This Fresh Orange Cake is sweet, moist, and the perfect slice for the summer. It's made with fresh orange juice and zest, topped with a light whipped cream.
We are in our last week of July, and we are trying to soak up every last bit of summer possible. Our pool is finally clear; we've been battling that nightmare since the first of June, and we're trying to enjoy it, in between storms. It's the typical Florida afternoon thunderstorm thing. Anyway.
While we are stretching out our summer, as long as possible, I realized that since Kayla graduates Hospital Corpsman school in September, and then she is most likely coming home to visit before reporting to her duty station, we aren't going to start school until after all of that...so we will be relishing in summertime until October!
Thankfully living in Florida, we will have summer weather well into the month. I know that Kayla would love a day or three to just lay on the beach and relax. Something she hasn't done much of since before Easter, when she enlisted.
So while we've are beaming with summer on the mind, what better way to celebrate summer than with a citrusy dessert?!
Growing up I remember my grandmother making this really delicious pineapple cake, that I always begged her to make when we came to visit. Since we lived out of state, 9 times out of 10, she'd make it!
It's amazingly delicious, and I swear I'm going to share it with you one day! I just don't make it, since Kelsie is allergic to pineapple, but I'm gonna put it on the calendar asap and make it before summer is gone.
That pineapple cake is where the idea came to me for this Fresh Orange Cake.
It's so easy to make, and totally delicious. It's not layered, so you don't have to try hard to decorate it. It's topped with a homemade whipped cream, but you can buy it from the store, if you totally want.
It's just a really easy cake that's bursting with orange flavor! You could totally do this with other fruits, I just chose orange for this one.
How do you make an orange flavored cake?
- Whisk together your dry ingredients, and set aside.
- Combine your wet ingredients. Using ingredients like canola oil give you a moist cake. The orange juice helps kick up that orange flavor. And Orange zest is always a great idea.
- Combine your ingredients, but be careful to not over mix.
- Bake and cool completely.
- Mix together your Jello and poke holes all over your orange cake. Carefully pour the hot Jello over the cake, and allow to sit. This will help the cake absorb those flavors.
- Once the cake has cooled once again, top with whipped cream and fresh orange slices.
Can I use another fruit besides orange to make this cake?
Certainly! It won't be orange cake anymore, but you can substitute lime, key lime, lemon, grapefruit, etc. Blood orange would make a great flavor for this cake.
The best way to store this cake is in the fridge!
Here are some other desserts featuring citrus, that you may like:
Fresh Orange Cake
This Fresh Orange Cake is sweet, moist, and the perfect slice for the summer. It's made with fresh orange juice and zest, topped with a light whipped cream.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- zest from one orange
- ¼ cup orange juice
Orange Layer
- 3 oz package orange JELLO powder
- 1 ¼ cup boiling water
- ¾ cup sweetened condensed milk
Whipped Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9X13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla, eggs, zest, and orange juice together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir to combine. Don't over mix! Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and place on a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling, mix together the boiling water and JELLO. Stir for a full 2 minutes, to dissolve all the powder. Whisk in the condensed milk.
- Using a skewer, post holes all over the top of the cake. (we don't want poke cake holes)
- Pour the orange mixture over the top of the cake, and allow to completely cool on the cooling rack.
- When the cake is totally cool - Pour the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl attached to a stand mixer. Turn on medium, and beat for 2 minutes, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form. Top the cake. Garnish with fresh orange slices.
Notes
This cake is best served cold and eaten within a few days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 376mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 1gSugar: 49gProtein: 7g
Alli Smith says
Fruit flavored desserts are my favorite (even more than chocolate) and I love that this one serves a crowd. It looks so fresh and pretty! I'm looking forward to making this cake.
Glenda Cates says
This sounds yummy and will make a perfect Birthday Cake for my hubby tomorrow.
candy says
Don't think I have ever tasted an orange cake. This does sound really refreshing and a different taste from most cakes we usually enjoy. Going to give this a try.
Terri Steffes says
Your cakes all have such a beautiful crumb. Every time! The orange cake sounds amazing. I think it would be perfect to have when you come in from the hot outdoors.
robin rue says
Mmmm! That cake sounds SO good. What a delicious summer dessert idea. I can't wait to make one.
Melissa Chapman says
The orange cake looks great and so moist appearing. I love the frosting and hope to make this one soon.
Jeanette says
I have never actually tried doing it and orange cake. I have done lots of women cakes but never an orange one. I definitely need to try it it looks delicious.
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
My youngest loves orange so I know he'd be wishing he could eat this cake. I'd probably disappear with the whipped cream icing, that's my favorite.
Heather says
Oh, this looks wonderful. I hope you get to enjoy that time with your daughter when she is home. It would suck to be allergic to pineapple, that's like my favorite fruit.
Natalie says
This just reminded me I need to make some! I grew up eating a lot of it - my mom's recipe is so delicious! Yours looks so moist!
Sara Welch says
This actually looks delicious! I don't recall having orange cake before; I would love a slice!
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
I love having fresh citrus in baked goods. This cake sounds and looks delicious. I would love to try this recipe.
Chubskulit Rose says
I bet that cake smells so good as you take it out from the oven and slice it! I am not a a baker so I admire people like you who can do it well.
Nikki says
That sounds like the perfect refreshing summer cake! I love the taste of orange. When I was pregnant, I couldn't get enough of it!
Terri Beavers says
I make a 3 layer orange cake that takes forever and a day to make. But oh my gosh, I love it to pieces. I would be able to make it more often if it didn't take up so much of my time. I think your easier one pan method would work out perfectly. I'll have to get the ingredients and see how it compares to mine. I bet it will be amazingly delicious.
Vyjay Rao says
The pictures had me drooling. The fresh Orange Cake looks irresistible. It has such a refreshing and yummy look, would love to have my orange cake and eat it too.