Moist Orange Cake Recipe
This super moist orange cake is rich, tender, and full of fresh citrus flavor. Made with whole oranges and simple pantry ingredients, it’s easy to prepare in a food processor and delicious plain or topped with orange buttercream.
Servings (change as needed): 12
Ingredients
whole orange cake
- 2 large seedless oranges about 184g each
- ¾ cups butter, cut in chunks 1½ sticks
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (use an extra ¼ cup/50g if oranges aren't too sweet)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour Note 2
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ 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
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
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
Notes
- Pan options: Different pan sizes will affect baking time, so start checking for doneness during the last 10 minutes. You can use:
- 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan (what I use)
- Two 8-inch (20 cm) round pans (for a layer cake)
- 8-inch (20 cm) square pan
- 9-inch round pan
- 9×5-inch (23×12.7 cm) loaf pan
- Flour options: You can substitute up to 1/4 of the flour (in this recipe, 1/2 cup/68g) with almond flour or whole wheat flour. More than that will make the cake dense.
- Orange frosting/glaze: The recipe makes enough thinner frosting/glaze to cover the top of the cake. If you want a thicker, more traditional buttercream frosting (easier with a food processor or electric mixer, use:
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) icing sugar,
- 1/4 cup butter ((4 tbsp/1/2 stick/57g) and
- 2-3 tbsp orange juice.
- Other frosting options:
- A chocolate buttercream frosting like we use on our best banana cake is a fantastic option because chocolate and orange are a perfect match.
- Or try this cream cheese frosting from our blueberry cake recipe. Add orange zest to it if you like.
- Lower calorie, lower fat version: Substitute half the butter with unsweetened applesauce using 6 tbsp butter and 6 tbsp applesauce. 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.
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