Description
Bright and buttery with a soft crumb, this orange cake is infused with zest and juice, brushed with citrus syrup, and optionally topped with a sweet orange-vanilla icing.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
¼ cup finely grated orange zest (from ~5 oranges)
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup buttermilk
For the Orange Syrup:
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
For the Orange-Vanilla Icing (optional):
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon half and half or milk
½ teaspoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Do not grease bundt pan yet.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In a stand mixer, beat butter, oil, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla.
In a cup, mix orange juice and buttermilk.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the mixer in three parts, starting and ending with dry.
Grease the bundt pan thoroughly. Pour in batter and smooth the top.
Bake for 40–50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes.
Prepare syrup by heating orange juice and sugar until bubbling, stir until sugar dissolves.
Invert the cake, brush warm syrup over while slightly warm. Cool completely.
Make icing by beating butter, powdered sugar, milk, zest, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
For homemade buttermilk, use 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice + 1 cup milk.
You can skip the icing and use powdered sugar instead.
Grease bundt pan just before filling to prevent pooling or slipping.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40–50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
