Cake! I love cake. My sweet tooth practically calls out for a slice of lavender coffee cake or chocolate coconut cake when it’s time for dessert.

I make this Orange Cake when I want to channel my inner Martha Stewart. It’s a simple but sophisticated one-layer dessert with a fluffy, golden crumb and a glistening orange vanilla glaze. But it’s the vibrant orange flavors in every bite that make it a winning sweet treat.

Take it from me, the biggest cake lover I know: The melt-in-your-mouth texture and bright pops of citrus in each slice will bring a little more sunshine to anyone’s day. 

Orange Cake Ingredients

Navel oranges – It wouldn’t be an orange cake without the fresh citrus flavors and aromas, so I zested a large navel orange before squeezing out all of the juice. If you don’t have a navel orange, use mandarin oranges, blood oranges, or any other kind of orange you like.

Applesauce – The cake gets most of its moisture from plain, unsweetened applesauce. Melted coconut oil or vegetable oil will work as substitutes, but the crumb won’t be as light or delicate.

Flour – Classic all-purpose flour works perfectly.

Orange vanilla glaze – I decorated the cake with a very simple glaze made from powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract.

This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list. 

Variations

• Orange almond cake – Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract to the wet ingredients for just a kiss of almond. You could sprinkle toasted almond slices over the glaze, too!
• Gluten-free option – I haven’t tested this recipe with anything other than all-purpose flour, but a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend might work as a substitute.
• Glaze substitute – If you’d rather keep it simple, sift powdered sugar over the cake instead.

How to Make Orange Cake

Step 1: Make the orange sugar. Add the sugar and orange zest to a bowl and rub them together with your fingers until fragrant. Add the butter to the same bowl and beat with a mixer until fluffy.

Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Next, mix the eggs, milk, orange juice, applesauce, and vanilla with the butter-sugar mixture until combined.

Step 3: Whisk dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl.

Step 4: Combine. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.

Step 5: Bake. Pour the cake batter into a cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set it aside to cool.

Step 6: Make the glaze. Meanwhile, whisk the orange juice and vanilla together in a bowl, then whisk in the powdered sugar until you have a smooth glaze.

Step 7: Decorate and serve. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and use a spatula to spread it evenly over the top. Slice and enjoy!

Erin’s Tips and Tricks

• Only zest the orange peel, not the white pith underneath. The pith is very bitter, and you don’t want it messing with the cake!
• Zest the orange before juicing it. It’s way easier this way, trust me.
• Room temperature ingredients are easier to incorporate into cake batters. Remember to take the eggs, butter, milk, oranges, applesauce, and any other refrigerated ingredients out of the fridge at least 30 minutes ahead of time.
• Don’t overmix the batter when combining the wet and dry mixes. To keep the cake’s delicate crumb, very gently combine the two with a wooden spoon or spatula until the flour is absorbed.
• Garnish the cake with candied orange slices, fresh mint leaves, or extra orange zest to make it feel extra fancy.

Orange Cake FAQs

Storage

Make-ahead: I like to serve this cake fresh to enjoy each moist and fluffy bite to the fullest. That said, the unglazed cake will still be a bit moist after staying covered on the kitchen counter for 1 to 3 days.

Refrigerator: The whole cake or individual slices can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Keep in mind that it will dry out slightly as it sits.

Freezer: You can wrap the unglazed cake in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it on the kitchen counter before pouring the glaze over top.

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If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

Normally, I’d sneak black beans into brownies or add Greek yogurt to cookies when I want a healthy-ish dessert, but not in these Paleo Chocolate Brownies. They’re every bit as decadent as the brownies you know and love, but use grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free ingredients! You’d never know it, though, because they taste just like your favorite childhood brownie recipe.

Trust me, I tested this recipe over 3 times to make sure the brownies were absolutely perfect. I’m talking decadent, rich, and dangerously good! And that paper-thin crackly top? Instantly iconic.

Just like my paleo pumpkin chocolate pie and chocolate avocado cake, you can make this paleo dessert for bake sales, the holidays, or just because, without anyone suspecting they’re eating something wholesome. 

Paleo Brownie Ingredients

Coconut oil – I melted the chocolate chips with coconut oil for an ultra-smooth and fudgy texture. 

Chocolate chips – I used dairy-free Enjoy Life chocolate chips, which are NOT paleo-compliant. There are plenty of dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and soy lecithin-free chocolate chips out there if you want the brownies to be strictly paleo.

Coconut sugar – This keeps the brownies refined sugar-free without missing out on the sweetness you expect from traditional brownies.

Almond flour – I love baking with almond flour because it’s naturally gluten-free and keeps the crumb light without being cakey. I always buy the massive bag from Costco.

This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list. 

Variations

• Coconut oil substitute – Not a fan of the coconut flavor? Melt the chocolate with avocado oil or ghee instead.
• Change the sweetener – You can use an equal amount of cane sugar or light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar. Just know that these swaps are not strictly paleo. 
• Almond flour substitute – Cashew flour behaves almost exactly like almond flour in grain-free baking. I haven’t tested it, but it should work.
• Deepen the chocolate flavor – A few tablespoons of espresso powder mixed with the dry ingredients will intensify the richness without making the brownies taste like coffee.
• Optional mix-ins – Fold chopped walnuts, pecans, cacao nibs, or extra chocolate chips into the brownie batter. For paleo almond butter brownies, drop spoonfuls of almond butter over the brownie batter, then use a toothpick to swirl them around.

How to Make Paleo Brownies

Step 1: Melt the chocolate. Melt the coconut oil and chocolate chips together in a small saucepan until smooth. Set it aside to cool.

Step 2: Whisk the eggs. Add the eggs and sugar to a large bowl and whisk continuously for at least 45 seconds.

Step 3: Add dry ingredients. Gently fold the almond flour and salt into the whisked egg-sugar mixture. 

Step 4: Add the chocolate. Finish by folding in the melted chocolate until you have a smooth batter.

Step 5: Bake. Pour the brownie batter into your baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Step 6: Cool, then serve. Let the brownies cool completely, then slice them into bars and serve. 

Brownies FAQs

Storage

Room temperature: These brownies taste their best when eaten as soon as possible. That said, they’ll stay fresh in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. 

Refrigerator: If you want the brownies to last longer (or if you like a super-chewy, cold brownie), keep them covered in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

Freezer: They also freeze like a dream. Just slice, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 3 months.

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Cottage Cheese Brownies

I don’t know about you, but my algorithm keeps showing me videos of high-protein recipes that stir cottage cheese into absolutely any snack, dessert, or meal you can think of. And, honestly, I’m all for it! As cottage cheese’s #1 fan, I don’t need an excuse to add it to my egg salad recipes, batches of chocolatey brownies, and more.

I’ve been loving this high-protein Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough for a post-workout snack and late-night sweet treat, too. The recipe combines cottage cheese with simple ingredients—almond flour, protein powder, and maple syrup, among others—to create something rich, creamy, and more satisfying than baked cookies. 

Oh, and did I mention how it’s perfect for the whole family? The kids will love this sweet, chocolate chip-loaded snack, while you’ll enjoy its richness and better-for-you ingredients.

Protein Cookie Dough Ingredients 

Cottage cheese – You’ll always find cottage cheese in my fridge because it’s a protein-packed ingredient I can blend into a creamy dip, add to a hearty lasagna, or, in this case, transform into a sweet treat. I recommend using full-fat or 2% cottage cheese for the creamiest results.

Almond flour – It’s safe to eat raw, makes the dough soft, and adds a subtle nutty flavor. I do not recommend making any substitutions here. I tested this recipe with coconut flour, but it made the dough taste way too coconutty and completely threw off the texture.

Vanilla protein powder – I really wanted the cookie dough to be filling, so I added a scoop of my favorite vanilla-flavored whey protein powder. Feel free to change up the flavor if you want!

Chocolate chips – I love how the chocolate chips make the cookie dough feel extra indulgent. Sweet, semi-sweet, dark, or vegan chocolate chips all work well.

This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list. 

Variations

• Change the sweetener – Honey, agave, or another low-calorie liquid sweetener will work in place of the maple syrup. Also, brown sugar is optional, so feel free to leave it out if you want.
• Oat flour substitute – You might be able to get away with using oat flour as a substitute for the almond flour. Start with 1 cup, then add more as needed.
• Ditch the protein – Omit the protein powder if you want this to taste more like classic cookie dough and less like a “protein-y” dessert.
• Add-in ideas – If chocolate chips aren’t your thing, fold in peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, sprinkles, chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds), dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, or cherries), or cocoa nibs instead.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough

Step 1: Process the wet ingredients. Add the cottage cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla to a food processor, and pulse until completely smooth. 

Step 2: Add dry ingredients. Transfer the wet mixture to a large bowl. Add the almond flour, brown sugar, and protein powder, then use a rubber spatula to stir everything together. Fold in the chocolate chips at the end.

Step 3: Serve or chill. Either enjoy the cookie dough right away or, for the best texture, refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Transfer the cookie dough to a small bowl or portion it into jars, then enjoy!

Edible Cookie Dough FAQs

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the cookie dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer: The best way to freeze edible cookie dough is to roll it into bite-sized balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer the balls to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.