This moist orange drizzle cake is full of citrus flavor. It is an easy and budget-friendly loaf cake that your family will love.
This orange drizzle cake is a twist on the Lime Drizzle Cake, a very popular recipe on the blog. I've been baking drizzle cakes for years (starting with the Lemon Drizzle Tray Bake), and my kids could not be happier.
Any drizzle cake is just THE cake for children. They love the fluffy, moist crumb, the sweet and tangy flavor, and the fact that the cake is so easy to eat. There is no need for a plate or a fork; just a slice on the hand is enough.
Drizzle cakes were popularized by the famous British TV chef Mary Berry. They are actually nothing more than simple sponge cakes baked in a loaf pan (or trays or bundt pans, if you want to change something), soaked with citrus juice mixed with sugar.
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Recipe ingredients
The usual cake ingredients are unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and some confectioner's sugar.
Oranges: I recommend using organic, unwaxed oranges. Since unwaxed ones can be hard to find (even organic ones are often waxed), make sure to wash and dry them thoroughly before zesting.
Youโll need just under ยฝ cup/ 100 ml of juice, which usually requires two to three small to medium oranges. Only the zest of one orange is needed for the batter. If you'd like to decorate the cake with peel, remove a strip from one orange before grating the zest. Slice it into thin strips and set aside for garnish.
Try the Polenta Orange Cake and Orange Bundt Cake, too; they are both moist and delicious.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make orange drizzle cake?
- Step #1: Beat soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can use a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, but a stand mixer is more comfortable, as you have to beat the mixture for 5 minutes.
- Step 2:ย Add the eggs to the batter, one at a time, mixing well in between.
- Step #3: Sift the mixed flour and baking powder over the butter mixture. Add orange zest.
- Step #4: Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
How to make the drizzle?
- Step #5: Sieve the icing sugar into a small bowl. Add the juice and stir well.
How to drizzle the orange cake?
- Step #6, 7: Prick the cake with a skewer or a toothpick.
- Step #8: Pour the drizzle all over. Let cool completely in the tin. Sprinkle with icing sugar and top with the reserved orange strips just before serving.
Good to know!
Kitchen scale:ย Always use aย kitchen scaleย when baking; it guarantees the best results. (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab)
Prepare the loaf tin: Grease it well with butter. Sprinkle it with about 1 tablespoon of flour and shake the tin to distribute the flour all over the tin, including the walls. Turn the tin over the sink and pat it on the back and sides to remove the excess flour.
Butter: Remove the butter from the fridge several hours before baking to ensure it is soft. If it's too firm, the batter won't mix properly.
Oranges: When zesting, only grate the orange-colored peel, as the white part is very bitter.
Storage
Store the orange drizzle cake at room temperature for 1-2 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate it in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake in the fridge.
Orange Drizzle Cake
Equipment
- Loaf tin about 30x12 cm/ 12 x5 inches
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients
Cake:
- 250 g unsalted butter 1 cup, Note 1
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- 5 eggs large
- 2-3 oranges depending on size, small-medium (Note 2)
- 250 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
Drizzle:
- 100 g icing sugar 1 cup
- 100 ml orange juice scant ยฝ cup from the oranges mentioned above
- orange peel stripes for decoration, optional
Instructions
Preparations:
- Soften the butter: Remove it from the fridge a few hours before baking, so it has time to soften.250 g unsalted butter/ 1 cup
- Preheat the oven to 180ยฐC/ 350ยฐF. Butter the loaf tin all over, sprinkle with a little flour, and shake it to distribute the flour all over. Turn the tin upside down over the sink and pat it on the back and the sides to remove the excess flour. Set aside.
- Prepare the oranges: Wash and dry them very well. Cut a piece of orange peel very thinly if you want a few stripes to decorate the cake. Set aside. Zest the rest of one orange by grating the orange skin on the fine grater. Set aside. Juice the oranges; you need 100 ml/scant ยฝ cup juice. Set aside.2-3 oranges
Batter:
- Mix wet ingredients: Beat the soft butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs to the batter, one at a time, mixing well in between.butter + 200 g granulated sugar/ 1 cup + 5 eggs
- Add dry ingredients: In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift them over the butter-sugar mixture and add the finely grated zest. Mix gently until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.250 g all-purpose flour/ 2 cups + 2 teaspoons baking powder + 1 pinch of salt + orange zest
- Bake the cake for 60-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
Drizzle:
- Make the orange drizzle in the meantime. Sieve the icing sugar into a small bowl. Add the orange juice and stir well.100 g icing sugar/ 1 cup + 100 ml orange juice/ scant ยฝ cup
- Drizzle orange cake: Prick the cake with a skewer (or toothpick) all over. Pour the drizzle all over. Let the cake cool completely in the tin. Carefully remove it from the tin and place it on a serving platter. Dust it with icing sugar and top it with the reserved orange peel stripes .
Notes
- Measurements:ย Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking(the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results.
- Oranges: You need enough oranges to get 100 ml/scant ยฝ cup juice. You will only need the zest of 1 orange, most of it grated for the batter, and some thin peel stripes for decorating the cake.
grace says
what a beautiful texture! makes me want to sink my teeth into a slice or three. ๐
mjskitchen says
A nice light and fluffy cake and I love the orange drizzle.