This orange drizzle cake is so rich, buttery, and tender you might actually call it creamy. The cake includes a few whole oranges stirred right into the batter and a generous drizzle of orange syrup. But don't think the drizzle means it's overly sweet. This cake isn't anywhere near the neighborhood of cloying. It's just bright orange flavor and sunshine on a plate.
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Just like this Elderflower Lemon Cake, the batter for this Orange Drizzle Cake contains whole fruit. Zest a couple of oranges, slice off the peel, then break up the orange segments, collecting as much of the juice as you can, and fold the fruit right into the batter.
The result is a gorgeous, soft texture that's bursting with fresh citrus flavor.
Contrary to how this cake might appear, this is not a super sweet cake, even after it's drenched in orange syrup. Using real fruit allows us to use less sugar in the batter and still keep everything moist and tender.
So, if you are the kind of person who loves rich and creamy desserts over sugary sweet ones, you are my kind of person and this is the cake for you.
The orange syrup for this cake comes from making candied oranges, which are used to decorate the cake. Candied oranges are quite easy to make, requiring little more than slicing up a couple of oranges and letting them simmer in sugar water for a while. The sugar water turns into orange simple syrup which is the drizzle part of orange drizzle cake and the candied oranges become the cake's decoration.
Candied oranges are also really delicious, which is generally a requirement I have for any decoration. If I'm going to put it on a cake, it must also taste good because isn't that the point of cake???
The caveat here is that the candied oranges need to be made in advance because they need about 24 hours to set. So, plan accordingly.
And, if you make this cake, please let me know what you think!
xo
-Rebecca
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Ingredients needed to make this cake
- Candied orange slices + 1 cup of the citrus simple syrup left over from making candied orange slices. Candied oranges are simply a matter of simmering orange slices in sugar water. That sugar water becomes an orange syrup that's drizzled over the cake after baking. And, of course, the candied oranges are used as a delicious edible decoration.
- 3 or 4 oranges so that you have 2 tablespoons of orange zest and ¾ cup fruit and juice for the cake batter.
- Unsalted butter + virgin coconut oil. Butter for flavor and virgin coconut oil for extra moisture and richness. (Scroll down for more info about virgin coconut oil.)
- Granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- Cake flour contains less protein then all-purpose flour which gives this cake a very tender texture
- Baking powder and salt
- Milk or buttermilk
- Vanilla and orange or lemon extract. Vanilla rounds out the bitter edges of citrus fruit and is just gorgeous in this cake. Using a bit of lemon or orange extract is optional. Use it if you want to boost the citrus flavor.
The difference between refined and unrefined (virgin) coconut oil.
Refined coconut oil is liquid at room temperature, has a high smoke point, and a neutral flavor. Unrefined coconut oil, also known as virgin coconut oil, is solid at room temperature and great for baking. In this recipe I opted for half coconut oil and half butter to achieve a slightly tropical, buttery flavor and a fluffy, extremely moist texture.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Prep your cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and coating it with a thin layer of vegetable shortening, butter, or virgin coconut oil and flour. Here's more about preparing a cake pan so the cake will not stick.
Use a zester to zest the oranges.
Use a sharp knife to cut the ends off the oranges then slice off the peel, including the white part (the pith).
Cut the fruit from the membranes that hold each segment.
Place the fruit in a measuring cup breaking it into small pieces. Try and contain the juice on your cutting board and pour that into the measuring cup. You want a total of ¾ cup fruit and juice.
Add the butter, coconut oil, sugar, and zest to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is very light and aerated, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, beating well to fully incorporate one egg into the butter and sugar mixture before adding another one.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to another bowl and use a wire whisk to mix.
Add the flour to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture and mix on low just until it's barely incorporated.
Stir the extracts into the buttermilk and add this to the batter. Mix on low speed just until barely incorporated.
Use a spoon to gently fold the fruit and juice into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing out the top of the batter into a flat, even layer. Time to bake!
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
Then, gently flip it out onto a baking rack.
Spoon about half of the citrus syrup over the cake and then leave the cake to cool.
When the cake has cooled to room temperature, spoon the rest of the citrus syrup over the top and sides of the cake. It can be useful to use an offset icing spatula to spread the syrup over the sides of the cake.
Decorate with candied orange slices and dig in!
Serving suggestions
For a little added luxury, serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Here's how to make sweetened whipped cream:
Pour about ½ cup of heavy whipping cream into a bowl and add about ½ of a teaspoon of vanilla and about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until it's thick enough to hold its shape. If you lift the beaters from the cream it will form a peak that gently folds over itself. Taste and add more powdered sugar if you like.
You can also cover this cake with frosting and use the candied oranges to decorate the top of the cake after it's been iced. Allow the cake to rest for about 1 hour after covering it with the orange syrup, then cover it with frosting.
These are my favorite frosting choices:
How to store this cake
Well wrapped, this cake will keep well at room temperature for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze orange drizzle cake, but I suggest freezing the cake before covering it with the final layer of orange syrup:
- Follow the recipe instructions to drizzle about half of the orange syrup over the cake while it's still warm. Allow the cake to cool completely then wrap the cake in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Pour the remaining sugar syrup into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
- Candied oranges will also keep for a few months in the freezer. If the sugar coating gets overly sticky after they thaw, simply dip them in some granulated sugar.
Top tips!
- It's important to use a 3-inch deep cake pan for this cake. The batter will overflow the sides of shallower cake pans.
- Remember to drizzle the cake with half of the orange syrup while the cake is still warm. This allows the syrup to soak down into the cake adding flavor and moisture. The remaining syrup coats the outer layer of the cake, helping to keep it fresh for several days.
- Remember that the candied oranges, which will give you the orange syrup to drizzle over this cake, should be made in advance. Make them the day before, or several weeks in advance if you prefer. Store the candied oranges at room temperature in an airtight container and the orange syrup in the refrigerator.
More cakes for citrus lovers
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me.
Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Orange Drizzle Cake
This orange drizzle cake is so rich, buttery, and tender you might actually call it creamy. The cake includes a few whole oranges stirred right into the batter and a generous drizzle of orange syrup. But don't think the drizzle means it's overly sweet. This cake is nowhere near the neighborhood of cloying. It's just bright orange flavor and sunshine on a plate.
Ingredients
- Candied orange slices and 1 cup of the citrus simple syrup left over from making candied orange slices
- 3-4 oranges so that you have 2 tablespoons of orange zest and ¾ cup (175 grams) fruit and juice
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons, 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (60 grams) virgin coconut oil (to measure, use a spoon to pack it into a measuring cup)
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup (210 grams) cake flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt OR ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (57 grams) milk or buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract, optional
Instructions
- Make the candied orange slices at least 24 hours in advance. *See note below.
- Prep an 8-inch by 3-inch round cake pan: Coat the inside of the pan with vegetable shortening, butter, or virgin coconut oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and smear the top of the parchment paper with shortening, butter, or oil. Shake some flour around inside the pan so the bottom and sides are coated. Shake out any excess flour. Here are more instructions on preparing a cake pan so the cake will not stick.
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C).
- To prepare the oranges, first use a zester to zest the fruit. You want about 2 tablespoons of orange zest. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the ends off the oranges so you can set it on your cutting board on a flat surface without it rolling around. Slice off the peel, including the white part (the pith). Then use your knife to cut the fruit from the membranes that hold each segment (*see the photos above for more detailed instruction). Place the fruit in a measuring cup breaking it into small pieces. Try and contain the juice on your cutting board and pour that into the measuring cup. You want a total of ¾ cup fruit and juice (175 grams).
- Add the butter, coconut oil, sugar, and zest to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is very light and aerated, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, beating well to fully incorporate one egg into the butter and sugar mixture before adding another one. Stop every once in a while to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to another bowl and use a wire whisk to mix. Add this mixture to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture and mix on low just until the flour is barely incorporated.
- Stir 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and lemon or orange extract (if using) into the buttermilk and add this to the batter. Mix on low speed just until barely incorporated.
- Use a spoon to gently fold the fruit and juice into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing out the top of the batter into a flat, even layer. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes. When done, the cake will be pulling away from the side of the cake pan. If you poke a toothpick into the center of the cake and remove it, there will be no signs of raw batter on the toothpick.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then gently flip it out onto a baking rack.
- Spoon about half of the citrus syrup over the cake and then leave the cake to cool. When the cake has cooled to room temperature, spoon the rest of the citrus syrup over the top and sides of the cake. It can be useful to use an offset icing spatula to spread the syrup over the sides of the cake. Decorate with candied orange slices.
- Serve in thick slices. For a little added luxury, serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Well wrapped, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
The first step in making this cake is to make a few candied orange slices. The process is super easy and involves little more than slicing up an orange and letting the slices simmer in sugar water.
The main advantage to making candied orange slices is that you get two for the price of one:
- You’ll have some pretty and delicious candied orange slices with which to decorate your cake.
- AND you’ll have the orange drizzle syrup to pour over the top of the cake.
Since you only need a few orange slices to decorate the cake and only about a cup of orange syrup, you can cut the recipe in half if you like. Or, make the full amount and save the extra orange slices and citrus simple syrup for another day. Regardless, do this the day before you want to bake this cake because the candied orange slices need time to dry.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: ⅛ of the cakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 566Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 470mgCarbohydrates: 75gFiber: 2gSugar: 49gProtein: 6g
Diane says
Hello, was looking fir clarification on your orange drizzle cake. It calls for 3/4 cup kosher salt? I know that's not right. I'm guessing teaspoon or tablespoon? Thank you!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Holy smokes, that's quite the typo, isn't it? 🤦🏻♀️ You are correct - it should read 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. So sorry about that! And thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing that to my attention. Correcting that now. ❤️