it and was impressed with the homemade creation. The tip about using bamboo BBQ skewers as a cake tester is helpful for those who may not have one.
Adjusting the consistency of the batter by adding a bit of flour was a smart move to compensate for the larger egg size. As for the crack on the cake, small cracks are normal and not necessarily an indication of a problem. It could be due to temperature changes or the cake settling after cooling. Regardless, it’s great to hear that you enjoyed the cake, and I hope the lemon cake recipe turns out just as well. Thank you for sharing your experience, and happy baking!
Lito S says
I am baking this cake for a dinner we have tomorrow evening. You indicate to serve it 8 hours later. What if I make it this evening and serve it tomorrow evening? Is that too long? Should I instead make it tomorrow morning?Thank you!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for trying out the Orange Cake recipe and for reaching out with your question! While it’s ideal to serve the cake about 8 hours after making it, you can definitely still make it the night before and serve it the following evening. If you make it tonight, I recommend storing it in an airtight container at room temperature overnight and adding the glaze shortly before serving. This should help keep the cake fresh and moist for your dinner tomorrow evening. In this case, I would use the orange icing glaze found here: https://www.errenskitchen.com/orange-glaze/ as the glaze in this recipe is applied to a warm cake. Alternatively, if you prefer to make the cake the morning of your dinner, that should work well too. I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy the cake at your dinner tomorrow evening!
Nora says
Thank you so much Erren! The cake came out super moist and orangey and I paired it with your orange icing glaze! My seven year old sister could not get enough of it! Five stars!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for trying the Orange Cake recipe and for sharing your feedback, Nora! I’m thrilled to hear that the cake turned out well. It’s always gratifying to hear that my recipes are well-received, especially by young ones with discerning palates. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for awarding the recipe five stars – it means a lot. I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes and happy baking!
Kathy says
p.s. forgot to “rate this recipe” when I sent my review in.
Erren Hart says
Thanks, Kathy! I appreciate it!
Kathy says
I loved this recipe! I do have a couple of questions though since I am making it again for a small gathering. I used Blood Oranges because that’s what I had in the yard and they worked well. I’m wondering though if I over mixed the flour ingredients into the wet ingredients. I used the whisk attachment for all mixing but wonder if maybe I should have used a batter type attachment for this last step. Also I think I over-cooked it a little (50 min.). I had buttered the bundt pan with butter. Should I have used something since it make the outside quite dark and I had real trouble getting it out of the pan. It broke in half. Still so good I am making again but hope that I can get it more easily out of the pan..
Erren Hart says
Hi Kathy, Thank you for trying out the orange cake recipe, and I’m glad you enjoyed it! Regarding the cooking time, it’s possible that 50 minutes was a bit too long for your oven. Every oven is different, so it’s a good idea to check the cake for doneness 5 to 10 minutes before the recommended baking time is up. It’s normal for the outside of the cake to turn a bit darker in color due to the longer cook time, but it shouldn’t be overly crisp. If you’re concerned about the cake sticking to the pan, you could use shortening instead of butter to grease the pan. Shortening has a higher melting point than butter, which can help prevent sticking.
As for your questions, using the whisk attachment to mix the flour ingredients into the wet ingredients is fine as long as the speed is low. If you’re concerned that you may have overmixed the batter, you could use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the flour mixture instead. This can help ensure you don’t overwork the batter.
I’m glad to hear that the cake was still delicious despite the challenges you faced, and I hope these tips help you make an even better cake for your next gathering. Enjoy!
Jess says
Is the glazed cooked first?
Erren Hart says
Hi Jess, no, the glaze is not cooked.
Danny says
I’m thinking of adding premium dark chocolate to the mixture. What do you think?
Erren Hart says
That sounds like a great experiment! I haven’t tried it, but it just might work to create a chocolate-orange treat! The amount of dark chocolate to add to the recipe depends on personal preference. As a guideline, start by adding ⅓ cup (80g) of melted and cooled, high-quality dark chocolate to the batter before baking. You can adjust the amount according to personal taste. Enjoy and please let me know how it goes!
Regine says
Really delicious. Only thing is that next time I will use your orange glaze instead of the crunchy glaze. I don’t think I am too fond of feeling the crunchy sugar under my teeth. But the cake, texture, and flavor are excellent. Thanks.
Erren Hart says
Thanks, Regine! I’m glad you enjoyed the Orange Cake. If you prefer a smoother glaze, my orange glaze recipe will definitely be better for you. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns, and happy baking!
Kim says
My cake stuck to the bundt pan even though I waited 40 minutes. I also made sure to grease it well. That is ok. I got it out in 2 pieces and after I put it back together who could tell! I will use different pans next time as suggested. Having to zest and juice so many oranges was laborous since I needed 9 total medium oranges based on the size. Fresh is the only way to go though.
The cake has the most beautiful, elegant flavor, not to mention the aroma that lingers all over the house. It is a keeper. Thank you for sharing your recipe
Erren Hart says
Thank you for trying our Orange Cake recipe, Kim! I’m sorry to hear that your cake stuck to the bundt pan. I’m glad you liked the flavor and aroma of the cake so much! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it. We hope you’ll give it another try using a different pan.
Mary B wadsworth says
How far in advance. Can you make this? Can you do a couple days?
Erren Hart says
I’d make it the day before you plan to serve it.