Twenty-nine orange cake recipes, and this collection goes well beyond the standard loaf or Bundt. There's a bergamot olive oil cake, a whole-orange Sicilian preparation, chocolate-orange layer cakes, creamsicle-flavored versions, and upside-down cakes that make the category feel a lot more interesting than it usually gets credit for. Gluten-free options are in here too, so it's a solid list to save if you like orange flavored desserts.
Jump to:
- What makes these recipes special?
- Top Tips
- Orange Cupcakes with Swiss Orange Buttercream
- Best Gluten Free Pound Cake Recipe Ever
- Orange Bundt Cake With Salted Caramel Whiskey Drizzle
- Gluten Free Orange Cake (Sicilian Whole Orange Cake)
- Orange Upside-Down Cake
- Mandarin Orange Cake
- Triple Chocolate Orange Cake with Candied Oranges
- Sicilian Whole Orange Cake
- Creamsicle Orange Bundt Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
- Easy Layered Orange Chocolate Cake
- Spiced Orange Ginger Carrot Cake
- Ultimate Chocolate Orange Cake With Chocolate Frosting
- Orange Lavender Cupcakes
- Marmalade Semolina Cake Recipe
- Orange Cranberry Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
- Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Cake
- Canned Mandarin Orange Cake Pineapple Frosting Easy Recipe
- Bergamot Orange Olive Oil Cake
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake
- Semolina Date and Orange Cake
- Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
- Chocolate Orange Poppy Seed Layer Cake
- Vegan Chocolate-Orange Cake
- Moist & Delicious Chocolate Orange Cake
- Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake with Yogurt Orange Glaze
- Sunkist Orange Cupcakes
- Comments
The chocolate-orange direction shows up in multiple recipes here, and it’s worth noting how different each version is from the next. The Triple Chocolate Orange Cake with Candied Oranges, the Chocolate Orange Poppy Seed Layer Cake, and the Moist & Delicious Chocolate Orange Cake are all going somewhere distinct with the same pairing.
On the cranberry-orange side, there are three different recipes to choose from depending on whether a bundt, a pound cake, or a coffee cake is what the occasion calls for, making this collection a useful one to revisit across different seasons and occasions.
Top Tips
- Use freshly zested orange for the most flavor. Bottled orange extract and dried zest both fall short of fresh zest when it comes to brightness and complexity, especially in recipes where orange is the primary flavor. Zesting directly into the batter rather than measuring into a bowl first captures more of the essential oils.
- For whole-orange cake recipes, blend the orange until completely smooth. Any large pieces of peel left in the batter create bitter spots in the finished cake. A high-powered blender rather than a food processor gets the texture to a fully uniform consistency that distributes evenly.
- Room temperature butter and eggs blend more smoothly in citrus cakes. Cold ingredients create a denser crumb because they don’t emulsify as thoroughly, and this is especially noticeable in lighter orange cakes where a tender crumb is the whole point.
- For bundt cakes, grease every groove thoroughly. Orange bundt cakes with a lot of moisture in the batter are particularly prone to sticking, especially in ornate pans with tight detail. Melted butter applied with a pastry brush, followed by a flour or sugar dusting, gives the most reliable release.
- Add orange glaze while the cake is still slightly warm. A warm cake absorbs glaze rather than having it pool on top, which means better flavor penetration and a less sticky exterior. Waiting until the cake is completely cold usually results in a glaze that sits on the surface rather than soaking in.
Orange Cupcakes with Swiss Orange Buttercream
Swiss buttercream made with orange is a richer, silkier frosting than standard orange buttercream, and it shows in the finished cupcake. A more elevated approach to a classic citrus cupcake.
Photo credit: The Salted Pepper
Best Gluten Free Pound Cake Recipe Ever
A gluten-free pound cake with a title that confident is worth investigating to see how it earns the claim. A citrus pound cake that works for lemon or orange, making it flexible for what’s on hand.
Photo credit: Christina’s Cucina
Orange Bundt Cake With Salted Caramel Whiskey Drizzle
Salted caramel whiskey drizzle over an orange bundt cake is a combination that takes the dessert firmly into adult territory. A showpiece cake that works for holiday gatherings or any occasion where the bar is set a little higher.
Photo credit: Recipes From A Pantry
Gluten Free Orange Cake (Sicilian Whole Orange Cake)
A gluten-free Sicilian whole-orange cake uses the entire fruit, which gives it a depth and intensity that a standard orange cake can’t match. A naturally gluten-free option that doesn’t sacrifice any flavor to get there.
Photo credit: Christina’s Cucina
Orange Upside-Down Cake
An orange upside-down cake flips the pineapple version’s logic and applies it to citrus, with a caramelized orange layer that becomes the top of the cake. A visually striking dessert that delivers more than it appears to require.
Photo credit: Bakes By Brown Sugar
Mandarin Orange Cake
Mandarin orange in a cake gives a sweeter, less tart result than standard naval oranges, which makes the finished dessert feel lighter. A cake that leans on the specific flavor of mandarin rather than generic orange.
Photo credit: Christina’s Cucina
Triple Chocolate Orange Cake with Candied Oranges
Triple chocolate alongside candied oranges is a layered approach that makes this cake one of the more visually striking options in the collection. A chocolate-orange cake that earns its elaborate title.
Photo credit: The Soccer Mom Blog
Sicilian Whole Orange Cake (Using an Entire Orange: Peel, Juice and Pulp)
Using peel, juice, and pulp together in one cake delivers a more complete orange flavor than recipes that only use the juice or zest. The whole-orange method is worth trying at least once for how different the result tastes.
Photo credit: Christina’s Cucina
Creamsicle Orange Bundt Cake
A creamsicle-flavored orange bundt cake captures that specific ice cream bar nostalgia in baked form. A summer-leaning bundt that works for any occasion where something bright and familiar is the goal.
Photo credit: Noshing With The Nolands
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
Orange creamsicle cupcakes deliver the same nostalgic flavor as the ice cream bar in a handheld baked format. A reliable recipe for the season when that specific creamy citrus combination sounds right.
Photo credit: Cake Mix Recipes
Easy Layered Orange Chocolate Cake
Easy and layered in the same title suggests this chocolate-orange cake skips unnecessary complexity without sacrificing the visual appeal of a proper layer cake. A recipe for getting an impressive result without a long process.
Photo credit: The Delicious Spoon
Spiced Orange Ginger Carrot Cake
Three warm flavors in one cake, orange, ginger, and carrot, make this a more complex and interesting direction than a standard orange cake. A spiced cake that brings several flavors together in one layer.
Photo credit: Living Sweet Moments
Ultimate Chocolate Orange Cake With Chocolate Frosting
Chocolate frosting over a chocolate orange cake doubles down on the chocolate side of the pairing, which makes this one of the richer options in the collection. A cake where ultimate is a reasonable description of the approach.
Photo credit: Picky Eater Blog
Orange Lavender Cupcakes
Lavender alongside orange in a cupcake is one of the more refined pairings in this collection, floral and citrusy in a way that works particularly well for spring events. A cupcake that stands apart from the straightforward orange options here.
Photo credit: Combine Good Flavors
Marmalade Semolina Cake Recipe
Semolina in a cake produces a denser, slightly gritty texture that holds moisture well and takes orange flavor in a different direction from a standard sponge. A marmalade cake worth trying for the texture alone.
Photo credit: Recipes From A Pantry
Orange Cranberry Cake
Orange and cranberry is a natural pairing that shows up in this collection in several formats, and this version takes a paleo-diet approach to the combination. A cranberry orange cake that works within a specific dietary framework without losing the flavor.
Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table
Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
A different take on orange creamsicle cupcakes from the other version in this list, worth comparing to see which approach hits closer to that specific ice cream bar memory. A creamsicle cupcake recipe for the nostalgic citrus craving.
Photo credit: Baking Beauty
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
Cranberry orange in bundt form is a natural holiday cake that looks as good as it tastes without needing any frosting decoration. A winter-leaning cake that fits naturally at a Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
Photo credit: Noshing With The Nolands
Orange Creamsicle Cake
A full-size orange creamsicle cake rather than individual cupcakes is a different scale of the same nostalgic flavor, better suited for a birthday or party where everyone gets a slice. A layer cake built around the orange-and-cream ice cream combination.
Photo credit: It Is A Keeper
Canned Mandarin Orange Cake Pineapple Frosting Easy Recipe
Canned mandarin orange and pineapple frosting in the same recipe is a pantry-friendly approach that gets an impressive result without any fresh fruit required. A convenient cake that leans on shelf-stable ingredients to deliver real flavor.
Photo credit: CopyKat Recipes
Bergamot Orange Olive Oil Cake
Bergamot orange is the most unusual citrus in this collection, the same fruit that gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive flavor, and combining it with olive oil puts this cake in a genuinely different category. A recipe worth seeking out bergamot for.
Photo credit: Bakes By Brown Sugar
The Best Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake
A vegan chocolate orange cake with a swirl is a recipe that earns attention both for its dietary accessibility and its visual appeal. A plant-based version of one of the most popular cake flavor combinations.
Photo credit: Cuisine And Travel
Semolina Date and Orange Cake
Date and orange in a semolina cake brings natural sweetness from the fruit alongside the citrus brightness of the orange. A less common combination that results in a denser, more substantial cake than most in this collection.
Photo credit: Abby’s Hearth
Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
Cranberry orange in pound cake form gives the classic seasonal pairing a denser, richer base than a layer cake would. A holiday-ready cake that works sliced thin as part of a larger spread.
Photo credit: I Heart Eating
Chocolate Orange Poppy Seed Layer Cake
Adding poppy seed to a chocolate orange layer cake gives it a textural note and a subtle bitterness that keeps the whole dessert from being too sweet. A three-element cake that brings something distinct to the chocolate-orange pairing.
Photo credit: Join Your Life
Vegan Chocolate-Orange Cake
A vegan chocolate-orange cake that focuses on the flavor rather than the dietary label is a solid option for a mixed table. A plant-based version of the pairing worth comparing against the other vegan chocolate-orange cake in this list.
Photo credit: At the Immigrant’s Table
Moist & Delicious Chocolate Orange Cake
Moist is a descriptor that matters in chocolate orange cake because the orange component can work against moisture if the ratios are off. A recipe that leads with texture as a selling point.
Photo credit: Dizzy Busy And Hungry
Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake with Yogurt Orange Glaze
A yogurt orange glaze over a cranberry orange coffee cake adds a tang to the drizzle that keeps the sweetness in check. A brunch-friendly cake with a glaze that’s a little more interesting than a standard powdered sugar version.
Photo credit: Hungry Whisk
Sunkist Orange Cupcakes
Sunkist orange soda in a cupcake recipe is a soda-baking technique that gives the cake a softer texture and a recognizable orange flavor without using fresh citrus. A nostalgic cupcake that works for summer gatherings and kids’ parties alike.
Photo credit: Cake Mix Recipes
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