Watch my video of how I am preparing a superb vanilla and orange cake recipe from scratch in my fabulous KitchenAid Stand Mixer Mini! What a delicious afternoon tea cake… Delicious!
So here is the thing.
I stumbled upon a similar orange cake recipe while we were on a trip traveling around in Crete, a Greek island. I ordered that cake after dinner in a little town somewhere. I think it was Rethymnon but I am not sure about it.
Anyway, we had just had this fabulous traditional roasted lamb leg dinner with baked potatoes and fresh tomatoes.
Greece
And wanted to end in style with a sunny dessert.
My god.
That orange cake for dessert was so incredibly moist and sugary and at the same time also light and fluffy as well. What an incredible cake!
But what hit me the most was the orange flavor. That strong flavor of the orange was so overwhelming.
And yet it was very natural because I could taste that whoever baked this cake had also incorporated a good deal of fresh orange zest into the cake batter.
So I decided there and then to start a baking experiment at home even though I am not much of a baker at all.
And my search for an easy recipe for orange cake using fresh oranges began.
Baking
So then I thought, there surely has to be one good secret behind every good cake from scratch. One that I haven’t discovered yet because my cakes used to be so bad in the past.
They all seemed to come out of the oven shaped like an erupting volcano in the middle. But then also terribly blackened on the sides and still raw and runny in the middle. Or on the contrary, extremely dry like sandpaper.
Does that sound familiar to you?
Cake Disasters
I can tell you all about it.
It probably has something to do with the consistency of the batter. And the ration of the ingredients in it. I’m more of an experimental cook. And therefore I am not good at sticking to a recipe. Which totally explains why baking is not really my thing and never will be.
What about you?
Are you a good baker?
The Best Orange Cake Recipe with Orange Juice
Anyway, I have always found that very strange.
Up until the moment that I realised that I should probably follow a cake recipe to a tee.
Also because ready made batters from my local supermarket do succeed in my kitchen! But then I guess that this tells more about me than about those supermarket batters.
But enough is enough.
It is about time that I try to make one good old school cake in my life then. And guess what, I think that I really found the perfect orange cake recipe with orange juice at last. And an orange cake recipe using whole orange that I will stick to in the future.
No free styling anymore!
Video Recipe
But before we head over to my perfect orange cake recipe below, please watch my video of how I am preparing this superb vanilla and orange cake recipe in my fabulous KitchenAid Stand Mixer Mini!
I did prepared this cake in my fabulous KitchenAid Stand Mixer Mini.
Manual
If you don’t have a stand mixer, then you can combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until you end up with a fairly runny batter. Then pour it all in a buttered springform pan and bake the cake until it is fully set and cooked in the middle.
Do you love baking cakes like these?
Then you should also check out another delicious cake recipe that I am very fond and proud of: my almond cake with honey and yogurt! Speaking of fluffy light cakes, that one is also a keeper! Do try it out as well!
Enjoy!
Easy Orange Cake Recipe with Vanilla
Orange Cake Recipe
Watch my video of how I'm preparing a superb vanilla and orange cake in my fabulous KitchenAid Stand Mixer Mini!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 6 people
Calories per serving: 233 kcal
Ingredients
- zest and juice of ½ fresh large orange
- 3 medium eggs separated
- 4,5 oz caster sugar (125 g)
- 6,5 oz self-raising flour (185 g), sifted
- 3 tbsp very soft unsalted butter (45 g)
- 2 drops vanilla extract
- salt
Instructions
1) First off: add the soft butter, the sugar and the egg whites to the bowl of the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Mini.
2) Attach the wire whip. Lower the mixer head.Then set the speed at 4 and mix the ingredients for 2 minutes until pale and airy.
3) Adjust the speed to 6 and whip the ingredients for 3 more minutes.
4) Then add the self-raising flour, the orange zest and juice, a pinch of salt, the vanilla extract and the egg yolks to the mixing bowl.Mix the ingredients at speed 4 for 2 minutes.
5) Then adjust the speed to 6 and whip the ingredients for 3 more minutes.
6) Remove the wire whip.Pour the cake batter in a buttered springform pan of 6-inches (15 cm) in diameter. Bake the orange cake in a preheated oven at 338°F (170°C) for 45 minutes until set in the middle.
7) Then remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down fully in its tin. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.
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FAQs
Solution: boil the oranges. This removes the bitterness as well as softening the oranges to make them “jammy”, which makes the cake damp and sticky inside.
What can I add to my cake to make it taste better? ›
Enhance With Extracts
Pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract are great options, but you could also try lemon extract or orange extract paired with fresh citrus zest. Although more expensive, vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla beans will provide even richer flavor to a boxed mix.
What does adding an extra egg yolk do to a cake? ›
Why are eggs so important in a cake? Eggs, much like soy are emulsifiers and they help to hold the rest of the ingredients together. This creates more structure in your cake or baked goods. Adding an extra yolk will only help to hold the batter together better.
Can I use orange juice instead of milk in a cake? ›
Any liquid can be substituted for the milk in a recipe with a 1:1 ratio. Choose the best liquid for your recipe: Is your recipe sweet or savory? You may choose between a fruit juice, water or broth, depending on if your recipe's flavors.
Why does my orange cake taste bitter? ›
If you purposely or accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder without making any changes to your recipe, you'll definitely end up with a bitter taste. Remember, baking soda is an alkaline, or base, ingredient that naturally has a bitter taste. Baking powder is a multi-ingredient leavener.
Why is my whole orange cake bitter? ›
Sometimes the cake will be a bit bitter, the bitterness will depend on the thickness of the rind. If the cake is too bitter or the oranges you are using have a thick skin use the zest & the flesh of the orange (200 - 250 g).
What makes a cake taste rich? ›
The milk adds fat, which results in a better flavor and density in your cake. If you want to make your cake extra rich, swap out the milk for buttermilk. Because buttermilk is extra thick, use a few more tablespoons than the recipe calls for.
How do you make your cake taste like it came from a bakery? ›
Step 1: Look at the directions on the cake mix. Step 2: Add one more egg (or add 2 if you want it to be very rich). Step 3: Use melted butter instead of oil and double the amount. Step 4: Instead of water, use whole milk.
What adds richness and improve the Flavour of cake? ›
In addition to its delicious taste, butter adds richness and flavor to your baked goods. Different types of butter are available, but salted and unsalted butter are the two most commonly used in baking. As the name suggests, salted butter contains salt, and unsalted butter does not.
Should you beat eggs before adding to cake mix? ›
Martina says, “Late in the mixing stage, eggs will incorporate better if you lightly beat them before adding to the batter. The finished cake may be slightly shorter than expected, but its flavor and tenderness shouldn't be affected.” For egg-leavened cakes, the eggs are crucial.
Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
- Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
- Add Vegetable Oil.
- Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
- Use the Right Recipe.
- Don't Overbake.
- Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
- Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein. As Fine Cooking explains, when the protein in eggs combines with the protein in flour, they produce the overall structure of the baked good.
Why is my orange cake dense? ›
Always check the baking powder and flour before use! If the cake comes out too dense and not fluffy or moist, the baking powder is most likely out of date.
What does adding milk instead of water do to cake? ›
Milk's fat and protein add tenderness, structure, and flavor to a cake — all great attributes you want in your baking!
Is cake better with milk or water? ›
Baking tip #2: adding milk to your box cake mix in place of water adds a dense texture to your dessert leaving it moist and flavorful like a homemade cake. Or, if you prefer, you can add buttermilk, giving your cake a tangy flavor to balance out the sweetness.
How do you take the bitterness out of a cake? ›
Use of baking soda while baking or making cake, makes the cake taste bitter due to the formation of Sodium carbonate during heating. Hence, to neutralize the formed sodium carbonate and its bitter taste, we use tartaric acid. As an acid tartaric acid neutralizes the base effect of Sodium bicarbonate.
How do you get the bitter taste out of dessert? ›
There are several ways to remove a bitter taste from food. One is to add a sweet ingredient, such as sugar or honey. Another is to add an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice or vinegar. Another option is to add a pinch of baking soda, which can neutralize the bitter flavor.
Does boiling oranges make them less bitter? ›
The secret to getting rid of the bitterness. is to boil your citrus for 2 minutes. and then toss it in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
Watch my video of how I am preparing a superb vanilla and orange cake recipe from scratch in my fabulous KitchenAid Stand Mixer Mini! What a delicious afternoon tea cake… Delicious!
