Easy orange cake – packed with real orange flavor

Between the soft, moist, buttery orange pound cake itself and the light, sweet orange glaze that tops it, this dessert is packed with real, fresh orange flavor from seven oranges.

Buttery, moist, slightly dense cake is one of my favorite baked goods. Packed with fresh orange zest and orange juice from real oranges, this pound cake has the most deliciously tender, moist texture with the perfect crumb. It’s finished with a delicate orange-infused glaze that will have you licking the whisk before it even goes into the cake.

Why you’ll love this orange cake recipe

I’ve been looking for the perfect orange cake for years and this is it. Here are some reasons why I find it completely irresistible.

• Fresh orange flavour. I used so much orange in this recipe in the form of freshly squeezed orange juice and freshly grated orange peel. That true orange flavor really shines through in the cake and frosting.
• Texture. This pound cake has the perfect balance between dense and pleasantly tender. You can thank the buttermilk and thoroughly frothing the butter and sugar.
• Damp. No one likes a dry pound cake. Fortunately, this one is anything but. It’s wonderfully moist with just the right amount of crumb.

What is pound cake?

A pound cake is a simple dessert that got its name in the 18th century due to the fact that it traditionally consisted of a pound of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. The recipe has since been adjusted (different measurements and additional ingredients) to achieve a more appealing texture and taste. Pound cakes are characterized by their relatively dense texture, moist crumb and rich buttery flavor.

Recipe Ingredients

Time to gather all your ingredients to make this fantastic orange cake recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for accurate measurements.

For the pound cake

• Buttermilk – The buttermilk gives the cake a nice tenderness and moisture. Try not to use any other dairy product. It won’t produce the same results.
• Oranges – To make freshly grated orange peel.
• Fresh orange juice – If you have time to squeeze your own orange juice, I highly recommend it.
• All purpose flour – You can use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
• Salty
• Sodium carbonate
• Baking powder
• Unsalted butter – The butter must soften at room temperature, otherwise the butter will not foam well with the sugar.
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs – It is best to use room temperature eggs as they combine more easily with the other ingredients.

For the glaze

• Oranges – To make fresh orange peel.
• Powdered sugar
• Fresh orange juice – Again, squeeze it yourself if you can. The taste will be so much better than anything store bought.

How do you make an orange pound cake?

Here’s a quick overview of how to make orange cake. Check out the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

• Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour a bundt pan.

• Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the buttermilk, orange zest and orange juice.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
• Cream. Beat the butter and sugar together with a beater until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs. Beat the eggs one by one into the butter and sugar.

• Put everything together. Starting with the wet ingredients. Gradually add the wet and dry ingredients in batches, alternating between wet and dry, and mix on low speed.
• Baking. Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.
• Cool. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before placing it on a cooling rack for another 30 minutes.

• Make the orange icing. Mix the orange peel, icing sugar and orange juice together. Pour the glaze over the cake.

Tips for success

If you’re like me, you want to do things right the first time. Luckily, I’ve done all the experimenting for you here, so you can actually do it! Make sure you keep a close eye on these simple tips and tricks.

• Grease and flour your bundt pan. Baked goods made in bundt pans are notorious for being difficult to release. Do yourself a favor and generously grease all the nooks and crannies of the pan. You’ll also want to dust it with flour as this will also prevent it from sticking.
• Don’t skimp on foaming up the time. You want to stir the butter and sugar together until the texture and color have lightened significantly. This allows air to be absorbed into the batter, preventing your cake from becoming too compact.
• Alternate wet and dry ingredients. If you mix in all your wet ingredients, followed by your dry ingredients, rather than adding them in parts, alternating between the two, you will find that you get a chewy, dense cake.
• Don’t mix too much. If you overmix the batter, the gluten in the flour will over-develop. This is a one-way ticket to an overly dense pound cake.
• Avoid burning. If you notice that the top of your cake is getting a little too brown during baking, feel free to cover it with aluminum foil.
• Adjust the icing. If you want a slightly thinner glaze, feel free to add more orange juice than the recipe calls for. Do this gradually, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Serving suggestions

While this orange pound cake doesn’t need company to make it exceptionally enjoyable, a sweet addition or two never hurts. Here are some of my favorites.

Good storage

• Counter. Once the cake has cooled completely, seal it airtight in a cake carrier or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. You can also cut the cake into slices and store them in an airtight container. In any case, orange cake will keep for a maximum of 5 days at room temperature.
• Freezer. Place the fully cooked cake in the freezer for a few hours to set before wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. You can also cut the cake into slices and seal the slices airtight. You can store orange cake in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature before diving in.

I don’t recommend storing leftover pound cake in the refrigerator. Although this will extend the lifespan, the cold temperatures will dry out the cake.

More easy cake recipes

In a baking mood? Good. Here are some other truly spectacular, deliciously easy cake recipes for you to try.