You’ll love this moist orange cake loaf that is so delicious and easy to make with only 6 ingredients! You can have this light cake as orange bread for breakfast or as a delicious afternoon tea snack.
Today I share my delicious orange loaf cake that is full of orange flavor. If you love recipes with orange you should definitely try this recipe. This cake loaf is just as soft and moist as my carrot cake loaf and apple cake loaf.
If you love orange chocolate combination, you should check my candied orange peels and chocolate orange cookies which are delicious and easy to make as well.
But today’s star is this refreshing orange cake. The ingredient list and ease of this recipe will probably make you bake this yummy cake immediately.
Ingredients you’ll need
You can find the exact quantities at the bottom of my post, in the recipe card.
- Flour-I use all purpose flour which gives structure to this cake.
- Baking powder-It works as a leavener.
- Orange– I use 3 medium-size oranges to get fresh orange juice and zest of 2 oranges.
- Sugar-I don’t use too much sugar to keep this loaf light.
- Egg-I use room temperature eggs.
- Butter-I use melted butter for moisture.
Step by step instructions
First I place the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir with a whisk. I set it aside.
Then I place the sugar and orange zest into a medium bowl and stir them. You can either rub with your fingers or use a fork to stir them.
Next I add the eggs and mix with a whisk. Once they mix well, I add the melted butter and orange juice and stir until combined.
Finally I pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a whisk until just combined.
I pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for almost 35-38 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once I remove the pan from the oven, I let the cake stay in the pan for 20 minutes. Then I place it on a wire rack to cool for 25 minutes. It will be ready to slice.
Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
After the cake is cooled for 1 hour, while it is still warm, you can keep in an airtight container. It stays fresh for 3 days at room temperature and 7 days in the fridge.
After this loaf cake is almost cooled, you can wrap it with a plastic film. Once totally cooled, you can cover the plastic film-wrapped loaf with aluminum foil or place in a freezer bag taking all the air inside. You can freeze for up to 3 months.
Cake Loaf- Quick Bread Recipes You May Enjoy!
Fruit Muffin Recipes You May Enjoy!
I love hearing from you! If you try this recipe or my other recipes please leave a comment and give a star rating!
Orange Cake Loaf
Ingredients
- 210 grams (1 and ½ cup) all-purpose flour, dip and sweep
- 2 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 18 grams (2 tablespoons) orange zest*
- 105 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar*
- 2 large eggs
- 115 grams (½ cup) melted butter
- 180 grams (¾ cup) fresh orange juice*, sieved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(177°C). Grease 8 ½ * 4 ½ inch (21,5*10,5cm) loaf pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, about 2 inches(5 cm) of overhang on each side.
- Place the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir with a whisk. Set aside.
- Put the sugar and orange zest into a medium bowl and stir them either rubbing with your fingers or using a fork.
- Add the eggs and mix with a whisk until just combined. Mix in the melted butter and orange juice.
- Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and stir with a whisk until just combined.
- Bake for almost 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick that is inserted to center comes out clean.
- After you remove the pan from the oven, let the cake stay in the pan for 20 minutes and then remove from the pan and let it cool for 25 minutes on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Hellen
I came across this recipe today, and had some oranges that I wanted to use up, so I decided to make this….WOW, this is so very, very good! So easy to make, and an awesome orange flavor! The only thing I did differently was to use margarine instead of the butter; (I didn’t have any butter). This recipe is so moist and flavorful, it’s definitely a make-again for me!
Meymi
Hi Hellen, I am so happy that you loved this cake loaf so much. Thank you for your comment!
Mahsa
Hi I made this cake with gluten free flour mix and more egg ( because i didn’t have large eggs) but it didn’t rise much 🙁 the cake was cooked through and tased really good. can you tell me what to change so it would become fluffy.
Thank you
Meymi
Hi Mahsa, I’m glad you liked the taste. As I haven’t tested it with gluten-free flour, I’m not sure why it didn’t rise. I made a quick search on the internet and it says you may need to use 25% more leavening agent when converting a recipe to gluten-free. This makes 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Also, I read that you should mix the batter longer so the air will be beaten into it and make it rise. But as I said this is the advice I saw on the internet. If you try with 1 tablespoon of baking powder and mix the batter longer, I would love to hear your feedback.
Mahsa
Hi Meymi,
Thank you so much for your quick reply. I made this loaf again and followed your original recipe did exactly what you said( add an extra tablespoon baking powder and mix longer), it turned out great.
Thank you again
Meymi
Hi Mahsa, Actually I meant 1 tablespoon of baking powder in total. Thank you for your comment!
Lulu
Whoa. This was beautiful! Thank you!
I used 1/2c Splenda and mixed simple wet & dry together. Turned out lush! Next will be muffins!
Have you tried dong this lemon?
Meymi
Hi Lulu, Thank you so much for your comment! I’m thrilled to hear you loved this recipe! You can check my lemon loaf recipe. I hope you enjoy the lemon version as much as the orange one!
Samira
Hi Meymi
I must say thanks for tasty recipe. I’m a pro baker and have tried so many orange cake recipes, yesterday i tried yours and i felt that this is the taste I’ve been craving for…..
Its moist, perfect orange flavour, nice crumb.
I made few changes. Added 155 g sugar as my oranges were bit tangy and replaced butter with oil. And it still tasted so amazing thanks again
Meymi
Hi Samira, I’m so happy to hear that you loved the taste of this cake loaf so much! Thank you for your feedback!
Ali
I used mandarines instead of the oranges and cooked exactly 32 minutes. Came out so good, I ate half the loaf by myself.
Thank you so much.
Meymi
Hi Ali, I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake a lot. Thank you for your feedback!
Vladislava
Made this twice this weekend, an amazing recipie. The texture is super soft and the flavour is amazing! Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Meymi
Hi Vladislava, I’m so happy to hear you love this recipe so much! Thank you for trying my recipe!
Dj
I loved this. I used tangerines and I made a simple syrup using lavender and lemon and let it soak into the cake overnight. Amazing!
Meymi
I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Kay Claire
I’m so impressed with this recipe. I had 3 oranges that were a little past being too ripe, so I wanted to bake with them instead of eating them as is. I’ve never baked with oranges but I do like lemon loaf, so I hoped I’d like this too. This recipes is so easy to follow, and it’s so light and fluffy, and not too sweet (which means my dad also likes it). I followed the ingredients almost exactly except I was only able to get 7 grams of orange zest instead of 18 out of my oranges – but the orange flavour still came through really well. I also baked this 3 days ago and just had a slice and it still tastes great – any bake that still tastes great a day or two later is always a win for me. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Meymi
Hi Kay, I’m so happy to hear that you and your dad loved this recipe so much. Thank you so much for your detailed comment!
Kelsey
Hi Meymi,
I love the look of this recipe and would like to make it tomorrow. I have wholemeal spelt flour, do you know if I could substitute this 1:1 with the all-purpose flour?
Thanks!
Meymi
Hi Kelsey, I haven’t tried but according to my readings it can be used. If you try, I’d love to hear your feedback! Thank you!
Salina Cornwell
Can i double ingredients to make 2 loaves
Meymi
Hi Salina, Yes, you can.
Marcus
Easy recipe with great result!
Meymi
Hi Marcus, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thank you for your comment!
Abigail
This was my first time baking and eating an Orange Loaf Cake and it tasted so good. Thank you so much for the easy recipe. Love from India
Meymi
Hi Abigail, I’m thrilled to hear you loved this recipe so much! Thank you for your comment!
Eleanor
Thank you for the recipe. That was delicious!
Meymi
Hi Eleanor, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your comment!
jude
absolutely divine, meymi. thank you. i love how streamlined the ingredient list was and all done without machines, too. i made two mini loaves, one for my neighbor who plowed the snow in my driveway last night. baked them for 25 minutes although they may have been able to go to 30 for a darker top and a little dryer in the middle of the loaf. next time! (next week!)
Meymi
Hi Jude, I’m thrilled to hear how much you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for your comment!
Katie
Hi I really liked this recipe!
Just wanted to ask about the baking powder – isn’t 2 and a half teaspoons of baking powder too much for 1 and half cups of flour? Is it possible to make it with less baking powder?
Meymi
Hi Katie, You can use 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Claudia
OMG … heavenly!! I made double the recipe (2 loafs) because I had extra oranges. Loved the clean-up … 2 bowls, a whisk and a orange squeezer. Easy to make. Moist and not super sweet. Delicious! (even my dog loved it … LOL … she reached on the counter and ate a corner of it … LOL). Thank you Meymi!! Will definitely be a re-maker at my house!
Meymi
Hi Claudia, I’m so glad you enjoyed the process of this recipe and loved the taste! Thank you for your comment!
Anna
I just made this cake because I had some oranges that needed to be used. They didn’t equal 3/4 cup so I had some OJ I had to make it 3/4 cups. I had to bake for longer than 35 minutes, almost 45, but it came out great! Delicious! Not too sweet so next time I’ll add a little bit more sugar. Will definite keep this recipe on rotation.
Meymi
Hi Anna, I’m so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you for your comment!
Billie
Great use for oranges no one is eating! And, I love anything orange… and bread of course. I will make it again, but with one egg instead of 2. I can taste egg and it reminds me of egg custard pie, so definitely one egg next time. The banana bread recipe I make only has one egg, so surely this one will still bake up nicely with one egg.
Gretchen Allison
I followed the recipe. This looked fantastic when it came out of the oven and then fell flat. I followed the recipe, the loaf was cooked through. I think the flavor would have been great but t this point I’m trying to figure out if I can utilize it in a bread pudding or something. probably I will just chuck it out.
Meymi
Hi Gretchen, There may be a few reasons. You may have overmixed the batter or it is underbaked. Did you make the toothpick test or did you remove the cake after it rose? Also if the oven wasn’t hot enough this might be reason as well. Was the oven properly heated? If you are living in high altitude and the recipe is not adjusted for it, the cakes may deflate as well. I hope this helps.
Christine Teresa
Hi meymi want to make this cake,can I substitute all purpose flour with self raising flour and if possible how do I go about it
Meymi
Hi Christine, If you want to use self raising flour, you should leave the baking powder out that is called in the recipe. I would suggest adding 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of all purpose flour as the baking powder in the self raising flour may be too much. The extra all purpose flour you’ll be adding will balance it. If you try, I’d love to hear your feedback! Thank you!
Jordan R
Any suggestions for making them into cupcakes? Bake time? Quantity?
Meymi
Hi Jordan, It should make 10 muffins. You can bake at 375°F(190°C) for probably 15 to 18 minutes-until a toothpick that is inserted into center comes out clean.
Sheila Whitworth
Have you ever added chocolate chips ?
Meymi
Hi Shiela, I haven’t added to this recipe but I have orange chocolate chip muffins recipe.