Zesty Whole Orange Cake Recipe (Super Moist)

ByCheryl Avrich Updated on
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

Super moist and bursting with fresh orange flavor, this whole orange cake will become a new favorite. Rich, tender, sweet and citrusy.

Eat it unadorned or drizzle on an orange buttercream frosting to take it over the top. 

whole orange cake on white plate dusted with icing sugar and orange strips

I’ve been making this recipe from Noreen Gilletz for over 30 years. I love the intense orange flavor, but using a whole orange, as this recipe does, can make a dense cake that is slightly bitter. 

If you love orange flavors, you will love this super moist orange cake. If you’re not an orange fan, skip it. This cake screams orange. 

I love to serve this cake at a shower, a tea, a dinner party and other special occasions. Expect rave reviews.

What to expect

With some trial and error, I found a way to remove the bitterness and create an ultra-moist and tender cake. It takes an extra short step, but it’s worth it, I think. Here is the change I made.

  • The original recipe calls for blending a whole orange with the rest of the ingredients all together in a food processor.
  • I now remove most of the white layer of the orange (the pith) and cream the butter, sugar and eggs separately in the food processor before blending the orange. 

This is a super moist, tender, orange-intense cake. Delish!

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

sugar, butter, eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, oranges.
Whole orange cake ingredients: oranges (fresh juice and zest), sugar, flour, butter, eggs, salt, baking powder

With the exception of oranges, the ingredients in this recipe are the usual ones for most cakes.

Variations and substitutions

  • Flour – this easy recipe calls for all purpose flour, but feel free to substitute 1/4 of the flour with almond flour or whole wheat flour. 
  • Glaze/frosting (optional)
    • I use a thin orange buttercream icing to glaze the cake. You can also make a regular thicker icing by adjusting the ingredients – more butter and icing confectioner sugar or less orange juice. 
    • A 3-minute chocolate buttercream icing like we use on our best banana cake would also be fantastic because chocolate and orange are a perfect match. 
    • Or try this cream cheese frosting from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Add orange zest if you like to make it an orange cream cheese frosting.
  • Decoration – To decorate this easy cake, I like to use orange peel, thinly sliced orange pieces, a dusting of confectioner sugar, chocolate shavings or even crushed toasted nuts. 

Step by step instructions

peeled oranges with pitch sliced off.
To reduce any bitterness, slice off the thin orange zest layer. Then slice off the white pith layer of the orange and discard. Cut oranges into quarters.
butter and sugar blended in food processor bowl.
Cream butter, eggs and sugar in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
orange and zest blended in food processor bowl.
Then pulverize the orange chunks and peel in the food processor.
creamed butter, eggs and sugar with pulverized orange in a bowl
Add the orange mixture to the same bowl.
orange cake batter in bowl
Gently fold in the dry ingredients just until combined to complete the batter. Don’t overmix.
orange cake batter in springform pan
Pour batter into a greased springform pan.
baked whole orange cake in springform pan
Bake at 350F/177C for 45-50 minutes or until the cake doesn’t jiggle and a tester comes out clean.
icing sugar, butter, zest and orange juice in measuring bowl.
Make optional icing by whisking together with a fork: butter, icing sugar, orange juice and zest.
Whole Orange Cake on plate dusted with icing sugar and decorated with orange slice and zest
Let cake cool completely on a wire rack. Dust the entire cake with icing sugar or frost with frosting/glaze. Decorate this perfect orange cake with orange slices and orange peel.

Recipe FAQs

How can you get rid of the bitterness of the orange peel?

While the top layer of the orange zest (peel) has some bitterness from tannins, it’s the white part beneath the skin  – the pith – that is very bitter. By removing much of the pith, we can avoid most of the bitterness. Another option is to boil the peel several times which I’m too lazy to do 🙂

Do I need to use a food processor for this recipe?

Yes, you will need a food processor or a blender to pulverize the orange. I also use the processor to cream the butter, sugar and eggs. Once transferred to a large bowl, I blend the orange (no need to clean the processor bowl in between). 

What size pans can I use for this recipe?

Dimensions of cake pans will change the timing of baking cakes so always keep your eye on the doneness in the last 10 minutes or so. For the orange cake recipe, you can use a 9″ (23cm) springform pan (what I use), two 8″ (20cm) round pans (for two layers), an 8″ (20cm) square pan, a 9″ round pan or 9×5′ (23×12.7″) inch loaf pan. 

Can I make a flour-free or gluten-free orange cake?

Yes! We have a wonderful gluten-free orange polenta cake you can try. Perfect after a Passover seder meal. 

Do I have to weigh the ingredients?  

Weighing baking ingredients on a kitchen scale is always best. If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon & sweep method – loosely fill a measuring cup with flour to the top, then sweep across the rim with a knife.

Can I make a lower-calorie, lower-fat version of this easy orange cake recipe?  

Yes, you can substitute half the butter with unsweetened applesauce for a lower-fat, lower-calorie version. 

Shortcuts

  • If you can find fresh oranges with a very thin layer of white pith beneath the orange skin, by all means, use the whole orange. Otherwise, I suggest removing some or most of the bitter white pith. 
  • Skip the orange buttercream glaze or icing. Just dust the top of the cake with icing [confectioner] sugar. 

Make Ahead

  • The whole orange cake can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container to keep it fresh and moist. 
  • This is a great recipe for freezing too. The cake can also be frozen for 2-3 months. 
slice of Whole Orange Cake on plate with orange slices p

Other delicious cake recipes

If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟with a comment in the recipe card below. Thanks so much!

Print Recipe Pin Save Recipe

Rate this recipe here

4.91 from 42 votes

Whole Orange Cake Recipe (super moist)

Super moist and bursting with fresh orange flavor, this whole orange cake will become a new favorite. Rich, sweet and citrusy. Eat it unadorned or drizzle on an orange buttercream glaze to take it over the top. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
cooling30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian
Servings: 12
Author: Cheryl Avrich

Equipment

  • food processor (or blender), medium-large mixing bowl, 9" (23cm) springform pan, Note 1 for other pan options.

Ingredients

whole orange cake

  • 2 large seedless oranges about 184g each
  • 3/4 cups butter, cut in chunks 1 1/2 sticks
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (use an extra 1/4 cup/50g if oranges aren't too sweet)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups all purpose flour Note 2
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt skip if using salted butter

orange glaze or buttercream frosting (optional) Note 3

  • 1 cup icing sugar also called confectioners or powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon butter, softened
  • 1 orange (use half an orange for fresh orange juice and zest) other half for decoration
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
US Measures – Metric

Instructions

  • HEAT OVEN TO 350F/177C. Spray 9 inch (23cm) springform pan with oil. Note 1 for other pan options.
  • PREPARE ORANGES: Using a sharp knife, place orange on cutting board and slice off the thin top orange layer all around the orange. Try to get as little of the white pith layer as possible (leaving on some is fine – no need to obsess!). Then slice off the white pith layer and discard. Repeat with second orange. Cut oranges into quarters. Shortcut: If your oranges only have a very thin layer of pith, you can use the whole orange.
  • CREAM BUTTER, SUGAR, EGGS: Place butter, sugar and eggs in food processor bowl. Process for 2 minutes at high speed until fluffy and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl once or twice. Scoop mixture into medium-large bowl.
  • GRIND ORANGES: Place oranges and orange peels in food processor. No need to clean out processor first. Process until finely blended, about 1 minute. Scrape orange mixture into bowl with butter mixture.
  • FINISH BATTER: Add flour mixture of flour and baking powder. Gently fold into wet mixture just until incorporated. Do NOT over mix or the cake will be dense. Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on counter to level the batter evenly.
  • BAKE: for 45-50 minutes or until cake no longer jiggles when shaken and when cake tester or toothpick is inserted in center and comes out clean. Two 8" round pans will take less time, about 25-35 minutes. Timing depends on size of oranges (amount of liquid in cake) and your oven (all ovens are different and not perfectly accurate on temperatures). Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing on pan. Cool completely on cooling rack before frosting.
  • MAKE FROSTING/GLAZE (OPTIONAL): While cake is baking, whisk icing/confectioner sugar, 1/2 of orange juice and orange zest with a fork in a small bowl. Add more orange juice until you get the consistency you like. Note 3 for traditional orange buttercream frosting.
  • DECORATE: Sprinkle orange cake with powdered icing sugar (through a sieve) if not using frosting. If using frosting/glaze, spread it on top of cake letting it slip down the sides if desired. Decorate cake with orange zest strips, orange slices, drained mandarin oranges, a little bit of zest or crushed nuts if you like.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. Pan options: Dimensions of cake pans will change the timing of baking cakes so always keep your eye on the doneness in the last 10 minutes or so. For the orange cake recipe, you can use a 9″ (23cm) springform pan (what I use), two 8″ (20cm)round pans (for two layers), an 8″ (20cm) square pan, a 9″ round pan or 9×5′ (23×12.7″) inch loaf pan. 
  2. Flour options: You can substitute 1/4 of the flour (1/2 cup/68g) with almond flour or whole wheat flour.
  3. Orange frosting/glaze: The recipe makes enough of a thinner frosting/glaze to cover the top of the cake. If you want a thicker, more traditional buttercream frosting, use 1 1/2 cups (180g) icing sugar, 1/4 cup (4 tbsp, 1/2 stick or 57g) butter and 2-3 tbsp orange juice. It might be easier to use a food processor or hand electric mixer if making the traditional frosting (instead of a fork).
  4. Other frosting options:
    • A chocolate buttercream frosting like we use on our best banana cake would also be fantastic because chocolate and orange are a perfect match. 
    • Or try this cream cheese frosting from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Add orange zest if you like.
  5. Lower calorie, lower fat version: Substitute half the butter with unsweetened applesauce using 6 tbsp butter and 6 tbsp apple sauce. And skip the frosting (just dust with icing sugar)
  6. Make Ahead:
    • The whole orange cake can be stored at room temperature for 3-4 days in an airtight container to keep it fresh and moist. 
    • The cake can also be frozen for 2-3 months. 
 
Nutrition values are estimates and include the orange buttercream frosting. 

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 681IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!
4.91 from 42 votes (31 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




41 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was a lovely cake! Thank you for the recipe!
    I did drop the sugar to 170g (same as the butter) and this amount of sweetness is perfect for us.
    Added a small amount of cooked orange sweet potato to intensify the colour and orange oil (I have made) for more orange flavour.
    Baked it in a loaf pan with sliced oranges and filleted almonds on top.
    A stunner! Thank you!

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Everyone LOVED this cake!:)). One person called it divine, another, a chocolate lover went on and on about it, others said they LOVED it!:))) It is very moist and strong orange flavor. Mine looked like the close up of your sliced pic. I did weigh my naval oranges, and used less of them as they were big, to get the weight you recommended. Not doing that will get different results, i am sure. Also, my pith was rather thin….so, more orange. I did use a vegetable peeler with light pressure to get the rind off. it worked great for taking off very little pith. I did make 2 X the recipe. One in a metal 9″ square pan and the other in a heavy glass 8″ square pan, which took much longer to bake. Thanks So very much for this recipe!:))

    Reply

    1. If you are looking to replace the baking powder with baking soda, they are not actually interchangeable. Baking powder contains both acidic and alkaline components, while baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate and requires an acidic ingredient to activate it (and it’s stronger than baking powder). In a pinch for this recipe, you can try 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon cream of tarter to replace the 2 teaspoons baking powder. Keep in mind that the texture of the cake may be altered a bit. Hope that helps.

      Reply