Italian Orange Cake
This simple and moist Italian Orange Cake is packed with real orange flavor from fresh juice, zest, and slices. It's a light, fluffy dessert that’s perfect for any occasion and easy to make with basic pantry ingredients.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 273kcal
Ingredients
- 2 large organic Oranges
- 3 Eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar plus 1 tablespoon for the pan
- 1 ⅔ cups All-purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Peanut Oil or sunflower oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Orange Extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a loaf or round cake pan (about 24-26 cm / 9-10 inches) with parchment paper.
- Zest and juice 1 orange, and cut the other one into thin slices.2 large organic Oranges
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the thin orange slices on top of the sugar in a single layer. This will create a beautiful citrus design on top once the cake is flipped out. This step is optional.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes by hand or 1–2 minutes with an electric mixer).¾ cup Granulated Sugar , 3 Eggs
- Add the orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice (about 100 ml or ½ cup), and mix well.
- Pour in the peanut oil and orange extract if using and stir to combine.¼ cup Peanut Oil , ¼ teaspoon Orange Extract
- Sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold gently with a spatula or whisk until just combined and no lumps remain.1 ⅔ cups All-purpose Flour, 1 ½ tablespoon Baking Powder
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, being careful not to disturb the orange slices at the bottom.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack or serving plate. The orange slices will now be on top, lightly caramelized from the sugar.
- Optional: Dust the top with powdered sugar once the cake has fully cooled.
Video
Notes
Use only organic oranges since you'll be using the zest and slices.
Don’t skip the room temperature eggs—they help the cake rise better.
You can also bake this in a bundt pan, though skip the orange slices if it has a complex pattern.
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 193IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg
