Servings
Font
Back
Orange Cake
4.9 from 624 votes

Orange Cake

This Orange Cake blends fresh orange zest and juice into a tender crumb made from a mix of all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. The zest is rubbed into the sugar before mixing, releasing natural oils and enhancing the orange flavor. After baking, the cake is glazed with a smooth mix of powdered sugar, orange zest, and juice for a bright, citrusy finish.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
Additional Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 581 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Cake:
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest (about 3 oranges)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (240ml)
  • ¾ cup orange juice about 3 oranges/180ml, fresh
  • 3 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
  • orange zest of ½
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice (about 1/2 orange)

Instructions

For the Cake:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8x4-inch loaf pan or spray with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In another large bowl, combine sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is a light orange color. Add the oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla, and whisk until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and whisk together just until all of the flour is incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
  4. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, covering loosely with foil after about an hour if it's looking very brown on top. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the Glaze:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, zest, and juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake and let it stand for 30 minutes to set. Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Rub orange zest into sugar to release oils and strengthen orange flavor before mixing.
  • Use a kitchen scale for accurate flour measurement or fluff and spoon flour carefully to avoid packing.
  • Bring eggs to room temperature before mixing for better incorporation.
  • Zest oranges before juicing to ease zesting without damaging the fruit.
  • Roll oranges before juicing to extract more juice for the batter and glaze.
  • Adjust glaze thickness to prevent it from sliding off the cooled cake.

Nutrition Information

Calories 581kcal (29%) Carbohydrates 74g (25%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 29g (45%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 16g (94%) Monounsaturated Fat 7g (35%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 61mg (20%) Sodium 138mg (6%) Potassium 128mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 42g (84%) Vitamin A 154IU (3%) Vitamin C 17mg (19%) Calcium 44mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 581

% Daily Value*

Calories 581kcal 29%
Carbohydrates 74g 25%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 29g 45%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 16g 94%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 138mg 6%
Potassium 128mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 42g 84%
Vitamin A 154IU 3%
Vitamin C 17mg 19%
Calcium 44mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.