Orange Juice Cake

Quick and easy cake recipe that highlights fresh squeezed orange juice. Grated orange zest is the key to this flavorful orange juice cake!

This is a from scratch, homemade version of the popular boxed cake mix orange juice cake.

It is a bright and vibrant pound cake variation made with orange juice. Fresh squeezed orange juice provides the best flavor. However, leftover store-bought orange juice works just a great!

Orange cake is a bright pop of flavor sure to banish any winter blues. Luckily, you can enjoy this cake all year long!

The cake itself is not too sweet. Rather, the cake allows the tangy orange juice to shine. However, there are several glaze options at the end of the post if you prefer your cake a little sweeter, a little more decadent.

Ingredients

For best results, measure dry ingredients using a digital kitchen scale. Measuring by weight ensures consistent results. However, if you prefer volume measurements ( such as cups), please measure flour using the spoon and level method.

• Flour: This recipe uses plain all-purpose flour. One cup of flour by volume equals 130 grams by weight.
• Salt: Do not omit the salt! Salt is an essential flavor enhancer, even for desserts. It balances overall taste, making certain flavors more vibrant. For best results, use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
• Sugar: Use white granulated sugar. Light brown sugar is a suitable alternative, but the added molasses does take away from the bright citrus flavors.
• Butter + Oil: The orange cake batter uses a combination of unsalted butter and oil. Butter adds flavor and richness, while oil provides moisture without added water content. Choose a neutral flavored oil such as grape seed oil or avocado oil. Always smell the oil before using to ensure it has not gone rancid.
• Sour Cream: Full fat sour cream adds a pleasant sweet, tang to the cake. Full-fat Greek yogurt is a suitable alternative.
• Orange Zest: A key ingredient packed with flavor! Use a zester (such as microplane) or peeler to remove the zest from the orange. Only use the colored portion of the orange skin. Do not use the white pith which has a bitter taste.
• Orange Juice: Fresh squeezed orange juice tastes the best. High quality store bought orange juice works just as a great. Recipe uses one cup of juice. It’s a great way to use up leftover orange juice.

You also need vanilla, eggs, and baking powder.

Orange Zest Sugar

Orange zest is small but mighty! It is a flavor powerhouse. Fully extract all the oils and flavor from the zest by rubbing it with sugar.

The sugar crystals bruise the zest extracting and releasing the aromatic orange oils. Use your fingers (or gloved fingers) to rub the zest and sugar together.

Use plain granulated sugar or ordinary white sugar! Different sugars behave differently when mixed and baked.

Don’t be tempted to use baker’s sugar, also called superfine sugar. Baker’s sugar is finely ground granulated sugar. It dissolves more easily, but it is not a great option for this recipe.

Use this orange sugar rubbing technique for any citrus based recipe. It adds more bright citrus notes. Try it on these citrus zingers sugar cookies or triple citrus shortbread bars.

Cake Pan Options

This from scratch orange juice cake may be baked in a variety of different cake pans. The image above shows a two-piece 10-inch tube pan and a 10-cup capacity bundt cake pan.

The citrus cake batter also fits in three 9×5-inch loaf pans, two 9-inch round cake pans, or one 9×13-inch baking pan. These options do require a change in baking time.

The cake pan you choose to you will determine the exterior appear of the baked orange cake.

Tube pan, also known as angel food cake pan, will produce a crackly top, similar to pound cake loaves. Tube pans may be prepared with butter and flour coating or a butter and granulated sugar coating.

Use of a bundt cake pan will result in a completely different exterior. Bundt cakes are baked upside down. These cake pans are best prepared with butter and flour.

The cake pan is inverted after baking to unmold the cake. As such, the exterior the cake is smooth (conforming to the shape of the cake pan). The bundt pan option is better if you choose to add glaze to the cake.

Expert Baking Tips

• Make sure all the ingredients are at the proper temperature before mixing!
• Don’t let the cake cool to room temperature in the cake pan. The continued heat will soften the exterior crust and dry out the cake.
• Never unmold a hot cake, fresh from the oven. Cool cake in pan for 10-15 minutes. This cooling time allows the cake to slightly pull away from the edges of the pan. To unmold, place wire rack over bundt cake. Invert pan with the rack. Tap on pan, if necessary. The cake should just slide out.
• Cool cake to room temperature before serving. A warm cake will easily tear and crumble.
• Use a serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion to produce clean cake slices.

Orange Cake Variations

Keep the orange juice bundt cake simple or dress it up with orange juice glaze! Mix together orange glaze using confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and melted butter.

For a floral twist, use orange blossom glaze from this orange blossom bundt cake. This orange buttermilk bundt cake uses a vanilla orange zest glaze.

More Dessert Recipes with Orange Juice

• Blood Orange Earl Grey Tarts
• Orange Sorbet
• Citrus Zingers Sugar Cookies