Today let’s prepare together one of those cakes so simple and so delicious you won’t believe it! It’s the super soft orange cake, without butter and milk.
The recipe is very easy and can be made in a few minutes, with simple and natural ingredients: eggs, sugar, flour, orange juice, and zest.
The result is a soft and light orange dessert, perfect as a base for filled cakes or to enjoy on its own with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Lactose-free so it suits everyone and can also be filled with a delicious orange cream without milk or Sicilian orange marmalade.
How to make the super soft orange cake?
To prepare a soft orange cake, whisk the eggs with sugar, add oil, orange juice, and zest, and finally flour and baking powder. Pour into a mold and bake at 340°F for about 40 minutes. The result is a soft cake with an intense citrus aroma.
The orange cake is a dessert with a genuine flavor, like the ones our grandmothers used to make. Fragrant and irresistibly tasty, perfect for breakfast or snack.
💡 I recommend reading the article to the end: you will find a section dedicated to the most common questions about the orange cake, many useful tips on how to store it, delicious variations, and the ideal wine to pair if you want to serve it at the end of a meal 🍷✨
If you like orange desserts, don’t miss these two really special treats:
Orange cake with orange cream country recipe;
Pan d’arancia typical Sicilian recipe made with whole oranges.
Other recipes you might be interested in:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: for about 10-12 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring, Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup potato starch (alternatively all-purpose flour)
- 4 eggs (medium-sized, whole)
- 3/4 cup sugar (you can reduce to 3/4 cup for a less sweet version)
- 3/4 cup corn oil
- 6 tbsp orange juice
- 1 orange zest
- orange flavor (a few drops, only if you like it, not essential)
- 1 packet baking powder (16 grams)
- to taste powdered sugar (for decoration)
Tools
- Bowl
- Mixer
- Spatula
- Citrus Juicer
- Grater
- Baking Pan
- Sieve
Preparation
First, wash an orange thoroughly, preferably organic and large-sized.
Grate the zest and put it in a bowl where you will mix everything. Also, juice the orange, you will need 6 tablespoons.
Now in the bowl where you placed the orange zest, add the whole medium-sized eggs and sugar and whisk everything with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and frothy.
Add the corn oil slowly and mix for a minute. Then pour in the orange juice and a few drops of orange flavor, blend.
Finally, incorporate the pre-sifted dry ingredients, specifically the flour, starch, and baking powder, mix well until everything is combined.
If you don’t have starch, you can use only all-purpose flour for a total of 2 1/4 cups.
Pour the entire mixture into a cake pan (8 1/2 – 9 1/2 inches) lined with parchment paper or greased and floured. Bake in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes at 350°F static.
Baking times may vary depending on the oven and the size of the pan used.
After the time has passed, check the cake with a toothpick; if it comes out dry, remove it from the oven, otherwise continue baking.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Only once cooled, decorate with powdered sugar.
Et voilà, your beautiful and delicious soft orange cake is ready to be enjoyed!
If you liked this cake, leave me a 💛 in the comments and tell me how you prepared it!
📸 Share it on social media and tag me so I can see it!
👉 Save the recipe so you don’t lose it and come back soon to the Mela Cannella e Fantasia Blog to discover the next sweet novelties 🍊🍰✨Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All rights reserved
🍊 Seasonality and Benefits of Oranges
The perfect season to enjoy this cake is from December to March, when oranges are at their peak aroma.
Oranges are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and fibers, useful for strengthening the immune system and combating winter fatigue.
Just be careful if you suffer from gastritis or reflux: in that case, it’s better to limit consumption or opt for a more neutral dessert.
💛 Who is this recipe for
For those who love simple and genuine desserts, authentic flavors of tradition.
Ideal for children and the whole family.
Those looking for a homemade cake for breakfast (or snack) or want a fragrant dessert without elaborate fillings can enjoy a slice of this excellent cake.
Those looking for a homemade cake for breakfast (or snack) or want a fragrant dessert without elaborate fillings can enjoy a slice of this excellent cake.
Can I use packaged orange juice?
It’s better to use fresh orange juice, as packaged ones contain sugars and preservatives.
Can I replace the oil with butter?
Yes, but the cake will be slightly denser. Use 7 tablespoons of melted butter instead of oil.
How do I know when the cake is done?
Do the toothpick test: if it comes out dry, the cake is ready. Always check in the last 5 minutes of baking, never too early.
How to store it best?
Store it under a glass dome or in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If it’s too hot at home, the fridge works too.
If you want to keep it longer, you can freeze it in slices so you’ll have ready-made breakfast for the whole week without the risk of losing flavor and consistency.Can I add glaze or filling?
Yes! Try with an orange glaze🍊
Ingredients:
100 g of sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice
Zest of half an untreated orange
(Optional) 1/2 teaspoon of honey or melted butter for a shinier finish
Preparation:
In a small bowl, pour the powdered sugar. Gradually add the orange juice and stir with a whisk or fork until smooth and lump-free.
Add the grated zest (and, if you like, a hint of honey or melted butter). Stir again: the glaze should be dense yet pourable.
If too liquid, add more powdered sugar; if too thick, add a few drops of orange juice.
Pour over the completely cooled cake, spreading with the back of a spoon or letting it flow naturally for a rustic effect.
💡 Tip: for a more intense flavor, you can replace some of the juice with orange liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Marnier), adding a delicious and refined aroma!
Or you can fill it with a lemon water cream for an even more delicious and citrusy dessert.Is it suitable for those with lactose intolerance?
Yes, if prepared with oil instead of butter and without milk.
🔥 Baking: static or fan oven?
For this super soft orange cake, it’s better to use a static oven, preheated to 340°F, as it ensures more even and gentle cooking.
The fan oven tends to dry out the batter slightly and over-color the surface, so if you want to use it, lower the temperature to 320°F and check the baking a few minutes earlier than the indicated time.
💡 Tip: every oven is different, to understand if the cake is ready, always do the toothpick test: it should come out dry but not completely dry, meaning the inside remains soft.Can I bake the cake in an air fryer?
Yes, you can also make this super soft orange cake in an air fryer, achieving a surprisingly soft and aromatic result!
Bake at 310-320°F for about 25-30 minutes.
👉 Every model is different, so check the baking after 20 minutes: the surface should be slightly golden, and the toothpick should come out dry.🍯 Can I replace sugar with erythritol?
Yes, you can replace sugar with erythritol in the same amount indicated in the recipe (1:1 ratio).
Erythritol is a natural low glycemic index sweetener, perfect for those who want to reduce sugars without sacrificing sweetness 🍊✨
Keep in mind:
Erythritol crystallizes slightly when cold, so the cake may be a bit drier. This happens because, when cooled, erythritol tends to form crystals, unlike sugar which has a different consistency when cooled.
To maintain softness, you can add an extra tablespoon of yogurt or orange juice to the batter.
The sweetening power is slightly less than sugar, so you can increase the dose by 10-15% if you prefer a sweeter taste.
💡 Tip: for a perfectly balanced result, you can use half sugar and half erythritol, achieving a cake that is sweet enough without altering the structure too much.
