My bright and moist orange cake is made with a whole orange for a bold and natural citrus flavor. It’s an easy, fresh orange cake recipe that’s perfect for any season! Don’t skip my homemade cream cheese frosting — it’s literally the icing on this cake!
If you loved my orange loaf cake that went absolutely bonkers on social, this whole orange cake is for you!
- Perfect bright orange flavor: You’ll boil an entire orange before blending it to put in the cake batter. It results in the most amazing natural orange flavor. Yum!
- So moist & fluffy: this whole orange cake is never dense and super moist.
- Can be made into a layer cake: fancy this cake up by slicing it into 2 layers before frosting. Voila — whole orange layer cake!
Ingredients Needed
For the Cake
- Navel orange: That’s right, a whole navel orange! You’ll boil it in a stockpot and then blend it in a high-speed blender before adding to the cake batter. Boiling the entire orange helps remove some of the bitterness that is housed in the peel.
- All-purpose flour: AP flour is crucial to this cake! I have not tested this with any other flour, so please proceed with caution here.
- Baking powder: Baking powder helps this cake to rise and achieve its fluffy texture.
- Avocado oil: This is a neutral oil, so the flavor isn’t overpowering, and it helps create a moist cake. Want to use olive oil instead? Try my orange olive oil cake.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar is my go-to sweetener for baked goods. It adds amazing rich flavor.
- Spices: Cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla goes a long way!
- Eggs: You’ll need 3 eggs for this yummy cake! Don’t make substitutions here.
For the Frosting
- Cream cheese: Can’t have cream cheese frosting without the cream cheese. Make sure it’s softened, so you don’t have lumpy frosting!
- Butter: Softened unsalted butter is what you want!
- Powdered sugar: Mix the powdered sugar with the cream cheese and butter. Delish!
- Vanilla extract: Just a little vanilla is all you need.
About the Oranges
This recipe calls for 1 whole naval orange! You’ll place the entire orange in a large stock pot and boil it for 45 minutes. Why? Not only does it soften the orange, it also helps remove some of the bitterness that is housed in the peel itself. It’s critical that you don’t skip this step — I’ve tested this recipe without boiling the orange, and it gave the entire cake a bitter taste that is really off-putting.
- High-speed blender: You’ll need a high-speed blender to blend the orange after you boil it.
- Large stock pot: You’ll want to use a large stock pot so the entire orange can be submerged during the boiling process.
- 9 in. round cake pan: This cake calls for a round cake pan. I have not tested it in any other shaped pan.
How to Make an Orange Cake
- Boil the orange: Place the orange in a large stockpot filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes.
- Blend the orange: Place the orange in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine wet ingredients: Add the remaining wet ingredients to a bowl with the blended orange, and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients: Whisk to combine with the wet ingredients, and transfer to the prepared cake pan.
- Bake orange cake: Bake for 25 minutes at 350℉ or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Make the frosting: Add all of the frosting ingredients to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip together until smooth.
- Frost the cake, serve and enjoy!
try it!
Orange Loaf Cake
Calling all orange lovers! If you haven’t tried my orange loaf, now’s your chance.
Make Muffins or Cupcakes Instead
I’ve tested this recipe to make muffins instead of a whole cake, and it worked great! Here’s what you need to do:
- Line a muffin tin with liners.
- Fill each muffin cup to the top and bake for 18-22 minutes.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Option to serve with the frosting to make these more of a cupcake than a muffin. Yum!
How to Serve It
The orange flavors in this cake offer a multitude of delicious pairing options! It would taste heavenly with a hot cup of pour over coffee or this vanilla sweet cream cold brew.
Storage Notes
Store this orange cake in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days.
More of My Favorite Cake Recipes
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Place the orange in a large stockpot filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 45 minutes.
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After 45 minutes, remove the orange from the water and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
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Place the orange in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
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Add the remaining wet ingredients to the bowl with the blended orange. Whisk to combine.
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Add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Whisk to combine. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Transfer to the prepared cake pan.
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Bake for 25 minutes at 350℉ or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip together until smooth.
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Frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting and serve.
- Option to use a muffin pan to make muffins instead of a cake. Line a muffin tin with liners. Fill each muffin cup to the top and bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- I used a 10-quart stockpot to boil the orange. This ensured that we never had to add more water during the boiling process.
- I tested roasting the oranges rather than boiling them, and it left the cake with a bitter aftertaste.
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, add water 1 tablespoon at a time while blending the orange to achieve a smooth consistency.
Calories: 360 kcal, Carbohydrates: 54 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 14 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 39 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by: The Wooden Skillet
