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.
Marlene says
Can you glaze the cake the next day. I want to make today for tomorrows dessert Thanks
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Marlene, you absolutely can glaze it the next day. Just make sure to allow time for the glaze to set before serving. Let me know how it turns out! 😊
Courtney says
Made this cake for Easter and it was a huge hit!! I used the sugar glaze. Absolutely delicious! Next time I will give the creamy icing a try instead of the glaze!
Erren's Kitchen says
Love to hear that!! Thank you so much for trying it!
Crystal Thompson says
Cake is in the oven now. Made one several weeks ago while visiting family. Everyone loved it! This cake is for the others in my home. They have been waiting patiently and will not be disappointed.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Crystal. We are so glad you loved it enough to make it again!! Thank you so much for trying it out! 🥰
Christina says
This recipe was phenomenal! I baked a double recipe; half as a bundt cake and half as muffins. (For the muffins, I added some dried cranberries that I had re-hydrated in the orange juice.) Both ways came out great and I will be making this recipe again soon.
Erren's Kitchen says
Christina, your addition of dried cranberries in the muffins sound perfect!!! We are so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for using it and sharing your wonderful feedback!
Marisa says
I made this for my husband to take to work with him and this recipe is fantastic(it was gone in an hour), but I think I’m going to play around with it a little and try adding half a small box of lemon pudding!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m thrilled to hear that the cake was a hit at your husband’s workplace! 🌟 Adding lemon pudding sounds like a delicious twist. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out with that extra citrus kick.
Nanor Soussani says
I love the recipe, but I swapped the oil and the butter with 1 cup of coconut oil. and 1 cup of sugar instead of 1.5
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Nanor!! That is so great to hear it came out delicious with your personalizations! We are so happy you loved it! 😊
El Murni says
I baked this again today, but I turned a quarter of the batter into 6 cupcakes with dark chop chips. Marvellous! The cupcakes only needed 15 minutes in the oven. Also, I put in 3 tbs of orange zest, and a tsp of vanilla extract. Great recipe! Thank you so much.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much for leaving feedback. We love to hear how the recipes turn out! Great idea to make some cupcakes with it! We are so glad you loved it! 🥰
Matthew DeVerioux says
This is an Ultimate recipe! Just wish that our citrus trees at home could keep up with how often I use this recipe! Thank you!
Erren's Kitchen says
Matthew, that is amazing!!! We are so glad you love it enough to make it so often! Thank you so much for giving it a try! 🤩
Jia Qin says
Oh yes! and also, will the cake be successful if i were to replace the all purpose flour with cake flour? Thank you!
Erren's Kitchen says
You can replace all-purpose flour with cake flour. Cake flour has less protein than all-purpose flour, which can result in a softer and more tender crumb. When substituting, use an equal amount of cake flour as the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe. This substitution may make the cake slightly lighter and more delicate. Please let us know how it turns out with your substitutions. 😊
Non compliant chef named Danger says
great. recipe but one thing bothers me after reading so many comments.. are we truly a ppl that needs to be lead around like helpless sheep? try things out for yourself. throw some sh…. in a bowl mix it up and experiment. and questions like can I substitute butter for the oil all together? I mean what do u think cuz? isn’t butter a form of oil? does the same thing right?. is it so far off like can I use beef jerky instead of oil? th@ would be more of a question but hell yea u can use all butter and bet your ass it tastes better. but it has that artery clogging factor so it’s a personal choice related to health more than it is a question of will it work or not….
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for the compliment!! Throwing things together doesn’t come naturally for some, but I don’t mind answering any question! 😊
Jia Qin says
Hi! May i know if i can replace the oil with all butter instead of using both butter and oil? And also would you suggest to put sour cream in the batter for the cake to be moist?
Thank you!
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Jia. Yes, you can replace the oil with all butter. Using only butter can contribute a rich flavor to the cake. If you choose to make this substitution, you can use 1 cup of melted butter instead of the combination of oil and butter. Keep in mind that this may result in a slightly denser texture compared to using oil, but it will still be delicious.
Adding sour cream to the batter can definitely add to the moisture of the cake. You can include about 1/2 to 1 cup of sour cream, depending on your preference.
Keep in mind that these substitutions may alter the texture and taste of the cake, so feel free to experiment with small batches to find the combination that suits your preferences best.