This light, flavoursome orange cake is perfect for an afternoon treat. It lasts for 5 days in an airtight container so you can make one on a Friday and enjoy it all weekend. It also freezes well, so why not make a double batch and pop one in the freezer for a future date?
This cake recipe fits perfectly an 8 inch by 4 inch loaf tin. You will need to grease it, and you may want to line it with parchment paper to ensure that the cake doesn’t stick.
You can use a stand mixer if you want to. However, it may be easier to use mixing bowls and an electric hand mixer. All up, you will need three bowls – one to mix the dry ingredients, one to mix the wet ingredients, and one to make the glaze.
Follow these tips and tricks if you want to make a perfect orange cake every single time.
Rubbing the sugar – One of the first steps to making this cake is to rub the orange zest into the sugar with your hands. This may seem fiddly and sticky, but it will make a big difference to the flavour of the cake. Combining the zest with the sugar strengthens the orange flavour. It also helps to bring out the sweet flavours of the fruit.
Order of ingredients – A lot of cake recipes just require you to put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix them together. With this recipe, the order that the ingredients – and their mixing – is important. The wet ingredients are added into the dry ingredients, not the other way around. This helps to create the perfect texture of the cake.
Don’t over mix – You need to whisk the ingredients until all of the flour is incorporated, but do not whisk it for any longer. If you over whisk the batter then you will introduce too much air into the mixture. If this happens, the cake will be the wrong texture.
Check if the cake is cooked – Cakes baked in a loaf tin take a while to cook as the heat has to reach the very middle. They are thicker than cakes baked in sponge tins. To make sure that the middle is cooked, use a toothpick or a wooden skewer. Carefully insert it into the middle of the cake and then pull it out. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. If it comes out with any wet batter on it, the cake needs longer.
If the top is too brown – You want the top of the cake to brown, but sometimes it can turn too dark if the cake is taking a long time to cook. If this happens, wrap the cake in foil for an hour. This will help to soften the top of the cake and stop it from tasting burnt.
Be patient – You need to be patient when you are making this cake. Don’t take it out of the oven too soon. Make sure you let it cool completely before you add the glaze. Let the glaze set before you serve the cake.
Storage – You can store this cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days so you don’t need to eat it all in one go.
There are a few ways that you could customise this recipe if you want to.
Lemon – You can easily turn this orange cake into a lemon cake by switching out the orange zest and orange juice for lemon zest and orange juice.
Frosting – The simple glaze works really well on this cake, but you could swap it for an orange frosting or a cream cheese frosting if you prefer. You could even add our Perfect Buttercream.
Layers – You could carefully slice the cake to create two layers, then add marmalade and frosting inside the cake.
Tin – If you would prefer a round cake to a loaf cake, pour the batter into several sponge tins instead. Once baked, layer them up with whatever fillings you choose.
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and preparing a loaf tin by greasing it. You can also line it with parchment paper if you want to.
Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl add the sugar and the orange zest. Use your fingers to rub the sugar and the orange zest together until the sugar begins to take on an orange color.
Add the eggs, oil, orange juice and vanilla to the sugar and orange zest. Whisk to combine all of the ingredients. You can then add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, and then stop. Do not overwhisk.
Pour the cake batter into your prepared tin. Bake it for one hour and 10 minutes, or until it has browned on top and doesn’t wobble when you shake the tin. You can check if the batter is cooked in the middle by inserting a wooden toothpick or skewer into the center of the cake anc checking if it comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin to begin cooling. After 15 to 20 minutes, remove the cake from the tin and transfer it onto a wire cooling rack. Whilst the cake is cooling, you can make the glaze.
Add the powdered sugar, orange zest and orange juice to a bowl and whisk them together. Once the cake has completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. Let the cake stand for 15 to 30 minutes before serving to allow the glaze to set.
When it comes to great places to eat in Australia, the list really is endless. There are so many different restaurants, cafés, and chains to try that you really are spoiled for choice. From Italian food, to Japanese food, to a good ‘ole rump steak, the food options are endless.
This is why I decided to set up my blog, Eatability, to share the best food and drink spots in Australia with as many people as possible. Hi, my name is Dylan Cole, and I moved to Australia five years ago from England, UK.
Through this blog, I will be sharing and recommending some of my favorite places you need to visit, such as where to find the best pizza in Adelaide, and the best bakery in Brisbane. Whatever food you are fancying, I have got you covered!
