Perfect for any occasion, this orange cake is so easy to make from scratch, you don’t even have to use a mixer. All you need are mixing bowls and a whisk and you’ll have this flavorful cake ready in no time.
Despite only using simple ingredients, this cake will impress every time. Every bite of this cake melts in your mouth. It is so tender and moist, you’ll be reaching for a second slice. Thanks to the orange juice, orange zest, and orange glaze, this cake packs a strong citrus punch. If you need to brighten your day, the fresh flavors in this cake are just what you need. For more delicious homemade cake recipes, try my chiffon cake recipe and my homemade pound cake.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Baking powder — make sure to use fresh baking powder as it helps the orange cake rise in the oven.
Orange — while you can use bottled orange juice, you need orange zest so you might as well juice the oranges. Orange zest makes the citrusy, tangy flavor stronger as the peels have more oil in them than juice.
Oil — oil is key to making the orange cake moist and tender. Oil is neutral in flavor and inhibits gluten formation in the batter, so the cake will practically melt in your mouth without impacting the delicious orange flavor.
Powdered sugar — the sugar sweetens and thickens the glaze. If you do not have any on hand, see my post on how to make powdered sugar at home.
How to Make Orange Cake
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In another large bowl, combine sugar and orange zest.
3. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is a light orange color.
4. Add the oil, eggs, orange juice, vanilla, and whisk until combined.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk together just until all of the flour is incorporated.
6. Pour the batter into a buttered 8×4-inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Make the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, orange zest, and juice until smooth.
8. Drizzle the orange glaze over the cooled cake and let it stand for 30 minutes to set.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Rubbing the orange zest into the sugar helps the oils from the zest to release and absorb into the sugar. It makes the orange flavor stronger, and I do not recommend skipping it.
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup.
- The eggs should be at room temperature to ensure they incorporate evenly into your batter without over-mixing. If you forgot to set out your eggs, quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
- Mix the batter until just combined. You do not want to over-mix the batter as it can make the cake crumbly and tough.
- It’s much easier to zest the oranges before juicing, so make sure to zest first. Use a microplane grater to zest the oranges. Be sure only to zest the orange portion as the white parts will be bitter.
- Avoid making the icing too thin, or the icing will slide off the orange cake.
- To get more juice out of an orange, roll it under your palm on the countertop to loosen the juices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store this cake?
Store the orange cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I recommend storing the cake in the fridge after day 3 for the best results. If you do not have a large enough container to store the cake, you can wrap it in plastic wrap. However, I suggest placing some toothpicks to prop up the plastic wrap, so it doesn’t stick to the icing.
Can I freeze this?
If you plan to freeze this whole, then avoid glazing the cake. Wrap the orange flavor cake with plastic wrap and then tin foil before freezing for up to 3 months. It can still be frozen if glazed, but the orange glaze’s texture may change when it thaws. You can freeze individual slices of the cake as well. This method allows you to pull out cake slices as you crave them.
What can I make with a lot of oranges?
If you have a huge box of oranges to use up, try my orange cookies recipe, orange cranberry bread, orange cranberry muffins, orange creamsicle cake, or orange upside-down cake. For a more savory recipe, try my homemade orange chicken!
How do you make orange-flavored cake better?
Do not skip the orange zest! That is the secret to a delicious orange-flavored cake. The zest adds more flavor than the orange juice.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Orange Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Orange Cake
Equipment
- Loaf pan
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (about 3 oranges)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (240ml)
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges/180ml)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- zest of ½ orange
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (about 1/2 orange)
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8x4-inch loaf pan or spray with baking spray with flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another large bowl, combine sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is a light orange color. Add the oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla, and whisk until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and whisk together just until all of the flour is incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, covering loosely with foil after about an hour if it's looking very brown on top. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, zest, and juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake and let it stand for 30 minutes to set. Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Rubbing the orange zest into the sugar helps the oils from the zest to release and absorb into the sugar. It makes the orange flavor stronger, and I do not recommend skipping it.
- I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup.
- The eggs should be at room temperature to ensure they incorporate evenly into your batter without over-mixing. If you forgot to bring out your eggs, quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
- Mix the batter until just combined. You do not want to over-mix the batter as it can make the cake crumbly and tough.
- It’s much easier to zest the oranges before juicing, so make sure to zest first. Use a microplane grater to zest the oranges. Be sure only to zest the orange portion as the white parts will be bitter.
- Avoid making the icing too thin, or the icing will slide off the orange cake.
- To get more juice out of an orange, roll it under your palm on the countertop to loosen the juices.
