Orange bundt cake recipe perfumed with saffron and turmeric for an amazing color. Super quick to whip up, this moist cake is a lovely dessert for all occasions!
Next time try this readers' approved saffron dessert.
This orange bundt cake is just the right flavor, nothing is overpowering here. A sunny cake with bright orange flavor to feed your soul as well as your body.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- Warm spices taste heavenly all year long
- Introduce your family to new flavors with the combination of orange, saffron and turmeric.
- Easy recipe takes only about 10 minutes of active prep time
📝 Ingredients
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.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Add saffron, turmeric to hot water and let it bloom for 15 minutes. Pour in buttermilk, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice mixing everything well together.
- Sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and egg yolk one at a time until well incorporated.
- Now alternatively add the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients to the butter mixture until they are all mixed but do not over mix.
- Pour the batter in a Bundt and bake until done. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
💡 Expert Tips
To avoid over mixing, I use a spoon to mix in the last addition of dry ingredients.
🍽️ Serve With
- Make any frosting you like, this goes very well with cream cheese frosting. I've made a simple sugar-orange glaze and it turned out beautiful and delicious.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Serve plain or frosted with orange slices, fresh fruits or chopped nuts.
💬 FAQs
It is believed that it originated in Greece, other sources say the eastern countries in the Mediterranean. These days saffron is cultivated in Iran, India, Morocco and Greece.
Good saffron smells sweet but never tastes sweet! Yes, if you put a thread saffron in your mouth and it tasted sweet then it is fake. There is also the smell, it is earthy yet sweet.. do you get it? Another test for saffron is that real saffron when out in water it colors the water but the threads do not lose their color. And as a rule, do not buy ground saffron, it is usually fake.
According to WebMD, saffron might be used to help in so many medical issues. Starting from coughing, Asthma, insomnia,... to cancer and Alzheimer's disease. There is no sufficient evidence for some of those diseases so read more and always check with your doctor of course.
Usually, saffron threads should be measured then crushed and let the powder steep in hot water/milk or any liquid, in our case water.
Related Recipes
- A dreamy, creamy, no bake dessert. A simple combination of coffee, cocoa, and mascarpone cheese. Tiramisu is a fabulous Italian layered dessert that is perfect for entertaining.
- Orange cake recipe is a moist, lightly sweet cake made with fresh oranges and topped with orange slices.
- Red velvet bundt cake is an incredibly easy cake, a classic with a signature tangy flavor and deep red color. This decadent delight has been a family and friends favorite for years.
- Revani is a classic Mediterranean semolina cake drenched in lemon infused simple syrup and topped with coconut flakes.
- Best fluffy marshmallow frosting recipe, easy to make with a handful of ingredients. This is the perfect frosting for cakes and cupcakes.
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Orange Bundt Cake with Saffron
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon boiling water
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 ¼ sticks (1 ⅛ cup) unsalted butter room temperature.
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk large.
Glaze (optional)
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 cuo chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 12 cup bundt pan with butter or spray with baking spray.
- In a cup mix saffron, turmeric and hot water together and let it steep for 15 minutes.
- Add buttermilk, vanilla, orange juice and zest to the saffron mixture and mix well.
- In a large bowl, sift in flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
- Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale.
- Beat in eggs one by one then add the yolk.
- Add flour mixture alternating with saffron mixture mixing after each addition.*
- Pour batter into the bundt cake and bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan then let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whisk glaze ingredients well then pour over the cake
- Decorate with some chopped pistachios.
Video
Notes
- * To avoid over-mixing, start and end with the flour mixture. With the last addition of flour mixture mix with a wooden spoon instead of your mixer.
Nutrition
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First published Oct 27, 2018 . Last updated January 2, 2023 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.
👩🏫 My Experience
I'm used to using saffron in rice, but I fell in love with cakes made with saffron when I was making this flavored saffron and cardamom cake, it was amazingly delicious and it was the first time I use saffron in desserts.
I've read an article about saffron in a Costco magazine lately and I was reminded of the saffron I bought from Egypt a year ago!!. It was completely forgotten for a whole year.. can you believe that.
The article mentioned that saffron appeared in 50,000 year old cave paintings in Iraq and ancient Greek. Alexander the great used it to heal wounds and the mighty Cleopatra used to bath in it!!! Reckless behavior Cleo, these stuff are expensive!
Anyways, So I wanted to make another saffron dessert, but kept wondering what other flavors to add. I know already that cardamom goes very well with saffron but I needed something else.
After a lot of searching and experimenting here it comes a soft, fluffy with a melt in your mouth texture cake. Perfectly sweetened and very balanced between saffron, orange and turmeric. This orange bundt cake will brighten your day.
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Nathan
Oh, this cake is amazing. I received a gift of saffron from a friend and wasn't sure what to make with it, but I knew I wanted something sweet, so I googled saffron dessert recipes and decided on this one and I'm very glad I did! The orange flavour is beautiful, subtle enough that you don't get a figurative punch in the face from the citrus but definitely there, and the aroma and undertones of the saffron are unlike anything I've ever made before. I'll definitely be keeping this recipe around, thank you!
Joslyn
Hi! I am looking to make this recipe, but I dont understand under the nutrition facts it states that it is 339 Kcal, which translates to 339000 calories, I just wanted to clarify if this was correct or if it was meant to be cal instead of Kcal
Amira
Nooo, that would be terrible Joslyn. Kcal means kilocalorie but it is another word for what's commonly called a calorie, so 1,000 calories will be written as 1,000kcals.
Catherine Jacobs
CAN I SUBSTITUTE FOR PART OF THE RECIPE A BOX CAKE MIX? IF SO, HOW? IT'S THAT SOME OF US HAVE LIMITED TIME AND ARE DEPLETED OF ENERGY. THANK YOU.
Amira
I haven't tried that before Catherine, sorry. But I am coming up with more easier cakes using cake mixes so stay tuned.
LJ
You have to like saffron to enjoy this cake. The recipe itself is good. The cake came out perfect, moist with the perfect crumb. For me however,(and everyone else that tried it) the saffron ruined it as it sits with you long after you have eaten a piece of this cake. Maybe too much saffron on my part but it didn't look like a whole lot when its added in so as a previous comment suggests, maybe just a very small pinch. I will actually use this recipe for any other citrus based cake.....leaving out the saffron and turmeric next time.
brenda
your giving this recipe 2 stars because of your own unrefined palate lmaooo imagine that?
Nancy Karlen
Amira-
I am sure your cake will make me that star of the refreshment table at garden club next month!! A bunch of wonderful ingredients!! Thank you so much for posting.... and my family had a variation on your end of week / clean out the fridge chicken soup tonight for dinner.. solved the problem and tasted great!!!
I do so enjoy your recipes!
Amira
Thank you so much Nancy, happy that you liked the soup.
Candace
Cake looks delish! How do you measure the saffron, because you are using saffron threads, not sure what amount of threads equals a 1/2 tsp??? Thanks
Amira
Candace, you see it is like when we say a tablespoon of parsley. I would say a generous pinch. I hope this helps.
Anna
This looks delicious! I’m planning on making it tomorrow but I’m confused about the butter quantity. Can you clarify?
Amira
Anna, sorry for the confusion it is 1 1/8 cups = 2 1/4 sticks. Thank you for spotting this.