• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Instant Pot Recipe Guide! download now!

FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


Thank you for subscribing!


Your Homebased Mom

  • About
  • Latest
  • Contact
NEW! Watch on youtube!

Your Homebased Mom

Leigh Anne Wilkes

  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Appetizers
      • Beverages
      • Bread
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Dessert
        • Bars and Brownies
        • Cake
        • Candy and Treats
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream
        • Pie
      • Main Dishes
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Burgers
      • Sauces and Dressings
      • Side Dishes
      • Soup
    • Cooking Method
      • Crock Pot
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pan
      • Oven
      • Quick and Easy
      • Recipes for Two
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Eggs
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Poultry
        • Chicken
        • Turkey
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
      • Gluten Free
    • Cuisine
      • American
      • Asian
      • European
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
    • Holiday
      • New Year’s Eve
      • Valentine’s Day
      • St. Patrick’s Day
      • Easter
      • 4th of July
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
  • Travel
    • Europe
    • United States
      • New York City
      • Portland
    • What To Wear
  • Life
    • Home
    • Party Ideas
    • Empty Nesters
    • Church
      • Activity Day
      • Relief Society
    • Organizational Tips
    • Recommended Reads
  • New? Start Here
  • Subscribe for weekly recipes

    FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


    Thank you for subscribing!


Recipe Finder

  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Dessert
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Burgers
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
  • Cooking Method
    • Oven
    • Crock Pot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • One Pan
    • Quick and Easy
  • Ingredients
    • Beef
    • Eggs
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Poultry
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • Gluten Free
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • European
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
  • Holiday
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Course / Dessert / Cake / Orange Cake

Orange Cake

Jump to Recipe Video Share
Share on:
By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 4/02/23Updated: 6/17/24

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

Orange cake on a cooling rack

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!

Orange cake

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’s Orange Cake is a family 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 ! It is light, tender, and full of orange flavor.

frosted orange cake

Ingredients Needed

  • Butter
  • Shortening
  • Oranges, juice and zest
  • Orange Juice Concentrate, the stuff in the can in the freezer section
  • Sugar, granulated sugar and powdered sugar
  • Eggs
  • Cake Flour. Cake flour makes a more tender, lighter cake crumb. If you substitute all purpose flour there will be a difference in texture.
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt
  • Cream Cheese, make sure it is room temperature.
Slice of Orange Cake

How to Make Orange Cake

  • Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with paper that is floured.
floured cake pans
  • Cream together butter, shortening and orange zest using a stand mixer.
  • Add sugar gradually, creaming until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Beat entire mixture for five minutes.
  • Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl.
  • Alternate adding flour mixture and orange juice while mixing.
  • Add in the orange juice concentrate. Beat only until smooth after each addition. Do not over mix.
Orange Cake batter
  • Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean about 25-30 minutes.
  • 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.  If the cake falls slightly in the middle, don’t worry, more room for frosting.
Orange cake cooling on rack
  • Cream together room temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth.
  • Alternate beating in sugar and orange juice, beating until smooth.
  • Stir in orange zest and salt.
  • Beat until creamy and a smooth spreading consistency.
  • Add frosting between the two layer, then apply a 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.
Orange Cake decorated with orange slices

Tips from leigh Anne

  1. Don’t over mix the batter after adding the flour for a more tender cake.
  2. 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.
  3. I like to grease my pans and also line the bottom with wax paper or parchment paper for easier removal from the pan.
  4. To make sure you get the batter evenly divided between the pans, use a kitchen scale.
  5. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze orange 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.

Can I use all butter?

You can but I always use half shortening and half butter, the way the recipe was written and developed.

Does Orange Cake need to be refrigerated?

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.

Check out more of my favorite cake recipes:

  • Lemon Curd Ice Cream Pie
  • The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
  • Glazed Orange Cookies
  • Orange Ice
  • Orange Rolls for Two

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

4.86 from 42 votes
Orange cake on a cooling rack

Orange Cake

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
This Orange Cake is one of my favorite cakes.  Made with fresh squeezed orange juice, the texture is soft and the flavor is amazing!
serves: 12 servings
Prep:30 minutes minutes
Cook:30 minutes minutes
Total:1 hour hour
Rate Recipe

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 fresh squeezed orange juice minus 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:

Calories: 652kcal (33%) Carbohydrates: 108g (36%) Protein: 5g (10%) Fat: 23g (35%) Saturated Fat: 11g (69%) Cholesterol: 85mg (28%) Sodium: 355mg (15%) Potassium: 227mg (6%) Sugar: 87g (97%) Vitamin A: 640IU (13%) Vitamin C: 17.2mg (21%) Calcium: 71mg (7%) Iron: 0.6mg (3%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Orange cake on a cooling rack
Did you make this?I love seeing what you made. Be sure to share a picture and tag @yourhomebasedmom on social media!
Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating
Previous Post
Challah Bread
Next Post
One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

Reader Interactions

4.86 from 42 votes (36 ratings without comment)

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




  1. Kelly says

    Posted on 6/4 at 3:05 pm

    In the frosting when it says 1/4 cup orange juice fresh, is that just from an actual orange or orange juice from the store?

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne Wilkes says

      Posted on 6/4 at 7:57 pm

      fresh from an actual orange

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Seasonal Posts

dish of blueberry ice cream

Fresh Blueberry Ice Cream

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Recipe

Homemade Salted Caramel Ice Cream

creamsicle ice cream in a hand

Creamsicle Ice Cream

hand holding a s'mores ice cream cone

S’mores ice Cream

Most Popular Posts

baked riblets

Easy Oven Baked Riblets

Herb Rice

Lemon Oatmeal Cookies

Lemon Oatmeal Cookies

texas sheet cake for two in a baking pan

Chocolate Sheet Cake for Two {Texas Sheet Cake}

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Trending Now

overhead shot of cinnamon rolls

One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

plate of smashed potatoes and a fork

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

overhead shot of bowl of almond chicken

Almond Chicken

baked riblets

Easy Oven Baked Riblets

No knead bread in a pan

Instant Pot Bread

Tomato tart pieces

Easy Tomato Tart

spoon full of mac and cheese

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Almond Torte

  • Crock Pot
  • Instant Pot
  • Chicken
  • Breakfast
  • Appetizers
  • Bread
  • Salad
  • Dessert

Order my Cookbook, Holiday Slow Cooker!

Buy Now!
Back to Top
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Contact
© 2013–2025 Leigh Anne Wilkes Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.