Juicy Orange Cake Recipe (2024)

By Julia Moskin

Juicy Orange Cake Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(648)
Notes
Read community notes

This is delicious made with fresh juice, but even with supermarket O.J., it always tastes swell. Do not think about skipping the glaze; it is not a mere finish for the top, but the juicy essence that soaks in to create a moist cake.

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Ingredients

Yield:10 servings

    For the Cake

    • 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for the pan
    • 3oranges, preferably organic
    • 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 3cups/375 grams all-purpose flour
    • ½teaspoon baking soda
    • ½teaspoon salt
    • 2cups/400 grams sugar
    • 3eggs, at room temperature
    • 1cup/235 milliliters buttermilk

    For the Glaze

    • ½cup/120 milliliters fresh orange juice
    • 1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • cup/66 grams sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

532 calories; 20 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 83 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 53 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 248 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Juicy Orange Cake Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Bake the cake: Butter a deep, 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

  2. Step

    2

    Finely grate the zest of the oranges into a bowl. Squeeze 3 tablespoons of juice from the oranges and add it to the zest. (Reserve remaining oranges for making glaze.) Stir in lemon juice and set aside.

  3. Step

    3

    In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

  4. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until fluffy and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.

  5. Step

    5

    At low speed, add a third of the dry ingredients and a third of the buttermilk, mixing until the batter is just combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, adding in batches and mixing until just combined. Add the orange zest mixture and combine.

  6. Step

    6

    Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until just firm in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are O.K.), about 1 to 1¼ hours. Start testing after 1 hour.

  7. Step

    7

    Meanwhile, make the glaze: Stir the juices and sugar together until sugar dissolves.

  8. Step

    8

    When the cake is done, let cool in the pan for 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Turn out onto a wire rack set on a sheet pan with sides (run a knife around the edges if it sticks at first).

  9. Step

    9

    Peel off the paper and use a baster or brush to spread a few spoonfuls of the glaze over the top. Let soak in before adding more. Continue until all the glaze is absorbed by the cake, including any that drips through onto the sheet pan. (Use your brush to pick it up from the pan and transfer back to the top of the cake.)

  10. Step

    10

    Let cool at room temperature. Eat immediately or wrap well in plastic and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature or cold, in thin slices.

Ratings

4

out of 5

648

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Leah Grossman

It would be helpful to know the amount of orange juice needed for the batter as oranges differ widely in juice amounts!

Vevettey

I have heated up the glaze to dissolve the sugars and added 1-2 tbs of Grand Marnier or triple sec keeping in the "orange" theme. It's a great recipe.

Natalie

Halve the recipe and bake in a 4.5 by 8.5 loaf pan at 325 degrees for 70 minutes. Turns out beautifully.

Randy

A question for Julia: Is there a reason the cake is basted & presented bottom-side-up as is shown in the accompanying photograph? Is the bottom more porous and absorbent of the glaze than the top?

nicols fox

This was as easy as advertised--and as delicious. Keeping the sugar/juice mixture for an hour before applying, thickens it nicely. I made it for our library Christmas Party and it was a hit. It was sliced across then down into neat slices. A young man--age 12--said "Did you make the Orange Cake?" When I admitted that I had, he said, "It was very good." There's nothing nicer than a spontaneous compliment from a young person.

rebecca

Very similar to my mother's go to birthday cake. I love it. I often dust the pan with coconut before baking. Add another layer of flavor to the cake.

Becca

Read step 2, only 3 Tablespoons orange juice goes in the batter. The rest of the juice goes into the glaze, where variations in amount of liquid are less critical.

Archie Goodwin

I always use a springform pan so I don’t have to worry about the cake pan being too small for the volume of batter.

Maryjo Garre

Too much batter for a plain 9” pan. Fits perfectly and bakes beautifully in greased Bundt pan.

Julie

Simone, if you have a good hand mixer, use that. It will probably take a little longer to cream the butter, and you will have to be mindful of how well you mix your ingredients, but you'll be happy with your results. Several years ago, my big mixer "died" and in the interim period when I didn't get around to replacing it, my hand mixer did just fine for cakes. Good luck!

Simone Brightstein

"In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment". My heart always sinks when I see this: I don't have this piece of equipment and, as a hesitant baker, am not sure how to proceed. Any suggestions?

Annie

This batter appealed more, so I did only steps 2 & 3 of https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014488-upside-down-blood-orange-cake first in a springform pan to turn this one into an upside-down orange cake -- worked great, and even more beautiful and festive. Cooked the glaze down a bit first, then stirred in some marsala off heat. Once it was turned out, with the caramelized blood oranges on top, poked holes all over with a toothpick for the glaze. So delicious.

Carolina

Good cake, but sugar must be reduced by half at least. I made it with 1.5 cups of sugar, and it was still cloyingly sweet. I recommend increasing orange zest and lemon juice content as well.

Morna

I used 4 Valencia (juice) oranges. I added 3 Tbsp of Grand Marnier to the extra glaze—more complex flavor (per another’s suggestion). After cutting cake slices, I brushed left-over glaze on the slices. Ripe, sliced strawberries (unsweetened) REALLY REALLY REALLY MAKES THE CAKE! I used a 9” springform pan which sort of “mushroomed” the top slightly but I easily trimmed that off. The slices were 2” tall. 1” serving slices were plenty big enough. Enjoy! It’s a wonderful dessert!!

Gayle

Only 3 T goes into the batter, along with the zest from all 3 oranges. Remaining juice (up to 1/2 cup) is used for the glaze.

cassiadk

I have made this twice, once for my grand-daughters birthday.The first time I dived the batter into a ramekin and a nine inch cake pan, and increased the glaze by 1/2, this cake was great it had a moist intense orange flavor. The second time I made as directed but used a 10 inch spring form.the cake was still good but we prefer the thinner juicer cake, made with cara cara and blood oranges both wonderful. Next time closer to the 1st method

Namekc

Sounds delicious but my daughter requested something lemony for her birthday. Can I use Meyer lemon instead?

Linda Townshend

In the first instruction, they tell you to butter a deep 9” pan. They actually sell 9” pans that are about 3” deep. If you can’t or don’t want to buy one, a 9” springform pan is perfect. I love this cake, it’s almost a pound cake, and am considering skipping the glaze since it only sinks down about 1/2” and the cake tastes quite nice without it. Serving it with sliced strawberries would be a wonderful enhancement—I often add orange juice to my strawberries as the flavors complement each other.

Nain

I split the batter across two loaf pans and it turns out beautifully! A hit at book club, housewarming parties, and everywhere else I take this.

Amirissa

Very tasty cake. The only deviation is that I combined the zest with the sugar and worked that in to release the oils: the citrus liquid I added with the eggs. Served with rhubarb ice cream and guests were delighted.

Natalie

Decreased the sugar in they batter by a bit, added some lemon zest to the orange zest in the batter, added extra lemon juice to the batter, and added zest to the glaze as well.

very minor modifications

Followed the other comments, doubled everything. Added a whole jalapeño to the cilantro stem/scallion mix. Sautéed a shallot for 1 min before the chicken/garlic. Didn’t have rum! Coconut rice next time.

Arlene

If I want to make this ahead and freeze it, should I wait to add the glaze after I thaw it?

Joey Golaw

For cake:6.5g ground cardamom

Joey Golaw

For glaze:60g sugar45g Cointreau

aing

Made this in a 9”x13” pan and it was done to perfection in about 65 minutes. Absolutely delicious and do not skip the glaze! Followed another reader’s suggestion to make the glaze and let it sit for an hour before using- great idea, it does thicken nicely.

B MacKay

This was just about the Best Cake Ever. A wonderful antidote to the Winter Blues in northern New England!

Jen D.

Delicious, and surprisingly light texture. The family loved it. I made it in a 10 cup Nordicware “Crown” Bundt pan (sprayed really well with Bak-klene) and it worked beautifully. The extra nooks and crannies were great for absorbing the glaze. It’s a keeper.

klv

A helpful ingredient would be to add the orange zest to the list to avoid trying to zest an orange already cut in half and squeezed.

Hermine

I made this in a 9 inch Springform pan and it rose perfectly. It was done in 65 minutes. I glazed the bottom with about 1/4 of the glaze, gently turned over onto a cake plate and brushed the top. I thinly sliced the leftover orange half and decorated the top. Family and friends enjoyed at outside tea party! Will make this again.

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Juicy Orange Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a cake more juicy? ›

To achieve good results at home, consider following these steps from start to finish as you make your cake:
  1. Use cake flour. ...
  2. Avoid overmixing. ...
  3. Maintain the right baking temperature. ...
  4. Avoid overbaking the cake. ...
  5. Soak the cake. ...
  6. Add moisture between the cake layers. ...
  7. Frost the cake right away. ...
  8. Store the cake properly.
Dec 20, 2021

How do you enhance orange flavor in baking? ›

A good orange extract and/or orange zest added to the batter. Grate about 2 tablespoons orange rind in a small amount of the sugar that you will be adding to cake. mix rind with fingers into sugar add to sugar for cake . Squeeze about 1 fourth cup fresh orange juice into batter.

Can I use orange juice instead of milk in a cake? ›

Any liquid can be substituted for the milk in a recipe with a 1:1 ratio. Choose the best liquid for your recipe: Is your recipe sweet or savory? You may choose between a fruit juice, water or broth, depending on if your recipe's flavors.

Why is my orange cake dense? ›

Your cake is too dense A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought).

What makes cake rise and moist? ›

Most cakes will call for a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. These create the bubbles you need for the cake to rise.

Why is my cake not moist enough? ›

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

What gives orange flavor? ›

Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the volatile oil of citrus fruit peels. The (+)-isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring agent in food manufacturing.

What spices enhance orange? ›

Fruit Flavor Pairing Chart
Herbs and Spices
OrangeBasil, black pepper, cardamom, cilantro, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, mint, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, saffron, sage, star anise, tarragon, thyme
PapayaBlack pepper, cilantro, cinnamon, ginger, mint
Passion fruitCilantro, ginger
42 more rows
Feb 9, 2024

What makes oranges juicy? ›

Inside each carpel is a locule. These are small cavities where the seeds are housed. Lining the walls of these loculi are tiny hairs that, as the fruit matures, gradually fill with juices. These juice-filled hairs makeup the pulp of a citrus fruit.

What makes a cake more moist water or milk? ›

One common ingredient swap that is known to help make cakes remarkably moist is using milk instead of water. Try switching out any water in your recipe for full-fat milk or buttermilk for a moist, decadent texture. Another ingredient that can enhance the moisture of your cake is mayonnaise.

Is it better to use milk or water in cake? ›

Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.

What does adding milk instead of water do to cake? ›

Milk's fat and protein add tenderness, structure, and flavor to a cake — all great attributes you want in your baking!

Can I use both butter and oil in cake? ›

Oh yes, you sure can. This recipe has a combination of butter and oil to give off that nice buttery taste while keeping it soft and moist at the same time. Cake using pure butter tends to be more dense and dry compared to adding oil into the batter.

How do you moisten a dry orange cake? ›

5 Ways to Moisten a Dry Cake That's Already Baked
  1. Brush with simple syrup glaze. Velez recommends adding a simple syrup glaze to your cake layers if they end up coming out too dry. ...
  2. Soak your cake in milk. ...
  3. Fill the cake with mousse or jam. ...
  4. Frost the cake. ...
  5. Stick it in the fridge.
Apr 27, 2021

Is it better to bake a cake on top or bottom heat? ›

Use “bottom heat' for baking a cake. “Top heat” which is commonly called broiling is only good for when you want to brown the top of whatever you are cooking. If you broil a cake, the cake will end up burnt on top, undercooked on the sides and bottom and raw in the middle.

What does adding applesauce to cake do? ›

Applesauce: Applesauce is a popular substitute for oil or butter in baked goods, as it adds moisture and natural sweetness to the cake. Use an equal amount of applesauce as the amount of oil or butter called for in the recipe.

How do you make a box cake moist and dense? ›

You can try any of the following: adding a 1 oz. package of pudding (any flavor that complements the cake's flavor profile), adding 1-2 egg yolks (along with the eggs called for on the box), or substituting milk for the water called for on the box. I hope this is helpful to you. Happy baking!

Does sour cream make a cake moist? ›

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

What keeps cake from drying out? ›

Store the cake (decorated or not) in an airtight container. You can buy purpose made cake keepers that do the job really well.

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