{"id":6564,"date":"2026-03-28T05:00:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T09:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thealmondeater.com\/vanilla-blood-orange-cake\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T14:32:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:32:05","slug":"vanilla-blood-orange-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thealmondeater.com\/vanilla-blood-orange-cake\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange Cake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This Orange Cake<\/strong> is delicate, fluffy, and bursting with sunshine! Made with everyday baking staples and the juice and zest of fresh oranges, it’s finished with an orange-vanilla glaze to take it over the top. Enjoy a slice with a cup of tea or for dessert.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why you’ll love this recipe!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Real oranges<\/strong> – The juice and zest from fresh oranges give this simple cake the brightest orange flavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SO moist<\/strong> – Most orange cake recipes use oil for moisture, but I used eggs and applesauce for a slightly healthier cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Easy & elegant<\/strong> – Like my pistachio cake<\/a> and vegan coffee cake<\/a>, this is an easy one-layer cake with some serious fancy vibes.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
Table of Contents<\/h2>
Why you’ll love this recipe!<\/a><\/li>
Orange Cake Ingredients<\/a><\/li>
How to Make Orange Cake<\/a><\/li>
Erin’s Tips and Tricks<\/a><\/li>
Glazing The Cake<\/a><\/li>
Orange Cake FAQs<\/a><\/li>
Storage<\/a><\/li>
More Cake Recipes<\/a><\/li>
Orange Cake Recipe<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
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Cake! I love cake. My sweet tooth practically calls out for a slice of lavender coffee cake<\/a> or chocolate coconut cake<\/a> when it’s time for dessert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Orange Cake Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Navel oranges<\/strong> – 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applesauce<\/strong> – 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flour<\/strong> – Classic all-purpose flour works perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Orange vanilla glaze<\/strong> – I decorated the cake with a very simple glaze made from powdered sugar, orange juice, and vanilla extract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Variations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Orange almond cake<\/strong> – 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!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Gluten-free option<\/strong> – 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Glaze substitute<\/strong> – If you’d rather keep it simple, sift powdered sugar over the cake instead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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How to Make Orange Cake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Make the orange sugar. <\/strong>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. <\/strong>Next, mix the eggs, milk, orange juice, applesauce, and vanilla with the butter-sugar mixture until combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Whisk dry ingredients.<\/strong> Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a separate bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Combine. <\/strong>Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Step 5: Bake.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Step 6: Make the glaze.<\/strong> Meanwhile, whisk the orange juice and vanilla together in a bowl, then whisk in the powdered sugar until you have a smooth glaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 7: Decorate and serve. <\/strong>Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and use a spatula to spread it evenly over the top. Slice and enjoy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Erin’s Tips and Tricks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Only zest the orange peel, not the white pith underneath<\/strong>. The pith is very bitter, and you don’t want it messing with the cake!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Zest the orange before juicing it.<\/strong> It’s way easier this way, trust me.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Room temperature ingredients are easier to incorporate into cake batters<\/strong>. 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Don’t overmix the batter<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Garnish the cake<\/strong> with candied orange slices, fresh mint leaves, or extra orange zest to make it feel extra fancy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
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My Pro Tip<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Glazing The Cake<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The cake has<\/em> to be completely cooled before pouring the glaze over the top<\/strong>. If it’s still warm, the glaze will melt right off! Also, give the glaze a minute or two to harden<\/strong> after pouring it over the cake. The glisten and shine are so worth the wait.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Orange Cake FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Can I make orange cake with bottled orange juice instead?<\/strong>
Bottled orange juice does work here, but it won’t perfume the cake with the same fresh aromatic oils found in the juice and zest of a real orange.<\/p> <\/div>
<\/strong>Can I use a different cake pan?<\/strong>
This recipe makes enough cake batter for a 9×5 loaf pan or a standard bundt pan. I’d recommend checking for doneness around the 45-minute mark—it may take slightly longer to bake in these pans.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Storage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Make-ahead: <\/strong>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Refrigerator: <\/strong>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Freezer<\/strong>: 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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More Cake Recipes<\/h2>\n\n<\/div><\/header>
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VVegan<\/span><\/span><\/a>VGVegetarian<\/span><\/span><\/a>DFDairy Free<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Vegan Nutella Cake<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article>
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VGVegetarian<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Gingerbread Snack Cake<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article>
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Blackberry Lavender Cake<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article>
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VVegan<\/span><\/span><\/a>VGVegetarian<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>
Vegan Vanilla Cake<\/a><\/h3><\/div><\/article><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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