Orange Cake Recipe

Do you love the taste of oranges? If so, you’re going to love this delicious Orange Cake recipe. This cake is light and fluffy and bursting with orange flavor.

So go ahead and try this fantastic Orange Cake recipe today! If you like lemon flavor, I can also recommend Paula’s delicious Limoncello Pound Cake recipe!

Ingredients

Flour: All-purpose flour is the easiest to start with. You can also use cake flour, a more delicate type of flour, or whole wheat pastry flour if you want to make it healthier.

Cornmeal: This will add a little bit of flavor and texture to the cake. If you don’t have cornmeal on hand, you can leave it out.

Sugar: I like to use white sugar in this recipe because it doesn’t compete with the orange flavor. You could also use brown sugar if you want a richer flavor.

Baking powder: This is what helps make the cake light and fluffy

Egg: The egg helps bind the ingredients together and gives the cake some structure

Salt: A little bit of salt goes a long way in bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients

Oil: I like to use vegetable oil, but any type of oil will work. 

Orange juice: Fresh orange juice is best, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can use store-bought Orange juice

Vanilla: I like to add a little bit of vanilla extract to my cakes. It enhances the flavor of the oranges.

Zest: The orange zest adds a pleasant orange flavor and color to the cake

Butter: I like to grease my bundt pan with butter so that the cake pops right out when it’s done. You can also use cooking spray if you want.

Powdered sugar: I like to glaze my Orange cake with simple powdered sugar and water or orange mixture. 

How to make Orange Cake

Preheat oven to 340° F / 170° C. Grease a bundt pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together the egg and the sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl. Add the oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and whisk until well combined.

Gradually sift in the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well combined. Add the orange zest and stir until well combined.

Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool down. Drizzle 3 Tbsp of fresh orange juice over the cake and let it cool down. Mix powdered sugar with some orange juice until desired consistency is achieved.

Pour the glazing over the cake and sit for a bit before serving. Grate a little orange zest on top for decoration, if desired. Enjoy! Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips & Tricks

• If you want a more intense orange flavor, try adding some Orange marmalade to the batter.
• Replace the oil with butter for a richer flavor.
• If you want your cake to be moister, poke a few tiny holes into the top of the freshly baked cake using a toothpick. Then, drizzle a little more orange juice over the cake and let it soak in.
• If you’re not a fan of cornmeal, you can leave it out altogether and just add the same amount of all-purpose flour or almond flour.
• You can also use other types of citrus fruit in this recipe, such as lemons or limes. Just make sure to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit.
• If your cake is browning too quickly on top, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil halfway through baking.
• You can also add some poppy seeds to the batter for a bit of crunch.
• Finally, you can also add chopped walnuts or pecans for extra flavor and texture.

Variations

You can get very creative and try different variations of this Orange Cake recipe.

• Lemon Poppy Seed Orange Cake: Add poppy seeds to the batter and replace some of the all-purpose flour with lemon zest.
• Pineapple Orange Cake: Replace some of the all-purpose flour with pineapple juice and add diced fresh or canned pineapple to the batter.
• Chocolate Orange Cake: Add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to the batter, and top with Chocolate Orange Glaze.
• Berry Orange Cake: Replace some of the all-purpose flour with your favorite berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.). 
• Gluten-Free Orange Cake: Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.

How to store the Orange Cake

This Orange cake is best enjoyed fresh, but it will keep in an airtight container put in the fridge for a couple of days. If you want to warm it up before serving, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Can I use an Air Fryer for the Orange Cake?

Yes, if you use an air fryer, you’ll need to reduce the temperature by about 25 degrees and cook for a slightly shorter time, around 18 minutes. Below you will find my tips when using the air fryer:

• Spraying a little oil on the top of the cake before cooking will help it to stay moist.
• If your cake is browning too quickly on the outside but not cooked through in the center, reduce the temperature and cook for a little longer.
• If the cake is not cooking evenly, rotate it halfway through cooking.

For the air fryer, I recommend using the following ingredients:

• Nonstick baking spray with flour

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup orange juice

• Vanilla extract

Follow the steps below to ensure your Air Fryer Orange Cake comes out perfectly.

Instructions

1. Grease a pan with butter or cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, safflower oil, 1 cup of orange juice, and vanilla, and mix well.

3. Pour the batter into the baking pan and place it in the air fryer at 350°F / 175°C. Take it out after 25 minutes.

4. Remove the cake from the basket and place it on a cooling rack. Using a toothpick, make about 20 holes in the cake.

5. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of orange juice and the powdered sugar and stir well. Drizzle the mixture over the hot cake slowly, so the cake absorbs it. 

6. Cool completely, then cut into wedges to serve.

Oven vs Air Fryer

I often get asked whether it is better to use the oven or an air fryer to make cakes. The answer is it depends on the cake and your preferences.

For this Orange Cake recipe, I have found that the air fryer works just as well as the oven, if not better. The cake comes out moist and fluffy, with a beautiful golden crust. Plus, there’s no need to heat your kitchen by turning on the oven! 

However, if you are baking a different type of cake or prefer a more crispy crust, the oven may be the better option. Always follow the recipe closely to make sure your cake comes out perfectly.

FAQs

Can I use an air fryer to make a gluten-free Orange Cake?

You can definitely use an air fryer to make a gluten-free Orange Cake. Just make sure to use a gluten-free flour blend, and follow the recipe closely.

Is it possible to make Orange Cake in a mug?

It is possible to make Orange Cake in a mug, but the cake will be small. I would recommend using a recipe specifically for mug cakes.

Decoration Ideas

There are countless beautiful ways to decorate an Orange Cake.

If you want to keep it simple, a dusting of powdered sugar or some fresh berries on top is always beautiful. As described above, you can also glaze the cake with the powdered sugar and orange mixture.

Try frosting the cake with a cream cheese frosting and then decorating it with slices of orange and/or strawberries for a more elegant look.

Or, for a fun and festive celebration cake, try frosting the cake with chocolate frosting and then top with candy Orange slices and sprinkles.

No matter how you choose to decorate it, your Orange Cake will be delicious and beautiful!

More Delicious Desserts

• Puff Puff
• Easy Mini Tiramisu
• French Toast Recipe
• Sweet Potato Muffins
• Banana Bread without Baking Soda
• Carrot Cake with Pineapple