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Home » Cake & Cupcakes » Orange Cake

Orange Cake

Published: Jan 7, 2022 by Allison · 30 Comments

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This homemade Orange Cake is bursting with the flavor of fresh oranges. A combination of orange zest and orange juice make this cake extra moist and flavorful. This bundt cake can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, or alongside a cup of afternoon tea.

We can’t get enough fresh citrus this time of year. Although eating plain oranges is delicious and all, what’s even better is using those oranges in an Orange Cake! This cake joins our other favorite bundt cakes: Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, and Banana Bundt Cake. If you love bundt cakes, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s get baking!

Overhead shot of an orange bundt cake drizzled with white icing.
Jump to:
  • Recipe overview
  • Recipe tips
  • Why this recipe works
  • Serving and storage
  • You might also like
  • Recipe

Recipe overview

This recipe has three components:

Orange cake: This cake bakes up tender and soft. Buttermilk and orange juice add moisture and orange zest and vanilla extract add flavor.

Start by creaming butter, oil, sugar, and orange zest. Add eggs and extract. Alternate adding dry ingredients with a mixture of buttermilk and orange juice. Pour the batter into a 12-cup bundt pan and bake.

Orange syrup: This orange simple syrup is equal parts orange juice and granulated sugar. Dissolve the sugar into the juice then brush or pour the syrup onto the warm cake. The cake will soak up the syrup adding even additional flavor and moisture to every bite!

Orange-vanilla icing (optional): A small batch of orange-vanilla buttercream frosting is made with butter, powdered sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and milk. Drizzle or spread the icing over the top of the cake for the perfect finishing touch.

How to make an orange cake step by step (cake batter and ingredients in glass bowl).
Orange syrup being spooned over an orange bundt cake.

Recipe tips

  • Make sure you have plenty of oranges. I recommend about 7 large oranges to ensure you have enough zest and juice for all components of the recipe.
  • Don’t have buttermilk? Try one of these buttermilk substitutes.
  • Use a fine microplane style grater for the orange zest. Only grate the orange skin, not the white pith.
  • I recommend a stand mixer for this recipe. There is a large volume of batter and I find that a stand mixer with a paddle attachment works best.
  • Grease your bundt pan really well. I use a non-stick spray that contains flour. Wait to spray the pan until right before you add the batter.
  • Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. You want to remove it when it is still slightly warm (so that the orange syrup will soak in) but not when the cake is hot (it might fall apart).
Slice of orange bundt cake on a white plate with a gold fork.

Why this recipe works

A combination of butter and oil. Butter for flavor and oil for moisture.

A whole cup of buttermilk in the cake for moisture, tang, and texture.

Adding orange syrup while the cake is warm allows the syrup to get absorbed into the cake.

Fresh orange juice and orange zest in the cake, syrup, and icing for maximum flavor.

Serving and storage

Serving: Serve at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.

Storage: Store tightly covered at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days. The cake may also be frozen (double wrapped) for up to 3 months.

Slice of orange bundt cake on a white plate with a gold fork.

You might also like

  • Lemon Crumb Bars
  • Lemon coconut cake topped with frosting and shredded coconut
    Lemon Coconut Cake
  • Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and orange sprinkles on a white plate.
    Chocolate Orange Cupcakes
  • Slice of Lemon Cream Pie
    Lemon Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

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Recipe

Slice of orange bundt cake on a white plate with a gold fork.

Orange Cake

This homemade Orange Cake is bursting with the flavor of fresh oranges. A combination of orange zest and orange juice make this cake extra moist and flavorful. This bundt cake can be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert, or alongside a cup of afternoon tea.
5 from 27 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 14
Calories: 445kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup finely grated orange zest, from about 5 large oranges
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Syrup:

  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Icing:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
  • 1 tablespoon half and half or milk
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Set aside a 12-cup bundt pan (don't grease it just yet).
  • In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, oil, sugar, and orange zest on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Beat until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • In a liquid measuring cup combine orange juice and buttermilk.
  • Add one third of the dry ingredients to the sugar/egg mixture, beat until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk, beating until just combining. Repeat adding half the remaining flour, all the remaining buttermilk, then the last bit of flour, beating between each addition. Stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is completely combined.
  • Thoroughly grease a 12-cup bundt pan (I use nonstick spray with flour in it). Pour the batter into the pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes (don't invert it yet). Proceed with syrup as you approach the end of the 30 minute cool time.

Syrup:

  • Combine orange juice and sugar in a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Cook until the juice begins to bubble. Carefully remove it and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  • After 30 minutes of cooling, carefully invert the cake directly onto a cooling rack. Place a large piece of parchment paper or foil under the rack to catch any drips of syrup.
  • Spoon or brush the syrup onto the cake. The cake should still be a bit warm so it will soak up the syrup. Allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding with the icing.

Icing:

  • Using a hand mixer or stand fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add milk, zest, and extract, beating until smooth and combined. Adjust the consistency of the frosting by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or more half and half to thin it out. Drizzle or spread the icing on top of the cooled cake (I placed it in a ziptop bag with the corner snipped for easy application). Grate some additional orange zest over the top, if desired.

Notes

Serving: Serve at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
Storage: Store tightly covered at cool room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days. The cake may also be frozen (double wrapped) for up to 3 months.
Tips:
  • Make sure you have plenty of oranges. I recommend about 7 large oranges to ensure you have enough zest and juice for all components of the recipe.
  • Don’t have buttermilk? Try one of these buttermilk substitutes.
  • Use a fine microplane style grater for the orange zest. Only grate the orange skin, not the white pith.
  • I recommend a stand mixer for this recipe. There is a large volume of batter and I find that a stand mixer with a paddle attachment works best.
  • Grease your bundt pan really well. I use a non-stick spray that contains flour. Wait to spray the pan until right before you add the batter.
  • Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. You want to remove it when it is still slightly warm (so that the orange syrup will soak in) but not when the cake is hot (it might fall apart).

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 403IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Christine Garcia

    February 23, 2023 at 5:04 pm

    5 stars
    The cake turned out great ! Light and fluffy ! Very nice texture. The flavor was also very nice, not a heavy orange flavor , which was a welcoming outcome.
    The orange syrup gave it a nice touch of moisture.
    The frosting was a very nice flavor as well .

    Reply
    • Allison

      February 27, 2023 at 10:12 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind review.

      Reply
  2. Alicia

    March 24, 2023 at 2:50 pm

    Hello, this cake looks lovely. Could you substitute lemon for orange? thank you

    Reply
    • Allison

      March 25, 2023 at 10:43 am

      Hi! You probably could although I think you might need to reduce the juice a bit so it isn’t too tart. I have several other lemon cakes if you want to try one of those: Lemon Blueberry Bundt, Lemon Olive Oil Cake, Lemon Crumb Cake.

      Reply
  3. Holly

    April 07, 2023 at 4:08 pm

    5 stars
    This came out delicious! The cake is very moist and buttery. It has a good amount of orange flavor, you can tell it’s an orange cake but it isn’t overwhelming.

    Reply
    • Allison

      April 10, 2023 at 9:32 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jenny

    April 26, 2023 at 11:50 pm

    Hi Allison!

    I’d like to try your recipe but as a small batch. I can use either my square 7×3 or my square 8×2. Would I be okay reducing by half and not using a bundt pan? Or would that mess with the chemistry/outcome??

    Reply
    • Allison

      April 27, 2023 at 9:04 am

      Hi, Jenny. I have only made the recipe as written so I can’t say for sure. I would assume you could halve the recipe and use an 8×8 or maybe a 9×9. If it seems like you have too much batter you can make a couple cupcakes or discard the rest. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Jenny

        April 28, 2023 at 3:48 am

        Thanks for the reply, Allison!

        How much batter does this recipe produce?

        I love this combination of ingredients (both butter and oil & buttermilk) and always feel like this blend of fats works out best so I really want to make it work.

      • Allison

        April 28, 2023 at 8:34 am

        I don’t know how much batter exactly. I use a 12-cup bundt cake pan.

  5. sonja

    May 23, 2023 at 12:30 pm

    Hi, 1/4 cup orange zest barely takes 1 orange.

    Reply
    • Allison

      June 04, 2023 at 10:31 am

      In my experience I’ve needed more than one orange. But do what works for you. Enjoy!

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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