This Orange Cake is so fluffy and soft, with a delicious Orange Syrup, and a tangy Orange Cream Cheese Glaze on top.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cake, orange
Prep Time 40 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour40 minutesminutes
Servings 12slices
Calories 320kcal
Author Camila Hurst
Ingredients
Orange Cake
2cupsgranulated sugar400 grams
4tbsporange zestfrom about 2 oranges
2 2/3cupall-purpose flour335 grams
2tbspcornstarch
1/2tspsalt
1 1/4tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
1cupunsalted butter226 grams plus more for greasing the pan
4large eggs
1/2cupsour cream120 grams
1/4cuporange juice60 ml
1/2cupmilk120 ml
Orange Syrup
1/2cuporange juice120 ml
1/2cupsugar100 grams
Peel of one orange
Orange Glaze
1/3cupcream cheese75 grams
1tbspunsalted butter14 grams
3/4cuppowdered sugar
3tbsporange juice
2tbsporange zestto decorate
Instructions
Orange Bundt Cake
Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. If using convection oven set it to 325ºF.
Grease a 12-cup bundt cake pan with butter. You will need about 1-2 tbsp to grease the pan, make sure the butter is softened when you do this. Once the butter is evenly coating the pan, sprinkle flour all over, and shake the pan against your hands, to make sure the flour is evenly being incorporated and distributed all over the pan. If using a bundt pan with details, make sure to get the nooks and crannies well covered, or the cake might stick in those areas that aren’t nicely greased and floured.
Make the orange sugar. Zest the oranges and mix them with the sugar, rubbing between your fingers. The sugar crystals will help the orange peel release the natural oils that have so much flavor and aroma. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. You can use a stand mixer or a hand held mixer.
Add the orange sugar and beat again on medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy, and the butter is lightened in color, which should take about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well until incorporated before adding the next egg.
Add the sour cream and orange juice and mix on low to combine.
Now add half of the flour mixture to the bowl.
Mix on low to combine.
Once the dry ingredients are just incorporated, add the milk at once.
Mix on low to combine.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
You can finish mixing with a spatula to prevent the batter from being over mixed, which can result in a dry cake.
Pour the batter in the prepared bundt pan.
Make sure to spread it out with a spatula so it’s nice and evenly distributed.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 55 to 65 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven. Convection ovens might bake faster.
If the cake is browning too much but the inside isn't cooked yet, cover with aluminum foil to help prevent the outsides of burning.
The cake is done baking when it doesn’t feel jiggly when you touch the top. And also a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Orange syrup
While the cake bakes, make the orange syrup, and have it ready for when the cake is done baking.
Place the sugar, orange juice, and orange peel in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn the heat off as soon as the sugar dissolves completely.
Set it aside.
When you remove the cake from the oven, let it rest for about 5 minutes. Prickle holes on top of the cake with a fork.
Remove the orange peel from the syrup, then pour the orange syrup all over the cake.
Let the cake cool down for another 15 minutes in the pan, and let the syrup be absorbed by the cake.
Then flip the cake over onto a cooling wire rack, or a plate.
Let it cool down completely before slicing, and serving.
Orange Glaze
To make the Orange Glaze beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer for 30 seconds.
Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 30 seconds.
Then add the orange juice and mix to combine.
Adjust the consistency of the glaze by adding more juice to thin it out, or adding more powdered sugar to make it thicker.
You can add the orange zest directly to the glaze, or sprinkle on top of the cake once it’s done being glazed.
I left mine out, so once the glaze was ready, I drizzled it over the cake. Then, the orange zest gets sprinkled on top of the cake.
Storage
Store the cake in the fridge for up to 4 days, in an airtight container. Let it sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before serving, it should be served at room temperature.
Notes
Cornstarch: the cornstarch helps the cake have a fluffy and soft texture.Milk, eggs, sour cream: Make sure these ingredients are at room temperature. Just remove them from the fridge about 20 or 30 minutes before you have to use them in the recipe.Butter: The butter also needs to be softened, but it can take longer than 20 minutes to soften butter. It’s ideal that it’s at 72ºF.Orange syrup variation: Substitute half of the orange juice for 1/4 cup of orange liqueur to the syrup if desired.Oranges: You will need about 4 medium oranges for the whole recipe.Orange juice glaze: Instead of making the cream cheese glaze, you can make a simple orange juice and powdered sugar glaze by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar + 2 to 3 tbsp orange juiceSour cream: can be substituted for greek full fat yogurt.Orange sugar: You could also gently pulse the sugar with the orange zest in the food processor instead of rubbing between your fingers.Oven: Bake the cake at 350ºF if using conventional oven. If using convection oven, reduce the temperature to 325ºF.Pan size: I used a 12-cup bundt pan. Alternatively, for this amount of batter, you can use a 9x13" pan, or two 8.5"x4.5" loaf pans, or two 9-inch round cake pans.