Zesty Whole Orange Cake Recipe (Super Moist)
“Everyone LOVED this cake! 🙂 One person called it divine, another, a chocolate lover, went on and on about it!… It is very moist and strong orange flavor. Mine looked like the close up of your sliced pic…” Lynn
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.
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
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
Recipe FAQs
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 🙂
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).
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.
Yes! We have a wonderful gluten-free orange polenta cake you can try. Perfect after a Passover seder meal.
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.
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.
Other delicious cake recipes
- best banana cake with chocolate icing
- moist apple cake recipe with bourbon caramel sauce
- carrot and pineapple cake
- simplified blueberry cake with cream cheese frosting
- orange polenta cake (gluten free)
- white chocolate brownies with raspberry glaze
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Whole Orange Cake Recipe (super moist)
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
Video
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.
Recipe Notes
- 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.
- Flour options: You can substitute 1/4 of the flour (1/2 cup/68g) with almond flour or whole wheat flour.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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)
- 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.
TERRIFIC, EASY, WOW!!!
I don’t even know how I found this recipe, but I’m so glad I did. It is very easy to make and the result is over the top yummy. I used organic Valencia oranges, used a carrot peeler to get the rind. The white pith came off with no problem. I followed the directions exactly and was done with a few whirls of the food processor. Easy, clean and quick. Put powdered sugar on top before serving (completely cool cake) Presentation, taste, texture were wonderful. So glad I found this awesome recipe. THANK YOU!!!!
Thanks so much for the lovely comment Wendy – we always appreciate feedback 🙂
This recipe sounds delicious and I am going to make it. But would like to know if I can make cupcakes instead of a cake and how many cupcakes will it make? Thanks for sharing.
Hi Josie. I haven’t tried it, but I think cupcakes should be just fine. Fill the cupcake liners in a standard cupcake pan about 2/3 full. You should get about 16-18 cupcakes. Bake at the same temperature until a tester comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes. Start checking at 17 minutes – everyone’s oven is different. We’d love to hear how they come out!
I’m currently making This
Orange cake only using half a sugar and using the whole orange as my orange tree only produces oranges with a very fine rind plus they are very juicy.. 🍊
Please let us know how it turns out Vicky. I’m curious about using half the sugar.
Our Navel Orange tree is laden annually with sweet give away Oranges.
I personal am not a fan of cooked Oranges. I made this for my hubby who absolutely loves it, after tasting a bit to my delight it was delicious! I make this on a regular basis through the year for hubby and friends who can’t get enough. When in season, I process the required amount of oranges and freeze the correct quantities into freezer bags. I make this wonderful cake all through the year.
When baking, hubby walks around the house singing yummy, yummy, yummy. (To the Abba Money Tune.) in anticipation… He’s a funny 69 year old😂😂😂 who loves your cake. Thank you for sharing it.
Wonderful story Susan – thanks so much for sharing it! I am visualizing your husband walking around the house singing in anticipation of a cake! – too funny 🙂
Awesome recipe! I made it exactly as written following the instructions to discard the extra pith. Everyone LOVED it! I’ve made it several times now for different occasions and it’s been a hit every time.
Thrilled to hear that. Thanks Tish!
This whole orange cake sounds divine! ?? Super moist and packed with fresh orange flavor, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and citrusy. Whether enjoyed on its own or topped with orange buttercream, it’s sure to be a new favorite!
Hope you like it 🙂
I am guessing around 1.5 to 2 cups of pulverized orange and peel would replace the two large oranges (without the white pith). Let us know if that works!