Moist and Bright Orange Cake with Orange Glaze
This moist orange cake is bursting with fresh citrus flavor and topped with a silky orange glaze. It is the perfect showstopper dessert for any occasion.
The Orange Cake You Will Make on Repeat
Some cakes are fussy. This one is forgiving, fragrant, and impossible to stop eating. This moist orange cake is built on a simple principle: fresh citrus does all the heavy lifting. A generous pour of freshly squeezed orange juice and a full two tablespoons of zest go straight into the batter, and the result is a cake that tastes like sunshine in every single bite.
Whether you are baking it for a weekend brunch, a birthday celebration, or just because you have a bag of oranges sitting on the counter begging to be used, this cake rises to the occasion every time. It has a tender, buttery crumb, a glossy orange glaze that sets into the most beautiful drizzle, and just enough sweetness to feel like a proper dessert without being over the top.
Getting the most out of fresh citrus really does come down to having the right tools in your kitchen. A quality microplane zester pulls the fragrant oils right from the peel without digging into the bitter white pith, and a good citrus juicer makes the whole process effortless.
Tools & Ingredients We Recommend
Why This Recipe Works So Well
A lot of orange cake recipes rely on orange extract or boxed mix shortcuts. This one does not need any of that. Here is what makes it special:
- Fresh orange juice replaces part of the liquid in the batter, giving you real citrus flavor in every layer.
- Orange zest carries the aromatic oils that make the cake smell incredible while it bakes.
- A combination of butter and oil gives you the best of both worlds: rich flavor from the butter and lasting moisture from the oil.
- The glaze is three ingredients. Powdered sugar, orange juice, and a pinch of zest. It is effortless and stunning.
Chef's Tip: Always zest your oranges before you juice them. Once the orange is cut and squeezed, getting clean zest off it becomes nearly impossible.
How to Get That Perfect Moist Crumb
The number one enemy of a great cake is overmixing. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix only until you can no longer see streaks of flour. A few lumps are completely fine. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and leads to a dense, tough texture instead of the light, pillowy crumb you are going for.
Also, make sure your butter, eggs, and milk are all at room temperature before you start. Cold ingredients do not emulsify properly with the butter, which can cause the batter to look curdled and result in an uneven bake.
Baker's Note: If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge, just place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Problem solved.
The Orange Glaze: Simple, Gorgeous, and Optional (But Please Do Not Skip It)
The glaze on this cake is not just decoration. It soaks slightly into the top of the warm cake and adds another layer of bright citrus flavor that ties the whole thing together. You can make it as thick or as thin as you like by adjusting the amount of orange juice, and it sets up beautifully at room temperature within about 15 minutes.
For a little extra elegance, scatter some freshly grated orange zest over the wet glaze before it sets. It looks like you spent hours on it.
Ready to bake? Pull out your pan and let's get into it. Here is everything you need:
Moist and Bright Orange Cake with Orange Glaze
This moist orange cake is bursting with fresh citrus flavor and topped with a silky orange glaze. It is the perfect showstopper dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cups fresh orange juice, freshly squeezed, about 2 large oranges
- 2 tbsp orange zest, from about 2 large oranges
- 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, pure, not imitation
- 1/4 cups vegetable oil, adds extra moisture
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, for the glaze
- 3 tbsp fresh orange juice, for the glaze
- 1 tsp orange zest, for the glaze, optional garnish
Instruction
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan thoroughly with butter, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is pale and very fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the orange zest, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the fresh orange juice and whole milk.
With the mixer on low, add the dry flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the orange juice and milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix only until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is lightly golden. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent with foil after the 25-minute mark.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of fresh orange juice until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Add orange juice one teaspoon at a time to adjust the consistency.
Once the cake is fully cooled, pour the glaze over the top and let it drip naturally down the sides. Garnish with extra orange zest if desired. Allow the glaze to set for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment
- 9-inch round cake pan
- Parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Microplane or zester
- Citrus juicer
- Sifter or fine mesh sieve
Notes
Serving and Storing Your Orange Cake
This cake is wonderful served at room temperature with a cup of Earl Grey tea or a strong espresso. It also pairs beautifully with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream if you want to make it feel a bit more indulgent.
For storage:
- Room temperature: Cover loosely and keep for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let slices come to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: Freeze the unglazed cake, well-wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and glaze before serving.
This cake also makes a lovely gift. Bake it in a loaf pan, wrap it in parchment, tie it with twine, and it is the most thoughtful thing you can show up with.
