Easy Blood Orange Cake

My favourite cake is this Easy Blood Orange Cake and it’s a really easy orange cake to bake, made using the creaming method. The addition of blood orange zest and juice to this light sponge cake batter results is a lovely moist sponge cake that tastes simply delicious.

I have made blood orange cake many times over the years. It’s a cake that I bake regularly, almost monthly. In fact it’s my favourite cake to bake (and eat).

When blood oranges are in season I use those, but at other times I use regular oranges to make this easy orange cake. The quantities of orange juice and zest remain the same whichever fruit you use.

I’ve used a bundt tin to bake this best orange cake recipe, but a regular 22cm x 7.5cm (9×3″) round cake tin will work just as well. I use both tins regularly and they work equally well.

For such a simple bake it’s utterly delicious, then again I am partial to anything citrus! I will place any cake flavoured with either orange or lemon above all others, for me citrus cakes are cake perfection!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Uses simple and inexpensive ingredients that most of you will have in your stores at home.
• A great bake for children who are learning to bake as there’s no need for technical kit, just a bowl and a electric hand mixer.
• The orange juice in cake keeps it extra moist which means the cake isn’t dry and stores longer than a regular sponge cake.

How to make blood orange cake

• Preheat the oven to 170C/150CFan .
• Grease and flour your bundt tin. Or if using a 22cm (9″) round, high sided tin, grease and flour the sides and line the bottom of the tin with baking paper.
• Cream together the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until the mixture has become creamy and really pale in colour.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoon of the flour before the last egg is added to stop the mixture curdling.

• Beat in the orange zest, ensuring it is well combined. 
• Add in the remaining flour and give the cake batter a good mix.
• Slowly pour in the orange juice and mix gently.

• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the hot oven at for 45-50 minutes. The cake is cooked when you can insert a skewer into the middle of it and it comes out clean.
• Place the tin on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.

Icing the orange cake

• To make the icing mix together the icing sugar and orange juice in a bowl.

• Remove the cake from the tin (and remove and baking paper if using a round cake tin) place on a serving plate.
• Pour or drizzle over the cake and allow the icing time to set.
• Once the icing has set the cake can be cut into slices and served.
• Store the cake in an airtight container or cake tin.

Orange cake recipe ingredients

• SUGAR: I use caster sugar for the cake batter and icing sugar (powdered sugar) to make the orange drizzle icing.
• BUTTER: I use salted butter, which has softened at room temperature.
• EGGS: 4 large eggs are added to the cake batter.
• ORANGES: I use both the zest and juice from blood oranges in the cake batter, and more fresh juice in the orange icing.
• FLOUR: Self raising flour is used in the cake batter.

TOP TIP: The amount of icing specified in the recipe card is ideal for drizzling over a bundt cake. If you wish to top a 22cm (9″) diameter cake, I recommend increasing the icing sugar to 185g adding 8 teaspoons of fresh orange juice.

Equipment

• I’ve baked this cake using a 24cm (9 1.2″) diameter bundt tin as it makes the cake look extra special.
• Don’t have a bundt tin, no problem! I regularly use a 22cm x 7.5cm (9×3″) high sided round loose-bottomed cake tin to bake this cake. A loose bottomed base make the cake easier to remove from the tin.
• If using a bundt tin I recommend using a cake release spray to grease the tin. A spray gets right into every corner of a bundt tin, and I’ve never had a cake stick to the tin when I use it.
• If you don’t have cake release spray grease the tin well with butter, getting into every corner, and add a dusting of flour.
• When using a round cake tin, add a circle of baking paper to the base of the tin too.

Recipe variations

• If you don’t have blood oranges then regular oranges will work just as well in this bake. I use both and the results are always good.
• I’ve also swapped butter for margarine in this cake recipe, both work well and margarine does result in a lovely light cake..

Recipe hints & tips

• Take the butter out of the fridge a good hour before you plan to bake the cake. This will allow the butter to soften, making it easier to cream together with the sugar to make the cake batter.
• When baking a sponge cake I prefer to use the conventional setting on my oven. I find that the fan setting can bake the cake a little too quickly, the conventional setting allows a slower more even bake. As a rule I use the conventional oven setting for lighter sponge cakes and the fan for a heavier cake.
• Allergy advice: this sandwich is soya free, peanut free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

FAQs

Pin the recipe:

Additional recipe suggestions:

For another recipe using this simple method of creaming together the butter and sugar try these recipes:

• Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake
• Traditional Victoria Sponge
• Easy Chocolate Loaf Cake
• Lemon & Poppyseed Cake

If you enjoyed this bake have a look at our Ultimate Guide to Baking with Kids, full of great recipe suggestions for baking with children. Alternatively have a look at our Best Cake Recipes post.

Blood Orange Cake

Easy Blood Orange Cake is a really easy orange cake to bake, made using the creaming method. The addition of blood orange zest and juice to this light sponge cake batter results is a lovely moist sponge cake that tastes simply delicious.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin SaveSaved!

Disable Screen Sleep ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 371kcal

Author: Lesley Garden

Equipment

• 1 24cm (9 1/2") bundt tin or use a 22cm x 7.5cm (9×3") round cake tin

Ingredients

• ▢ 250 g caster sugar
• ▢ 250 g salted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ zest of 2 blood oranges
• ▢ 250 g self raising flour
• ▢ 80 ml fresh blood orange juice

Icing

• ▢ 125 g icing sugar
• ▢ 6 tsp fresh blood orange juice

MetricUS Customary

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 170C/150CFan .
• Grease and flour your bundt tin. Or if using a 22cm (9") round, high sided tin, grease and flour the sides and line the bottom of the tin with baking paper.
• Cream together the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until the mixture has become creamy and really pale in colour.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoon of the flour before the last egg is added to stop the mixture curdling.
• Beat in the orange zest, ensuring it is well combined. Add in the remaining flour and give the cake batter a good mix.
• Slowly pour in the orange juice and mix gently.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the hot oven at for 45-50 minutes. The cake is cooked when you can insert a skewer into the middle of it and it comes out clean.
• Place the tin on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.

Icing the cake

• Once the cake is cool, carefully remove the cake from the tin (and any baking paper if using a round cake tin), and place on a serving plate.
• To make the icing mix together the icing sugar and orange juice in a bowl.
• Pour or drizzle over the cake and allow the icing time to set. Once the icing has set the cake can be cut into slices and served.
• Store the cake in an airtight container or cake tin.

Notes

If you don’t have blood oranges then ordinary oranges will work just as well in this bake.

I’ve also swapped butter for margarine in this cake, both work well and margarine does result in a lovely light cake.

I’ve baked this cake using a bundt tin, however a 22cm x 7.5cm (9×3″) high sided round loose-bottomed cake tin will work just as well.

When baking a sponge cake I prefer to use the conventional setting on my oven. The fan setting can bake the cake a little too quickly, the conventional setting allows a slower more even bake. As a rule I use the conventional oven setting for lighter sponge cakes and the fan for a heavier cake.

The amount of icing specified in the recipe is ideal for drizzling over a bundt cake. If you wish to top a 22cm (9″) diameter cake, I recommend increasing the icing sugar to 185g adding 8 teaspoons of fresh orange juice.

Nutrition Facts

Blood Orange Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 371 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 99mg33%

Sodium 170mg7%

Potassium 65mg2%

Carbohydrates 47g16%

Sugar 31g34%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 620IU12%

Vitamin C 4.8mg6%

Calcium 16mg2%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Baking

Cuisine : British

Keyword : baking, Easy, Simple

Tried this recipe? We’d love to see your photos!Mention @lostinf00d or tag #lostinfood!

Share on Facebook