Orange cakes offer a fresh alternative to classic lemon or vanilla, whether you're making a light chiffon cake or a rich pound cake. Orange can even add a new twist to your favorite chocolate cake recipe. While you can add artificial flavoring for an orange flavor, orange zest or peels are an easy, natural alternative that work in nearly any recipe.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Wash and pat dry the oranges, allowing one orange per tablespoon of orange zest.
Step 3
Hold the microplane or grater over a plate. Grate the top surface of the orange to remove the outer peel, or zest. Stop grating a section as soon as you see the white pith. Zest two small- to medium-size oranges, or one large orange, to have enough zest for both the cake and glaze.
Step 4
Combine a yellow cake mix, a package of instant vanilla pudding, 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil, four eggs, 1 cup of orange juice and 2 tsp. of grated orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Mix using a stand or handheld mixer.
Step 5
Pour the batter into greased and floured 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool.
Step 6
Stir together 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup orange juice while the cake cools. Add 1 tsp. of orange zest to your glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake.
Tips and Warnings
- Try adding orange zest to your favorite icing, like buttercream or cream cheese frosting. If you're baking a cake from scratch, add orange zest after the wet ingredients are mixed, but prior to incorporating the dry ingredients.
- Watch out for pith. The pith of the orange, or the white inner part of the peel, is bitter and unappetizing.
Things You'll Need
- Microplane or grater
- Yellow cake mix
- Vanilla instant pudding
- Orange juice
- Eggs
- Oil
- Powdered sugar
- Mixing bowl
- Stand or hand mixer
- Cake pan
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