Sweet, soft, and full of orange flavor this orange loaf cake is perfect for an afternoon treat. This loaf cake is made simple and fast then topped with a gorgeous orange glaze.
One of the most popular recipes on my website is my Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake. For good reason, it's delicious. Recently I realized that I don't have many orange recipes. I love lemon and have numerous lemon recipes, but I also love orange so I knew I had to rectify that.
Here is a gorgeous orange infused loaf cake. The loaf cake is soft, tender, and full of orange flavor. My sister looooved this one. And I can't blame her!! It is sooo good!
Sisters know whats best for you, don't they ?! 🙂
I won't tell you how many times I snacked on this delicious cake. Not because I don't want to, but because I can't remember!! LOL talk about addicting!!
I enjoy this for breakfast when I am feeling cheeky, or for an afternoon snack, or midnight treat! Perfect for a cup of tea.
Let's get to the recipe.
Jump to:
🎂What ingredients do you need?
- All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar
- Unsalted Butter, at room temp.
- Large Eggs, at room temp.
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Orange Zest
- Buttermilk
- Sour Cream
Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different as to what someone else scoops!
🍊 What kind of oranges should I use?
When picking an orange for this recipe I like to use Navel Oranges. You want to find ones that are as thin skinned as possible as well as one that smells fragrant. You are using the zest of the orange in the cake and glaze so make sure the orange is not blemished or bruised.
📖How do you make an orange loaf cake?
Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.
In a bowl of an electric mixer combine sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes, so it's nice and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully combined.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl mix in orange zest and juice, sour cream, and buttermilk.
Alternate by folding in the dry ingredients then wet to the butter mixture.
This zester is the one I use and it makes zesting citrus feel like butter, it is so easy!!
⏲️ How long does an orange loaf cake bake for?
Bake the orange cake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before starting glaze.
How do you make an orange glaze?
You'll need:
- Powdered Sugar/ Confectioners Sugar, sifted
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Orange Zest
While the orange loaf cake is cooling you can prepare the glaze.
To ensure no chunks of sugar make sure to sift the powdered sugar into a clean bowl. Add the orange juice and orange zest. Whisk to combine. You are welcome to add a little more juice or sugar to create a thicker or runnier glaze.
Drizzle the orange glaze on top of the orange cake when it is completely cool.
Can you make this loaf cake ahead of time?
I would suggest making the cake only one day ahead of time. It is still good within 3 days but loses its freshness after day two.
Are you a citrus lover?
★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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PrintRecipe Card
Orange Loaf Cake
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 70
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Sweet, soft, and full of orange flavor this orange loaf cake is perfect for an afternoon treat. This loaf cake is made simple and fast then topped with a gorgeous orange glaze.
Ingredients
Loaf Cake
- 188 Grams (1 ½ cup) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 266 Grams (1 ⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar
- 6oz (¾ Cup) Unsalted Butter, at room temp.
- 2 Large Eggs, at room temp.
- 3 Tablespoon Fresh Orange Juice
- 1 heaping Tablespoon Orange Zest
- 2oz (¼ cup) Buttermilk
- 2oz (¼ cup) Sour Cream
Lemon Glaze
- 188 Grams (1 ½ cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Orange Zest
Instructions
Loaf Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer combine sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes, so it's nice and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully combined.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix in orange zest and juice, sour cream, and buttermilk.
- Alternate by folding in the dry ingredients then wet to the butter mixture.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before starting glaze.
Orange Glaze
- While the cake is cooling prepare orange glaze. In a bowl combine powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Drizzle on top of the cake when it is completely cool. Store cake in an airtight container, store in the fridge to last longer.
Keywords: orange cake, orange bread, orange loaf
Peyton says
My mom made this last week, wasn't expecting to enjoy it... I WAS WRONG! SOOOOO YUMMY!
★★★★★
Josie says
I recently purchased a Nordicware Pumpkin Patch Pan loaf tin. If I doubled the recipe as the tin is larger and left out the orange glaze because when cake is turned out of the tin the top of the cake is decorated . Would it work, do u think? The recipe sounds amazing and would love to try it.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Josie, I quickly googled that tin and it looks like its a 6-cup so I don't think you would need to double the recipe, but if I am wrong and it's larger then yes you could double the recipe. I love the extra sweetness and orange punch you get from the glaze but you could do a simple syrup glaze as I do on this lemon pound cake recipe, I would just swap out the lemon for orange. https://confessionsofabakingqueen.com/lemon-pound-cake-recipe/ Let me know if you have any questions. Always happy to help! 🙂
Medha Khanna says
I just wanted to try it one so I halved the recipe for a 7x 3 inch loaf. It was amazing! Very moist texture.
Next time I will try to use some candied orange on the top and add some orange extract for a little extra punch.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for coming back and reporting on how your bake went Medha!! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe, candied orange sounds spectacular!!
Madeleine Fuchs says
Dear Elizabeth,
Hello. I just had a piece of the Orange Loaf Cake and it is so very good. Yesterday the cake took a long time to cook over the 40 to 50 minutes (in a 9" X 5" loaf pan). Rereading your blog article, I see that it says to bake 60 to 70 minutes. Using my pyrex loaf pan I could see the crust was over baking but the cake still came out moist and delicious. Thank you again for sharing your recipe.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Madeleine thank you so much for reporting back. I find baking in my pyrex glass dishes sometimes the outside browns too quickly. I prefer a metal loaf pan for quick breads. I am happy you enjoyed the cake. Next time would you be so kind as to leave a star rating with your comment, please? It helps other readers quickly see the review. XX Liz
Gail del rosario says
Hi. I would like to really try this recipe.but can use only buttermilk and double the amount instead? Thanks
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Gail, I am not sure if I understand you correctly? Are you saying you can only use buttermilk no sour cream? In that case, I would not recommend doubling the buttermilk, as the buttermilk is more liquid than the combo of sour cream and buttermilk. I would try using 3oz of buttermilk total, I am not sure how the recipe will turn out but that would be my advice. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you try it! Thanks!! XX Liz
Helen Yu Chun Lee says
This is a great recipe which I made for my family and wow them all~!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much Helen!! XX Liz
maicooksthings says
This was a great recipe. I made it and posted it on my IG page. Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for sharing! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe, and I really appreciate you coming back to review it, it helps more than you know!! Take care XX
Ray says
The recipe looks amazing! I would love to try it.
I had a couple of questions regarding substitution.
In case of home-made buttermilk(From yogurt) what would you suggest the ratio of water to yogurt should be?
Can we substitute sour cream with anything else?
Thank you!!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Ray, thanks for reaching out. Generally, buttermilk made from yogurt and water is 1/4 liquid with 3/4 cup yogurt, but if you're using thicker yogurt like Greek-style you'll need a bit more water. For the sour cream, you could use Greek yogurt. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you make the cake, I would love to know how you like it. XX Liz
Moony says
Can I substitute all purpose flour with self rising flour? Are the measurement the same?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Moony, thanks for reaching out. Self-raising flour already has leavening agents in the flour so you would need to reduce the baking powder, generally, self-raising has about 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder per cup of flour so you should be good just eliminating the baking powder all together but I have never done this myself so I don't know for sure. Sorry, I don't have a better answer for you!! Let me know if I can help with anything else or if you try it! XX Liz
Pooja says
Hi Elizabeth! This recipie looks sooooo divine. Wanted to know if I could reduce the sugar to 1 cup or would that affect the baking?
Kind regards
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Pooja, thanks for reaching out. I normally recommend not to reduce any sugar by more than 25%, due to the multiple roles sugar plays in baking a cake. Keeping it at 1 cup follows that guideline so I would think you can get away with it but I have personally never tried it. Sorry, I don't have a concrete answer, please let me know if you have any further questions or if you try the recipe. XX Liz
Keila says
This was so amazing, I thought it was going to be just a simple sweet loaf cake . This is now my favorite cake Crazy how delicious it is .
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Aww what a lovely comment, thank you so much Kelia!! My family didn't expect to love this cake as much either, they went crazy for it too!! Take care. XX Liz
Kelly-Anne says
I have made this recipe a couple times now, I reduce the sugar just because our oranges are super sweet and juicy and we dont glaze the top, but rather eat it warm out of the oven, this is one of the best cakes I have ever made - every single time it comes out just right!!!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Kelly- Anne, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe! I am so pleased you have had success multiple times!! And I agree the cake out of the oven warm is absolutely divine!! Take care. XX Liz
Rachel says
Absolutely the best orange loaf cake recipe!! I have made this a few times over the summer and it always received amazing compliments. I have even passed on the recipe. I highly recommend you try this recipe, it has such a great texture, is moist and most of all deliciously orange.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks for coming back to review the recipe Rachel, I appreciate it more than you know!! So glad you have enjoyed the loaf a few times! XX Liz
Nikki says
Can I substitute buttermilk and sour cream with Greek yogurt and if so, using the same quantity?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Nikki, you can substitute for the same quantities, the texture of the cake might be slightly different but it shouldn't vary too much, but I have personally never done this. Please let me know if you try it this way and how it works out and let me know if you have any further questions! XX Liz
Louise says
Love this loaf cake, easy to make & so light & delicious. Have been looking for an orange cake recipe & this fits the bill perfectly Thank you Elizabeth
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Louise, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe I appreciate it so much!!! So pleased you enjoyed this tasty cake!!! Take care. XX Liz
Nana says
If I want to convert this recipe to using mini (5 3/4") loaf pans, how many would I be able to use and how would it change the baking time?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Nana, I believe you should be able to get 3 mini loaves and the baking time I am totally guessing but I would expect them to bake somewhere between the 25-25 minute mark- I would check them at 20 minutes and possibly tent them if they are browning too quickly on top. If you gently press the top of the cake it should spring back immediately when baked thru, or if you insert a toothpick in the center it should come out clean with no wet batter. Please let me know if I can answer any further questions or if you try the recipe, I would love to know what you think XX Liz
Eileen Cronin says
AMAZING! Made it yesterday and was a hit by everyone. Recipe very well written and easy to follow. Will be making again
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Aww thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Eileen. It truly helps me so much, thank you!! So happy to hear you enjoyed the cake and appreciated my thorough recipe steps!! XX Liz
Teena J says
Can I substitute butter with Oil ? If so , what would the measurement be?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Teena, thanks for reaching out! You should be able to do an even swap, keep in mind using oil will alter the taste of the cake as well as the crumb. But I am pretty confident you will still love the cake! Let me know if I can help with anything else or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think! XX Liz