This orange cake is bursting with bright orange flavor thanks to using fresh orange juice, zest, and orange glaze. All you need is a bowl, whisk, and 10 minutes of active time.
Next time try these rhubarb scones.
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A favorite tea time cake, that I've always relied on when I have unexpected guests. Finished off with a simple orange sugar glaze and ribbons of whipped cream for an elegant look. If you are looking for a more complex flavor profile, try this saffron infused orange cake, you will love it.
Orange cake
- So simple and easy no especial equipment needed just a whisk and a bowl.
- Finish it off with an orange simple syrup, blood orange glaze or even dust with powdered sugar.
This cake is a savior as it is very simple dump and mix kind of cakes. Make it in a loaf pan, a round cake pan or use mini loaf pans the choice in yours. I've made this cake in several occasions before and it never failed me, much like this marble chocolate cake.
Keeping the spirit of simplicity, I finished off the cake with simple orange sugar glaze and some orange slices. You can use this light cream cheese and yogurt frosting if you would like to.
Ingredients you'll need
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
Adaptable recipe – make it your own!
- Change cake topping and you will have a new cake each time. Try topping your cake with crushed nuts like pistachios or almond slices.
- Try some fresh edible flowers especially in spring.
- Candied orange peel or simply dust with some powdered sugar.
- Adding blood oranges makes everyone excited.
- Mix in some chocolate chips with the batter or chopped nuts.
Before you begin: essential tools
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- 9x5 -inch loaf pan
- Mixing bowls
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Step by step: instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet cake ingredients and sugar.
- Mix everything well with a whisk.
- Sift flour and baking powder over the wet ingredients.
- Mix the flour mixture well using the whisk.
- Pour cake batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake until done. Take out and let it cool down on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, make a simple glaze by combining confectioners’ sugar and orange juice then pour the glaze on top of the cake. Garnish with some whipped cream ribbons and orange slices.
My notes
- I used to use ½ cup oil and ¼ cup sour cream in making this recipe. Sour cream adds richness and moistness to the cake. But, many of you expressed that they do not usually use sour cream, so I've made it entirely with oil.
- Oils to use, I actually used to make this cake with canola or vegetable oil. Looking for a healthier options I used avocado oil this time, this is healthier but for sure not the most economical one. I do not recommend using extra version olive oil or coconut oil as they both will affect the taste of the cake.
- You can use butter instead of oil, cake will still be tasty but not as moist.
- This cake keeps well on the counter for 3 days, in the fridge for 10 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months. If you decided to make a cream cheese frosting then you'll have to refrigerate the cake.
- If egg free baking is your style check out these vegan egg substitute for baking.
I've been making this cake on several occasions and it served me well. I served it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, made a simple orange sugar glaze or this cream cheese yogurt frosting. It is so good in all forms.
Storage
Refrigerate- Place leftover cake in an airtight container and refrigerate, should keep well for a week.
Freeze- This orange loaf freezes very well for up to 3 months.
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
To complement the vibrant flavors of an orange cake, consider serving it with a dollop of Chantilly cream, which adds a luxurious, velvety contrast to the cake's citrusy zest.
Pair the dessert with a warm cup of Karak tea or Milk tea for a milder option.
On hot summer days I like to serve slices of this loaf topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Fresh fruits on top and a drizzle of Hot Fudge Sauce makes the cake visually appealing.
Scrumptious desserts
If you enjoy the vibrant flavors of the orange cake, you’ll love exploring other cake options that bring their own unique charm to the table. Lemon Poke Cake or Raspberry Poke Cake are a perfect choice for fruit lovers.
This orange loaf is going to be your go to dessert when you’re after something not overly sweet that’s fuss-free to make. I lean on this lovely quick bread recipe when I have unexpected guests. I hope you'll try it soon.
Orange Loaf Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (160g)
- ¾ cup oil (175ml)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (235ml)
- 1-2 Tablespoon orange zest
- 2 cups all purpose flour (270g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted (50g)
- 2-4 Tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, add the first 6 ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Sift flour and baking powder over the wet ingredients.
- Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients until smooth.
- Pour batter into a prepared loaf tin.
- Bake in the middle rack for 40 - 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool completely.
Make the glaze:
- Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Place the cake on a rack then place on a baking sheet.
- Pour glaze over the cake and decorate with some orange slices.
Notes
- I used to use ½ cup oil and ¼ cup sour cream in making this recipe. Sour cream adds richness and moistness to the cake. But, many of you expressed that they do not usually use sour cream so I've made it entirely with oil.
- Oils to use, I actually used to make this cake with canola or vegetable oil. Looking for a healthier option I used avocado oil this time, this is healthier but for sure not the most economical one. I do not recommend using extra version olive oil or coconut oil as they both will affect the taste of the cake.
- You can use butter instead of oil, cake will still be tasty but not as moist.
- Add extra orange zest if you would like to for more orange flavor if you feel this is not enough for your taste.
- Using fresh oranges is highly recommended.
- The glaze here is more of a light syrup consistency and not as thick because we did not appreciate a thicker one. You can double the powdered sugar in the glaze to get a thicker consistency.
- I added some whipping cream white ribbons on the cake just for extra decorations. You do not need to do this.
- This cake keeps well on the counter for 3 days, in the fridge for 10 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months. If you decided to make a cream cheese frosting then you'll have to refrigerate the cake.
Nutrition
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Zainab
I am about to start preparing this treat but what size of loaf tin did you use Amira?
Amira
Zainab, it is the standard 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Zainab
I made this cake with Almond flour this time and it was just awesome!! and super healthy
Mish
I was so happy to see this comment. Was looking to see if anyone made it with almond flour. So glad you posted this will definitely try it now. Cheers
Neva
This is amazing. It took four oranges to acquire 1 cup of juice, and to my surprise, 3 of them were blood oranges, but I forged ahead. I used 2 Tbsp of zest, as I like strong flavors. I had no more oranges, so I didn’t make the glaze. So glad I took a chance.
Chantal
Helo Amira I'm busy making yur orange cake was so easy to follow but I didn't have sour cream so I used plain jogurt ♀️hope it comes out ok
Will let you know
Thkyu have an amazing day
Mimi
What a great tasting orange loaf! AND, so easy to prepare. Will definitely make this recipe again! Thank you!
Zai
Hi..I have baked the orange moist cake according to your recipe , simple and turned out great.
Cheri
I just made this recipe using blood orange olive oil! Yumm!
Maha
Superb!
Anna Likousis
Thank you again for your beautiful recipe.
Anna
Ryan
Not very good. It turned out very dry and cooked on the outside way to fast before the inside. Also practically tasteless.
I like many of her other recipes, but this one didn't turn out very well.
Amira
Ryan, I lost count of how many times I've made this cake and I always get rave reviews. I cannot understand why it came out dry or tasteless I wish I was there in your kitchen to see.
Luisa
I always make this cake and it turns out great - it’s one of my clients favorites - you must have missed something from the recipe for it to turn out dry and tasteless
Amira
Thanks Luisa for your reply, I actually had this recipe double checked too just to make sure I did not miss something and all feedback was great. Thanks again.
Sarah
Ryan I came here to say mine was exactly the same as yours and I was surprised because Amira’s pantry is my go to for recipes. Hours later I realized later that I accidentally forgot to add the oil! Maybe you forgot an ingredient?
Colleen
It's in the oven right now! I have anxiety and baked to get myself moving. Can't wait to try it!
Kellie R
Can’t wait to try this with my bible study women’s group tomorrow morning. It looks and smells wonderful! Thank You for sharing.
Btw, very easy to make !
Amira
Thanks Kellie, let me know how it went with you.
Silvia Mashuda
I'M DEFINITELY MAKING THIS RECIPE TODAY
Kady
Hello! I ended up with a bunch of oranges that weren’t super easy to peel so no one in the family was eating them. I found your recipe, and it was a great treat! Thank you!
Julie
THE most amazing,delicious,super moist orange cake I have ever had !!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe❤️
Love from Greece
Amira
Thanks Julie, happy you liked it.
John / Kitchen Riffs
Such a great cake! Reminds me of one my mom used to make, although this is more moist and luscious. Good stuff -- thanks.
Deepti
I tried your orange cake recipe today Amira, loved the texture and flavor of the cake:) Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
emma south london
This sounds so fresh and light, Amira - I'm actually going to try it with Lemons, as I've got several left over just now and can't resist this recipe!
Your photos are so beautiful, too.
Emma 🙂
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
So easy and so good! Even though some 'feathers were ruffled', I found the above discussion to be useful. Happy holidays to you Amira!
Amira
Disagreeing is always good and beneficial. I know our taste buds are different, I'm just very amazed that it turned out dense .. I wish I would have been there to help.
Easyfoodsmith
Citrus flavored cakes are my favorite. I LOVE them 😀
Marie
Easy and good. You know this talks to me Amira. Can't wait to be home to try. And I am sure it's one you can also try making with kids, which double the fun!
Thanks and have a lovely week dear.
Coffee and Crumpets
Cake looks great, Amira! I love citrus cakes and ones with sour cream or yoghurt come out very moist. I make mine with lemon 🙂
Nazneen
Rosie W.
I never make cakes from scratch. They come out horribly dry. I followed this recipe to the letter and it is absolutely fabulous! I used a bundt pan, and the cake was done after 45 minutes in the oven. I love the orange flavor so I increased the zest to a 1Tbsp and it turned out awesome. I'll be making this again for Christmas. Thank you for a great and easy recipe.
ام اسماء
Did anyone else try baking this cake? I tried it and followed the recipe exactly as written, except used vanilla extract (instead of the vanilla powder called for) I used a bundt pan as called for, even though it seems she used loaf pans....
It turned out overly dense, really no orange flavor, and just overall a really bad cake. any tips??
Amira
Hmmm Strange!! This cake is a fool proof one, I even had my kids make it all by themselves yesterday as it does not require any special skills. Are you sure you've added the Baking powder? May be it is old..Don't overmix or overbake the cake. I've made this in bundt and in loaf pans and it turned out great each time. I'm sorry it turned out this way for you.
BTW: Increase the orange zest if you need a more strong orange flavor.
Henna
I made this today and it was delicious! I too used vanilla extract, I baked all of the batter in a loaf pan for approximately 45-60 minutes, added 1/2 teaspoon salt, mixed the batter by hand, and used no orange zest because I have picky eaters in my home. The cake was flipping delicious! It's light and delicious, even with less orange flavor!
And on a side note, sorry sister, but your comment was rude was condescending. If you had a bad experience, you could word it in a nice way.
Anyway, Amira, I saw this cake last night and I just had to make it! It was delicious and my family loved it! Thank you for such a delicious recipe my dear sister! I will be making this over and over again inshAllah (Plus, I'm planning on using some of the cake for a trifle tomorrow 🙂 )
ام اسماء
I didn't mean to be rude at all. I was only asking, and giving my results in hopes that someone could give some tips, because mine unfortunately didn't turn out as the picture. And I blame myself, NOT arabianmama! So please forgive me arabianmama if I sounded rude in any way! Sometimes written thoughts can come across differently than what is intended. Hope you understand, and I definitely wanna retry this cake again, hopefully I'll be more successful! Salam 🙂
Amira
No need for your apology dear sister, I know how frustrated one can be after spending time/energy and good quality ingredients on recipes that turn out bad for the family. I'm just curious what went wrong?!! I've some followers on my Arabic blog that tried this recipe and said it was perfect!!!
Evelyen@cheapethniceatz
I just adore citrus flavored cakes like this. Love the fact that it is so easy with amazing results, looks wonderful.
David Crichton
I don't think I've seen a cake made with sour cream. I'm sure it would give this sweet orange cake a lovely edge.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You
It is always great to have recipes that one can fix quickly. This orange cake looks moist and so delicious. I wish I could have a big slice of it.
Liz
What a tasty cake! It would be wonderful at any holiday gathering! My hubby really loves orange flavored bake goods, so I know it would be a hit at my house, too.
Joanne T Ferguson
G'day Love orange cake and yours looks delicious Amrita!
Cheers! Joanne
Elle
This looks amazing. Would it work with chocolate. I love the combination of orange and chocolate flavours together and wondered how I would incorporate chocolate?
Amira
Sure, if this is your thing. I would recommend flavoring half the batter with unsweetened cocoa powder and mixing them together and swirl, you know like what we do when we make marble cakes. Or you might top it with chocolate ganache.
John@Kitchen Riffs
I love orange cake! In fact we just got some oranges today to use in cookies. May have to snatch a few for this cake. 😉 Thanks, and I hope your holidays are wonderful!