This orange spice cake is just bursting with orange flavor! I used orange juice, zest and extract in this cake. Plus the glaze made from sweetened orange juice. All that orange paired with sweet, floral spices like cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.
Forget about how good this orange cake tastes for a second, this cake smells so amazing too! From the moment I start zesting the orange, the kitchen just transforms into a little bake shop.
This cake is especially great right now. Oranges are in season, plus all of those sweet spices give off such a warming affect. Perfect for the cold winter months!
I just love how easy this orange spice cake recipe is to prepare too! I've always been daunted by baking sponge cakes. But this one is definitely super simple.
Ingredients:
- Dry Ingredients - All Purpose Flour, Corn Starch, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt
- Spices - I used cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. But you can definitely change it up and use other spices like cloves, allspice, ginger, even chai masala would be great in this cake.
- Sugars - I used both granulated and brown sugars for this cake. The addition of the brown sugar gives a molasses flavor and color to the batter.
- Butter - Softened, if you're like me and always forget to take out your butter ahead of time, here's a quick tip: Microwave the chilled butter for about 20-30 seconds, covered. Then test the softness, microwave for 10 second increments until you reach your desired consistency
- Eggs - 4 large eggs needed
- Extracts - I use vanilla for sweetness and orange for that citrus-y flavor. If you can't find orange extract, I suggest adding an additional ½ teaspoon of orange zest to the cake batter
- Orange Juice - The great thing about this recipe is that you can really get the most out of 1 entire orange. Its definitely a whole orange type of recipe! The zest and the juice of the orange. Of course, you can definitely substitute bottle orange juice though
- Buttermilk - Gives the cake a really nice texture. Yogurt or sour cream can also be substituted but try to water it down a little bit if you are subbing.
How to Make the Orange Spice Cake
- Combine the dry ingredients, whisk to combine and set aside.
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and sugars. Whisk until combined and fluffy. Add remaining wet ingredients, leaving the buttermilk for last.
- Slowly add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and combine. You do not want to over mix, just until combined.
- Pour the batter into a greased baking pan. You can use a bundt pan or a 9" x 5" loaf pan and bake for 40 - 50 minutes.
How to make an Orange Glaze?
I mean this cake is already spiced and citrus flavored, so it really doesn't need a sauce. But this orange glaze adds a really nice additional burst of orange and spice, its so delicious!
Just combine more orange juice and a little powdered sugar to make the best glaze for this spiced cake! Most glazes use 1 cup of powdered sugar, but I find that to be too sweet. So I prefer to reduce the sugar and adjust the liquid as needed for the consistency of glaze I'm looking for. Feel free to add more sugar if needed. Also I found a touch of spice really elevated this glaze! I like to grate in a bit of star anise in this glaze, but cinnamon, cardamon or nutmeg will also work so well.
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📖 Recipe
Orange Spice Cake
Ingredients
Orange Spice Cake
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup butter softened
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon orange extract
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
Orange Glaze
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- zest star anise optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a bundt pan or a 9×5 loaf pan. In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornflour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together butter and sugars. Whisk until fluffy for about 2 minutes. Whisk in eggs, vanilla extract, orange extract and orange zest. Whisk in orange juice. Then whisk in buttermilk.
- Gently add in half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Slowly whisk until just combined. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and again whisk slowly until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven at 350F for 40-50 minutes. Test that the loaf is finished cooking by sticking a toothpick into the middle. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is cooked all the way through. Remove the spice cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- While the loaf cools, prepare the icing by mixing together powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest until a smooth icing remains. Add more orange juice if too thick or more powdered sugar to get the consistency you are looking for. Once the cake is cooled, pour the icing over top. Cut into slices and serve.
Nutrition
Adapted from recipe
Jeannie
this orange bundt cake is so full of flavor, glad I have all the spices needed.
Jill Patel
Thank you! Yes I love the spices too!
Shelly Kent
Are you using the butter as oil? In the directions you say oil.
Jill Patel
Thanks for catching that, I had mistyped that. Cream together the softened butter with the sugar, no oil needed for this.
nancy
the hubby loves anything orange spiced - this will be perfect for him!
Heather Hanselmann
If I wanted to make this as a layered cake what would you recommend for timing?
Jill Patel
Hi! If you're dividing the batter between 2 pans, I would shorten the baking time to about 25 minutes.
Marysa
This sounds like such a delicious and flavorful cake. The orange glaze with the zest is such a perfect topping. I love citrus in desserts!
Jill Patel
Thank you! I love the orange glaze so much too!
Jamie
This was so delicious with my afternoon tea! I loved the flavor of the spices and orange!
Jill Patel
Yes it is the perfect treat with tea! Thank you!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
I love this cake! It’s not too sweet and the cinnamon and cardamom scents and flavors are heavenly.
Jill Patel
Thank you!! Yes I love the sweetness level, it really does not need to be so sweet to be favorful!
Genevieve
This orange spice cake looks incredible! I can't wait to try this with some fresh coffee!
Jill Patel
yess! thank you!
Debar
Delicious and my neighbors all loved it when I brought to brunch.
Jill Patel
Yay! That's so great!
Jill Patel
yay!!
Tara
If making the cake as a loaf, should two 9 x 5 loaf pans be used? I ended up with so much batter! The cake was very dense and struggled to cook, so I'm wondering if it needed to be split. Tastes great though!
Jill Patel
Hi! Yes I would definitely split it into 2 loaf pans. Sorry about that, glad that you were still able to enjoy the taste though!
Jamie W
We love this spice cake! I’m making it for a baby shower this weekend and am using a bunt cake mold for the first time. We are having a hard time getting it fully cooked all the way. It’s hard on the outside and still gooey on the inside. Any advice?
Jill Patel
Thank you!! I think cook it 10 minutes longer, it would be cooked through by then. the bottom does get golden in the bundt pan.
Sarita
Plz tell replacement for eggs . Thank you.
Jill Patel
I would replace the 4 eggs with 1 cup or either unsweetened applesauce or 1 cup of yogurt
Jennifer Gilliland
Making this for a New Year’s Day dinner with friends! Rather than making an icing I’m making orange scented? whipped cream at the request of my hubby.
Jill Patel
Sounds amazing!
Claire
This is a lovely cake however you do not say how much orange zest to put in the cake, just to add it? I went with 2 as a guess but would love to know how much it is supposed to be.
Jill Patel
About 1 teaspoon
Megan Manning
First time making this. In the ingredients it mentioned 1/4 c corn starch but in the instructions it says cornmeal?
Jill Patel
I apologize for that, it should be corn starch
Havovi
Absolutely outstanding recipe! Made this twice with makeshift bundt created by putting a small tin in the centre of a much larger one. The second time I had a little less butter and forgot the cornstarch but the cake has emerged fab again! The spice proportion is just beautiful...never thought of cardamom and cinnamon together with orange like this. Thanks so much!
Jill Patel
so glad you liked it!!