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This Orange Cake is one of my favorite cakes. The texture is soft and the flavor is amazing thanks to fresh orange juice and zest!
Years ago my mother gave me a little spiral bound cookbook that her friend Marilyn Martell had put together. Marilyn was an amazing cook and baker and her little cookbook is full of county fair prize winning recipes. Marilyn has won numerous Sweepstake and Best of Show Awards and one year won 77 ribbons!!! In total she has won over 300 ribbons at various county and state fairs! This woman knew how to bake!
Several of Marilyn’s recipes have become family favorites, including this Strawberry Cream Pie.
Best Orange Cake Recipe
Marilyn’s Orange Cake is another favorite and I think I can honestly say it is my favorite cake ever! Any cake that wins the blue ribbon at the fair has to be good ! In the description of the Fresh California Orange Cake Marilyn says that she had to bake it three times before leaving for the fairground. Practice makes perfect.
Why Does My Cake Fall?
Please note, this cake does fall slightly in the middle, even when done right so don’t worry. I figure there is just more room for frosting! This cake is light and delicious.
Secret Ingredient
The secret to success with this orange cake and for the best orange flavor is using a combination of freshly squeeze orange juice along with some frozen orange juice. The fresh juice makes a difference.
Cake Ingredients Needed
- Oranges. You are going to use fresh oranges and orange juice concentrate (the stuff in the can in the freezer section) You will also use the zest.
- Flour. The recipe calls for cake flour. Cake flour makes a more tender, lighter cake crumb. If you substitute all purpose flour there will be a difference in texture.
- Butter and shortening. This recipe uses a combination of the two.
- Sugar. Granulate sugar
- Eggs
- Baking Powder
- Powdered sugar
- Cream Cheese. Make sure it is room temperature
How to Make Orange Cake
Prep
- Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. I also like to line the bottom of mine with wax paper which I also grease and flour.
Make Orange Cake Batter
- Cream together butter, shortening and orange rind using a stand mixer. Gradually add in the sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition. Beat entire mixture for five minutes.
- Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl and then add flour mixture into creamed sugar mixture alternating with orange juice. Add in the orange juice concentrate. Beat only until smooth after each addition. Do not over mix.
- Bake in prepared pans at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean. Allow orange cake to cool for 10-20 minutes and then run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn upside down onto a wire rack. Be sure and remember to remove the wax paper from the bottom of each orange cake layer.
- Don’t worry if the cake falls a bit in the middle, just more room for frosting.
- After the cake is completely cool, wrap each layer in plastic wrap so that it is air tight and freeze. Freeze overnight or at least a couple of hours. The cake will frost so much easier if it has been frozen.
Assemble the Orange Cake
- Remove from the freezer and assemble the cake, adding frosting between the two layers. Then, apply a crumb coat of frosting over the whole cake.
Make the Orange Cake Frosting
- Cream together room temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Gradually beat in sugar alternately with orange juice beating until smooth. Stir in orange rind and salt.
- Add a drop or two of orange food coloring to tint a light orange if desired.
- Beat until creamy and a smooth spreading consistency.
What is a Crumb Coat?
- A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that locks in all the crumbs so they don’t come through on the final layer of frosting.
- After applying the crumb coat, pop the cake back in the freezer for about 30 minutes so the crumb coat will firm up. Add the final layer of frosting and garnish with slices of orange.
- Garnish the cake with a few slices of orange
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Orange Cake
- Don’t over mix the batter after adding the flour for a more tender cake.
- Start with room temperature ingredients such as eggs, butter and milk. Ingredients incorporate better when room temperature and gives you a lighter texture to your cake.
- Be sure and zest your oranges before you juice them, much easier that way!
- I like to grease my pans and also line the bottom with wax paper or parchment paper for easier removal from the pan.
- To make sure you get the batter evenly divided between the pans use a kitchen scale.
- I always set my timer for five minutes before the recommended bake time in the recipe.
- After removing from the oven, allow cake to cool for about 5-10 minutes in the pan and then remove cake from pan and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Frequently Asked Questions
I often slice in triangular cake slices but if you need to feed more people be sure and check out this tutorial on how to cut a cake.
Cake actually freezes really well, frosting and all. Just be sure and wrap it up airtight in plastic wrap. You can also slice the cake into pieces and wrap each piece in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. It will keep for months, but it never lasts that long at our house.
You can use the toothpick test. Insert into the middle of the cake and it should come out clean.
When touched, the top of the cake should spring back.
You can but I always use half shortening and half butter, the way the recipe was written and developed.
The cake can be left at room temperature until ready to serfe. If you aren’t going to be eating it for a few days keep it covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Insert a few toothpicks into the top of the cake before covering with plastic wrap to prevent it from sticking to the cake.
If you love orange cake, check out more of my favorite cake recipes:
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Orange Cake
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 1/2 cup cake flour sifted
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup orange juice fresh squeezed, less 2 Tbsp
- 2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
Creamy Orange Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/4 cup orange juice fresh
- 2 tsp orange zest
- dash salt
Instructions
- Cream together butter, shortening and rind. Very gradually add in sugar, creaming until light.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Continue beating for 5 minutes.
- Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with orange juice to creamed mixture. Add in orange juice concentrate. Beat only until smooth after each addition
- Bake in 2 greased and floured 8 inch round pans at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan and then remove to cooling rack to cool completely
- Wrap cooled cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze for an hour to overnight before frosting. (See frosting directions below)
Creamy Orange Frosting
- Cream butter and cream cheese.
- Gradually beat in sugar alternately with orange juice beating until smooth. Stir in orange rind and salt.
- Add a drop or two of orange food coloring to tint a light orange if desired
- Beat until creamy and spreading consistency.
- Place frosting between cake layers. Put a thin coating of frosting over entire cake, a crumb coat and then freeze cake for 30 minutes.
- Add final layer of frosting over entire cake. Garnish with some fresh orange slices.
Tips & Notes:
- Start with room temperature ingredients such as eggs, butter and milk. Ingredients incorporate better when room temperature and gives you a lighter texture to your cake.
- I like to grease my pans and also line the bottom with wax paper or parchment paper for easier removal from the pan.
- To make sure you get the batter evenly divided between the pans use a kitchen scale.
- I always set my timer for five minutes before the recommended bake time in the recipe.
- After removing from the oven, allow cake to cool for about 5-10 minutes in the pan and then remove cake from pan and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Nutrition Facts:
originally published April 15, 2010
Cher Young says
Can u use regular bleached flour?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
You can, your cake just won’t be as tender a crumb.
Meg says
I followed this recipe exactly and it was GREAT! I made it for my husband’s birthday and he loved it! Thank you for this recipe- it’s a keeper!
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
It’s my favorite cake! So glad you enjoyed it for your birthday celebration
Alyssa says
Could I use more butter in place of shortening? I have kids who are allergic to the shortening.
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
It should work fine.
Barrie says
This cake had great flavor, however, i thought it was a bit dry. Any suggestions?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
If it was dry, you may have overbaked it a bit. Glad you enjoyed the flavor. it is one of my favorites.
Dana F Bouque says
Is rind the same as zest?
Leigh Anne says
Zest is the top layer of the rind, the orange part, don’t use the white part.
Dana B. says
I made this cake for my husbands birthday and it was DELICIOUS!!!