This Tangerine Drizzle Cake recipe is so simple but delicious. It’s super moist, flavorful and the glaze is the perfect finishing touch.
When I was a kid, my mom used to make an orange cake for my brother’s birthday every year. Back then, I hated it because it reminded me of baby aspirin. I detested anything with even a hint of orange flavor.
Finding myself with a bowl of tangerines in danger of going bad one day, I decided to try and make a similar cake to the one my mom did all those years ago. Our tastes change over time after all, and now I love any citrus cake. So much that I have created several recipes including my Ultimate Orange Cake.
Why This Recipe Works
- This simple one-bowl method means it’s quick and delicious!
- Using tangerines adds a fresh sweetness without being too citrusy.
- The crunchy glaze gives added texture to the cake.
- Using sour cream in the cake ensures the sponge is moist.
The inspiration for the glaze came from my Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe, it adds a wonderful crunchy sugary topping, transforming this from just an ordinary cake to a decadent cake everyone will love
Ingredient Notes
- Tangerine: I used tangerines for this recipe, however, if you have a similar citrus fruit going to waste feel free to experiment.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter in my baking, however, if you have unsalted this is just fine. If you want to add a pinch of salt to season, go ahead.
- Flour: This recipe calls for all purpose flour, but cake flour or self raising (in the UK) is fine. Just replace it like for like.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is fabulous in cakes, it adds moisture to the cake. If you don’t have sour cream, you can use full fat Greek yogurt as a substitute.
How to Make tangerine drizzle cake
- Beat together all the ingredients in one bowl.
- Fill a loaf tin with the batter.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool.
For the Cake:
Simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until fully combined.
It’s always best to work with room temperature ingredients, this ensures they combine evenly. Especially make sure your butter is soft enough to work with.
Pour into a loaf tin
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
To glaze the cake
Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or a fork.
Pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink into the cake and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping.
Serve and enjoy!
Other Great Citrus Recipes
FAQs
You can store this cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can freeze this cake in a freezer-safe container for up to a month.
Drizzle cake is an English sponge cake that has syrup drizzled over it after baking to create a crunchy glaze.
Did you make this?
Stay Updated
Receive new recipes & dinner ideas straight to your inbox!
Let’s Make Tangerine Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons tangerine zest finely grated
- ⅓ cup tangerine juice fresh from the fruit
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ tsp salt (if you use unsalted butter)
FOR THE GLAZE
- 4 tablespoons tangerine juice fresh from the fruit
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC
- Prepare a loaf pan by greasing it with butter.
- in a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, zest, sour cream, and juice until smooth.
- Fill the pan evenly with the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-45 mins, or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. (Begin testing for doneness after around 30 minutes, as all ovens vary)
- Leave to cool 5 minutes in the pan.
- While the cake is cooling in the pan, mix together the juice of three tangerines and 1/2 cup of sugar to make the drizzle.
- While the cake is still warm, transfer to a wire rack and prick the warm cake all over with a skewer and then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink into the cake and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping.
- Leave to cool 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
Tips + Notes
- It’s always best to work with room temperature ingredients, this ensures they combine evenly. Especially make sure your butter is soft enough to work with.
Nutrition Information:
Are you making this recipe? I love to see your creations so please tag @ErrensKitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #ErrensKitchen
This recipe was originally posted in June 2014, it was updated in July 2021 with new tips and information.
Jackie Trueblood says
What size loaf pan should I use for this recipe? I would like to try it today!
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Jackie I use a standard 9″ by 5″ loaf pan, I hope this helps 🙂
Kathleen Evans says
This is great! I’ve never made such a nice cake, so easy to follow, love the cup to metric conversation.Will definitely make again,thank you
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Kathleen, I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Luciana Menano says
My family devoured this lovely cake
Erren's Kitchen says
Fantastic, I love to hear this, thank you 🙂
Janet Bush says
I just made this again today as it was such a big hit the first time I made it a few weeks ago. Easy and delicious, but it actually took about 45 minutes to bake at 350’. Just a heads up. Very tasty recipe!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m glad you liked it Janet, yes, baking times can vary significantly depending on the oven! 🙂
Kim brush says
Really good!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank You 🙂
Barb Lawrence says
So tasty! Even though I messed up the recipe, it was still good. I put the butter in the microwave to soften, and forgot all about it until I came home later and found it in there, oops, lol. Next time I’ll make the recipe correctly.
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m glad it all worked out and you still liked the cake Barbara 🙂
Shruti says
Extremely flavour full. Drizzle became too moist. But loved it
Erren's Kitchen says
Glad you liked it. Thank you 🙂
Andrea says
Can you do this with mandarins?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Andrea, yes I think mandarins would work, I believe the main difference between the two is the outer skin color. I hope this helps 🙂
WestMichigan Lou says
This is a verrrrry tasty cake of tart citrus and sweet syrup topping. Here are my adaptions: it wasn’t easy to juice my tangerines so i peeled 2 and emersion blended them in small bowl into a puree to chop up the sections and used that for the juice. The skins were too thin to grate for zest so i chopped them very fine and used them as zest but doubled the amount – it made the cake very tart but the sweet glaze that went overtop contrasted that just right. Also for the juice in the glaze, I pureed another tangerine and mixed it with the sugar. I did mix it with granulated sugar as the recipe said and it was like marmalade rather than white-ish like the photo which looks like frosting from powered sugar. OH, and I had no sour cream so I used blueberry yogurt and took most of the blue bits out. Husband said, Make it again – loved it!
Julie Lawrence says
Fantastic recipe easy to make and delicious!
Took 40 -50 mins to cook in my oven
Wanting to make it for GF friends and family is it ok to substitute GF flour or nut meals?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Julie, I’m glad you liked it. Yes ovens do vary! I haven’t made this with GF or nut meals so I really don’t know, but I’m sure it’s worth a try. Sorry I can’t be of any more help with this. I will have to look into substituting with GF in the future 🙂
Althea Waters says
Very moist and delicious. However, I had to bake it 47 minutes in order for it Bake thoroughly. When attempting to transfer to entire cake crumbled. It might have been due to using a crystal loaf or not buttered enough.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Althea, I think cakes do vary depending on the oven, I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you give it another go 🙂