My dear readers, here it is, finally, the Pan d’arancia, also known as Pan d’arancio. It is a traditional Sicilian cake that uses whole oranges included in the dough, peel and all.
It’s a cake with an intense taste, an intoxicating aroma, and a moist and tempting texture! I had never tasted the pan d’arancia cake also because to make this cake it is necessary to use organic oranges, untreated, to make the final product safe and genuine.
Thanks to my friend Filomena, who owns a citrus grove in Sicily, I had the pleasure of making this orange dessert which, if you have never tried, I absolutely recommend you do.
To prepare a traditional cake, that doesn’t belong to your tradition, you need to be safe choosing a proven recipe. That’s why I decided to rely on the legendary Sonia 🧡❤️
The one you see in the photo is the famous and wonderful Pan d’arancia Cake that I finally had the pleasure of preparing but especially tasting!
A cake with a moist consistency and very soft, super fragrant, with an orange taste that captures you at the first bite.
The Pan d’arancio is made with few and simple ingredients that you likely have in your pantry. Eggs, sugar, oil, flour, baking powder and of course oranges, the absolute stars of this preparation. So, if you don’t love them, please don’t ask me how to replace them because it’s not possible!
The pan d’arancia is a cake you can enjoy at any time of the day. For breakfast, perhaps with a nice orange juice or orange-flavored tea, to fill up on vitamin C. Also excellent served at the end of a meal or enjoyed as a snack.
It keeps for days covered with a cake dome and if it’s too hot at home it’s better to keep it in the fridge. At the end of the article, you’ll also find tips for storing it in the freezer.
Once baked, we can simply decorate this cake with powdered sugar but, as it is very moist, in my opinion, the best way to do it justice is to glaze it with orange marmalade or, as I did, glaze it.
I don’t know about you but just describing this cake made my mouth water! So let’s not waste any more time, let’s go to the kitchen to prepare it together!
By the way, are you a lover of orange desserts? Then don’t miss these delicious recipes and also try my wonderful Homemade Sicilian Orange Marmalade 🍊
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 10 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 4 eggs (medium)
- 160 g sugar (absolutely not decrease. For a sweeter version, increase up to 200 g)
- oranges (total weight with peel 450 grams, ORGANIC)
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g vegetable oil (I do not recommend olive oil)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 packet baking powder
- 50 g powdered sugar (to be increased to your own taste if you prefer a thicker and more covering glaze)
- orange juice (one or two teaspoons, or lemon if preferred)
- 2 slices orange
- as needed orange zest
Tools
- Bowls
- Mixer
- Spatula
- Food Processor
- Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Sieve
Steps
First of all, let’s think about the oranges! Wash them well under running water and, if necessary, use a kitchen brush to remove any impurities present on the peel.
As I have already mentioned, we will also use the peels so please make sure you use only organic oranges.
Once they are perfectly washed, dry all the oranges and cut them into chunks to then put them in a food processor.
Given the quantity, you will need a food processor with powerful blades if you want to blend everything together. Otherwise, you can do it in batches.
Blend everything until you obtain a puree. Set aside for later.
Now separate the yolks from the whites. Take an electric mixer and start whipping the whites.
Like with many preparations, I recommend using eggs at room temperature, taken out of the fridge at least an hour before.
As soon as you see they start to swell, add the sugar little by little, continuing to whip.
With the beaters running, add one yolk at a time and, finally, incorporate the vegetable oil by pouring it in a stream. You will get a smooth and foamy mixture.
I also added a bit of orange zest but it’s completely optional.
Now add the orange puree to the whipped egg mixture and mix gently with a spatula to not deflate it.
Finally, incorporate the flour and baking powder, sifting them to avoid lump formation. Also, add a pinch of salt.
Mix the dry ingredients without using the electric mixer. A spatula is enough but it’s important to do it gently, with movements from bottom to top.
At this point, all that’s left is to pour the entire batter into a 23-24 cm cake pan greased and floured or simply lined with parchment paper and level the surface with a spatula.
Bake the pan d’arancia cake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 60 minutes, or in convection mode at 320°F for 50 minutes.
After the time, obviously do the toothpick test because the cooking can always vary based on different factors, primarily the oven but also, for example, the mold used.
If the toothpick is dry, you can remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the mold. If it’s still wet, leave the cake in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
And finally, once cooled, it will be ready to enjoy! You can decide to decorate the Pan d’Arancio as you prefer.
Some use simply powdered sugar and others prefer to glaze it. I tried to sprinkle it with powdered sugar, but this cake is so moist that the sugar is quickly absorbed and disappears into nothing!
That’s why I decided to prepare a glaze based on powdered sugar and a few drops of orange juice (or if you prefer lemon juice).
I quickly mixed with a hand whisk until I obtained a glaze with a consistency I like, which is not too thick.
If you prefer a more covering glaze, you will need to add more powdered sugar until you achieve the density you prefer.
Then pour all the glaze over the cake, decorate with a bit of orange zest and some slices of orange, fresh or even candied.
And finally, this masterpiece of a pan d’arancia cake is ready to drive everyone crazy!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know in the comments if you will try it and for any questions, feel free to write to me, I will be happy to help you.
Thank you, Sonia for this wonderful recipe that you can read in its original version here.
As I mentioned, to prepare this cake I chose the organic oranges from Agrumi Faro, a company located in the heart of Sicily.
I invite you to take a look at their site to discover how many wonderful products you could bring to your tables.
If you wish, I also leave you a DISCOUNT CODE: GABRIELLA03 that you can use whenever you want. For any information, feel free to ask in the comments, I will be happy to answer you 🧡🍊
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How long does this cake last?
It stays soft and fragrant for several days. Being very moist, I recommend for proper storage to put it in the fridge. We can place it in a container with an airtight lid or cover it with cling film or a food bag. Even better if we keep it in the freezer to avoid unnecessary waste. In this case, I recommend cutting it first into slices, placing them in an airtight container, separating the slices from each other with pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Once frozen, it can stay for a couple of months in the freezer and you can consume it gradually without it getting spoiled.
Can I substitute oil with butter?
I strongly advise against making changes to the recipe as described because I cannot guarantee optimal success. The only change that can be made, if any, is increasing, and absolutely not decreasing, the sugar dose if you prefer sweeter cakes. This cake as presented has an intense orange flavor that makes it not too sweet, so at most, we can increase the sugar by 30-40 grams. Other changes are not recommended as they are not personally tested.
Can I combine the whole eggs without separating the yolks from the whites?
As already specified, this recipe is not mine, so I have, in respect of the author’s work, executed her version in total respect. Not having tried it in another way, I recommend following the instructions described.
Can I use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar?
In this case, I say yes, brown sugar has a sweet and intense taste that I believe fits well in this type of preparation. The dose obviously remains the same.
Can I bake the cake in an air fryer?
I do not recommend it. The fryer or even the air oven, in this case, could dry the cake too much which is characterized by being very moist and soft. A conventional oven is preferable.
Which oranges are best for this cake?
As I have already specified, it is essential to use organic, untreated oranges because for making this famous Sicilian cake, the whole fruit is used, including the peel. Untreated oranges ensure the absence of pesticides and harmful chemicals.
As for the quality, both Tarocco and Navel are fine if you want a lighter colored cake.
I used Moro (Sanguinello is also good) which have a very red pulp that could give a darker color to the cake. It will be excellent with any orange, but since we’re using the peel too, it’s better to choose ripe oranges with sweet pulp.Why does the cake have a slightly bitter aftertaste?
It is the typical taste of this Sicilian cake made with whole oranges. Having used the peel as well, without removing the white part, the final result will be a dessert with a bold flavor that can be “sweetened” by increasing the sugar dose by about 40 grams (200 grams in total). Or we can treat the oranges by boiling them whole for a few minutes and then blending them, after cutting them into pieces. In this way, the peel will lose some of its characteristic aftertaste.
