Orange Cake
Published 2/19/2024
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Say hello to your new favorite loaf cake! This gorgeous orange cake is made with fresh orange juice, orange zest and a silky orange glaze, which means you’ll get a burst of citrus in every bite.
I still can’t get over how absolutely delightful this orange cake is! It’s perfectly citrusy and sweet thanks to fresh orange juice, orange zest AND topped with a simple orange glaze to boot. It’s a perfect cake for breakfast or dessert — speaking from experience 😀
You’ll love how simple and easy it is to make this orange cake — everything comes together in less than an hour. And whatever you do, don’t skip the amazing orange glaze. It’s the perfect icing on the cake.
Ingredients for Orange Cake
- Dry ingredients: The foundation of our orange cake features all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a touch of kosher salt for perfect texture and flavor balance.
- Wet ingredients: Here comes the flavor — we’re blending creamy unsalted butter, granulated sugar, almond extract, vibrant orange zest, and eggs and completing it with the refreshing taste of orange juice.
- Orange glaze: Elevate this orange cake with a luscious glaze that comes together with powdered sugar, almond extract, orange zest, and fresh orange juice. Garnish with a sprinkle of slivered almonds for a delightful finishing touch.
Is this orange cake super sweet?
We wanted to create a cake that wasn’t too overly sweet so that you could really taste and enjoy the orange flavors. If you like a sweeter cake, feel free to go crazy with the glaze on top!
Easy Ingredient Swaps
Butter –> coconut oil: This recipe was tested with softened coconut oil in place of butter and it worked quite well, so this is a great alternative if you’re hoping to keep this recipe dairy free.
Almond extract –> vanilla extract: If you don’t like the flavor of almond extract, vanilla extract works, too.
Slivered almonds: We love the look and flavor of slivered almonds on this cake, but feel free to omit or swap with another nut.
Top Tips
If you are baking at altitude, the bake time may vary. Our photographer baked this in Denver, and it took closer to 50 minutes to fully bake.
Allow the cake to fully cool before frosting: You must wait for the cake to cool completely or the glaze will melt and soak into the cake.
try it!
Coconut Loaf Cake
Love this orange cake? Then you HAVE to try our light and fluffy coconut loaf cake recipe.
Storage + Freezer Instructions
Store this orange cake in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze this orange loaf? If you’re planning to freeze this cake, we suggest freezing it before frosting. Let the cake cool completely and then tightly wrap it with a piece of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Orange Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup orange juice
Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk the ingredients together. Set aside
- Next, add the butter to a large bowl and beat it with an electric or standing mixer. Add the sugar, almond extract, and orange zest and mix until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add 1 egg at a time until the egg is combined with the mixture.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl a few times. Add the orange juice and mix on low until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Transfer the cake batter to the lined loaf pan and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the loaf pan, and bake the cake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top of the bread bounces back when you poke the top.
- While the bread is baking, add the powdered sugar, almond extract, and orange zest to a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of orange juice at a time until the glaze is thick and smooth.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it sit in the pan for 2 minutes. Gently lift the loaf out of the pan by lifting the edges of the parchment paper. Place the loaf on a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely before pouring the glaze over the bread. Top the glaze with almonds. Slice and serve.
Tips & Notes
- This recipe was tested with softened coconut oil in place of butter and it also worked.
- If you don’t like almond extract, vanilla extract works, too.
- If you are baking at altitude, the bake time may vary.
- You must wait for the bread to cool completely or the glaze will melt and soak into the bread.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
Hey! Would it be the same if I use almond flour instead?