Did you know if you put a whole orange in a blender you can make the most epic cake? If you have been looking for an easy and moist orange cake, you’ve come to the right place. All the ingredients are combined in a blender, making this one of the simplest baking recipes. This cake is so light, citrusy, and always on rotation in my house. My mom and I worked on this recipe together to bring you the easiest most flavourful coffee cake ever! The subtle hints of orange and lemon make this cake irresistible.
My mom and I wanted to bring you a simple cake recipe that didn’t require having to separate the orange zest/skin from the juice. We wanted to show you that using the whole fruit is just as good (if not better)! Even if you’re not a baker, you are capable of making this cake.
Did you know if you put a whole orange in a blender you can make the most epic cake? If you have been looking for an easy and moist orange cake, you’ve come to the right place. All the ingredients are combined in a blender, making this one of the simplest cakes.
Equipment
- loaf pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- avocado oil spray for lining the loaf pan
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup avocado oil or any neutral oil (175ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 whole seedless navel orange, washed, quartered and any seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract (optional) (5 grams)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (250 grams)
- ¾ tablespoon baking powder (make sure it's not expired*) (8 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3 grams)
- powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray (I will link my loaf pan in the notes below). You can use a bigger size pan as well, but the cake will be larger and thinner, so you may need to adjust the bake time.
- Add all of the ingredients to a high-power blender, starting with the wet ingredients. Be sure to add the wet ingredients first so that the blender doesn't get stuck. Blend for 30 to 40 seconds or until a thick pourable batter forms.
- Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 2 inches from the side.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Take the cake out of the loaf pan and once it has cooled, dust the cake with powdered sugar, if using. Enjoy!
Notes
Do NOT overblend this cake. If your blender is not powerful enough to break down the orange peel, please extract the zest and juice of the orange by hand and use that instead. I use a Vitamix and blend only for 20-30 seconds.
When using baking powder, always check the expiration date. Expired baking powder will not help your recipe rise in the oven, and you’ll have a sad, deflated cake. You can test if your baking powder has expired by adding ½ teaspoon baking powder to ¼ cup hot water. If the water bubbles up, it’s not expired; if it does not bubble, it’s expired and should be tossed.
I used a Navel orange which was sweet. Make sure you use a sweet orange as some can be bitter. If you are unsure if your orange is bitter, extract the juice and zest and use that instead of the full orange.
I have not tried making this cake gluten-free but I am sure you can use a gluten-free 1-to-1 all purpose flour instead.
If you have any dietary preferences (like keto or low-carb), you will have to experiment with 1-to-1 monk fruit sweetener and various alternatives. Please let us know in the comments of this blog how you made this cake differently so others can learn as well.
You can always adjust the sugar in this recipe as it’s not overly sweet.
The bake time will depend on the oven so please keep a good eye on it.
The link to my loaf pan is in both of my Amazon stores, Canada & USA
You can use a different pan but please keep a close eye on it as the baking time may reduce.
We like to spray and line the loaf pan for easier cleanup, feel free to butter and flour it if you wish to do so as well.
The lemon extract is optional. You can also use freshly squeezed lemon juice or zest. Be sure to remove the seeds of the lemon or orange prior.
You can store this cake, covered, on the counter for a few days but it probably won’t last you that long!
You can use a whole lemon instead but taste and adjust the batter, as it may be more sour. Please discard the seeds so the cake isn’t bitter.
You can use almond flour but please add a little at time until you have a thick pourable batter as almond flour is more absorbent. You will have to experiment but always add a little at a time until you have the proper consistency.
To ensure lemons/oranges are clean, you can soak them in a vinegar and water solution and give them a scrub to draw out any impurities. Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar + 2 cups of water and soak for 5-10 minutes. Rinse and use as directed.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
82 Responses
Sooooo good! Thanks again.
Wow !!!!
Probably the most amazing cake I have ever eaten. So moist, so tasty and so delicious!!!!! It’s a must must !!
Thank you so much it was absolutely amazing
Thanks Taz! Means so much
Absolutely amazing! Fluffy, citrusy, moist, the perfect Orange Cake. Thank you so much for sharing with us all these incredible recipes.
Hi Andra! So glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for trusting me.
This has to be the best Orange Cake I have ever baked! Super quick and tasty! Thank you Nonna!
Thank you Ben!
This was the best cake EVER! Thank you
Fantastic! Perfect flavour it was a hit with the whole family and so easy to make.
So glad you enjoyed it Nicole. Thank you for the feedback
I’ve made this cake two days in a row. I don’t even like sweets or cake! But sweet Jesus. I’m eating this as I type!! No seriously. By far, the easiest and most delicious cake with so few ingredients, so few tools to clean, and if I’m being honest I feel like it’s not overly indulgent with only 1 cup of sugar! My 3 year old is my kitchen helper and she practically made this cake on her own with the exception of me pre-slicing the orange. On todays version, I made a quick orange glaze with icing sugar, orange zest and orange juice. And oh my it is hitting the spot!
*side note I also made modern nonna’s chicken broth yesterday and made the “Italian penicillin” but with ditali pasta and added the chicken back in. My picky as heck 5 year old loved it and even asked to bring it to school today! That was her first thermos meal in 2 years. Every recipe we make of yours is a hit out of the park! We love you Sneji!
Hi Melanie,
This review means the world to me. Kisses to your little helpers and little ones
Simple, delicious and fool proof. My kitchen smelled amazing and we ate the cake warm. So good. Trust the Nona.
Thanks Claudia! So kind and lol at the “trust the Nonna”
This cake was absolutely phenomenal and the best part for me super easy in the blender. This cake is so delicious and moist to go with coffee.
Also if you like chocolate and orange combo have it with Nutella! Wow!
ILU Anuja! Thank you beautiful
This cake was amazing! Super moist , bursting with orange flavour! Heavenly ! Even my mother-in-law who never says anything good , asked me for the recipe… she loved it !
Makes me so happy to hear Maria. A happy mother in law is a happy home lol
Excellent recipe! Quick and easy. I made some minor adjustments. I used 3 small mandarines in place of the orange. I used 1/2 cup of coconut sugar and 1/2 cup of regular sugar. I used 1 cup of regular flour and used 1/2 cup of gluten free flour and 1/2 cup of almond flour. Turned out moist and had the most perfect orange flavour with the perfect amount of sweetness. The family gobbled it up in an instant.
LOVE your adjustments and it helps everyone out so much so thank you for this Edyta!
So moist, easy to prepare, delicious . Best of the best.
Cake was gone in half day .
So thrilled that you loved it Victoria 🙂
Mind blowing! The perfect balance of citrus & deliciousness and incredibly easy !!! Was able to whip it up in minutes & had it cooking just in time to serve! She did it again!!!
Super grateful for your honest review. Thanks sweetheart
I’ve never baked an orange cake before. This blew my expectations. So delicious! I absolutely love it!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
So happy you loved it Angel, very proud of you!
Can’t wait to try this at the weekend. Any ideas for glaze / frosting?
Teresa
Hi Teresa! I would add icing sugar in a bowl with some cream cheese and butter and even add orange zest/juice to make it more citrusy. You can also make a simple orange glaze by mixing icing sugar with a little bit of zest/juice too until you have a thick pourable glaze.
This cake was so delicious! Just make it!!
Thanks for the comment Sherry! Means a lot.
I have made this several times. My family and friends love it. So moist and delicious. Love it. Thank you for sharing it.
Really love hearing this Rina. Thank you kindly
I have made this cake several times and my family and friends love it. So delicious and fluffy. Absolutely love it!!!
SO HAPPY 🙂
This cake is delightful for 2 reasons.
1. It tastes delicious.
2. It is just so easy to make.
Try it and taste/see for yourself.
SO sweet of you to say Zoe! Appreciate the review
Omg i just made this cake wow it’s so moist and flavourful. I’m definitely making this again on Sunday. If I could give it 100 stars I would
Awwwwww Penny! Thanks my friend! so sweet
Oh no!! What did I do wrong?? My cake was beautiful when it came out of the oven, with a nice crevas down the middle. When I woke up in the morning, it had collapsed through the night. Did I over-blend? Help!!
Hi Lovely,
How long did you blend it for?
It can be a few reasons:
If you don’t have a powerful blender, please use the juice+ zest instead and mix everything in a bowl.
Mine came out very moist but bitter 🙁 and there were no seeds were in the oranges.
Hi love, oh noooo! It may have been the type of orange. Please do make it again and use the juice/zest only
I made the cake using coconut oil, monk fruit -erythritol sweetener and glutenfree flour. I did add 1 tsp of baking powder, but otherwise began with exact recipe amounts. The batter was a bit thick so I added an extra 1/2 of orange which helped balance the moisture of the batter. The taste was amazing and the cake was very moist! I think next time I might add a little coconut and possibly sugarfee dark chocolate! Thanks for an easy snack!
LOVE THESE SUBSTITUTES SHERRY! So amazing!
Can’t wait to make this cake today!!! I don’t have a blender, but I believe I can put the ingredients in a bowl and use a hand mixer??? By doing it this way, how much juice of the orange is needed? Is it still the juice of one orange plus the zest of that one orange?
Can’t wait to hear back from you so I can make it!!
Thanks so much for all your lovely recipes!!!
Xoxo
Dina
Hi Dina! You can definitely do so. Use 1/3 cup orange juice and the zest as well! Everything is to taste
Dying to try this ! My blender sucks tho, would it work in my food processor ?
IF it’s powerful and able to process the orange skin. If you’re nervous I would say add the juice and zest instead
It came out perfect! Delicious, citrusy and a beautiful golden orange colour! Thanks for the recipe!
So thrilled Ana! My pleasure 🙂
I made this and it was loved by the whole family! I even screwed up and cooked it a higher temp. Did a bit of a mistake in my head (F to C), which is crazy because I convert all the time. Anyway, turned out great and it was a success for me even before I put it in the oven I could have eaten the entire batter with a spoon out of the bowl! Thanks!
So happy you loved this recipe Tina
Oh my goodness ! What an amazing recipe. When I finished whipping the orange etc.it reminded me of an Orange Julius .
I made mine GF and served it to friends who could not believe it was GF because it was so moist and delicious ! This will be a definite go to recipe! Thank you !
Sharon
So sweeet Sharon 🙂 Thank you for letting me know it was delicious gluten-free
If you are just using juice of orange, how much should we expect? In case my orange is over juicy or under juicy?
1/3 cup should be perfect
10/10 I put juice of 1 more orange and it was perfection. Love that I could see bits of the orange zest. Lovely!
YAYYY! So glad!
I made it this morning. Delicious. I didn’t have lemon extract, so used the juice of one lemon as you mentioned. I used self rising flour b/c that’s what I had. I did something a bit different, I used the blender for the orange and wet ingredients, then mixed in dry ingredients by hand. I also used stevia in place of sugar. You are right, it is not overly sweet. It turned out perfect. Next time I will add a glaze on top. Thank you!
Hi Jackie,
I loveeeeeeee how creative you are! So amazing 🙂
Will it work with 3 eggs?
Definitely will
I am trying this recipe again. The first time it came out dense and soggy. I baked it for extra time, but even toasted it tasted unbaked.
I sifted the flour before measuring, which is how I interpreted the ingredient instruction. My eggs may have been larger, too. I’ll try again and post an update…It’s in the oven as I write this!
Good luck and please keep us all posted 🙂
2nd time making this was not a charm… The cake is still too dense and still soggy. Baking can be such a mystery, even for someone with years of experience. With everyone else raving about this recipe, I want to keep trying. The taste is very good, so I’ll give it three stars for potential. It’s a lot of liquid for just 2 cups of flour, but if the ratio works for everyone else, then perhaps my blender overmixed the batter. (It’s very energetic!) The caution about baking powder made me test mine. It’s fine. Next time I think I will use 3 large eggs, mix the wet ingredients with a mixer and then handmix the dry ingredients. But first, I need to buy another orange. 🙂 Happy Baking, everyone! I’m aiming to get to five stars on this recipe!
Hi Beautiful! Thanks for the feedback. I wonder if the blender is powerful enough as the batter shouldn’t be OVER blended. I don’t blend for more than 20-30 seconds.
If the blender isn’t powerful enough I actually recommend adding in zest and juice instead and leaving out the peel. Hope we can get it to 5 stars 🙂
The easiest cake I have ever made.
Beautiful texture,gorgeous colour, smells amazing and so yummy!!
I didn’t have avocado oil so used coconut oil and it worked really well.
So happy it turned out amazing Joanne 🙂
I avoid baking because I find it too complicated. This looked so simple I wanted to try. Made it today and it was delicious! Will definitely be making this again!
Hi Hi!!! Omg so happy to hear that, thank you for leaving a nice comment. Means a lot to me
Love from Australia
If this cake were a movie, it would be “Gone in 60 Seconds“.
I used as Nutribullet and pulsed it so not to over blend. I don’t have a blender. Then folded it into dry ingredients. Icing with dark chocolate for my mum‘s 94th birthday, ❤️
Tracey this is THE SWEETEST THING I HAVE EVER READ! YOU HAD ME IN TEARS
I can’t give it any stars YET because it’s still in the oven … just wanted to tell you my house smells AMAZING!
hope it was good Robin 🙂
I saw this on TikTok today and immediately came to the website for the recipe, since I had a nice orange sitting in the fridge with nothing to do.
This cake is simple and delicious! The only things I did differently was that instead of mixing it all in a blender, I puréed all of the liquid ingredients together in the blender, until smooth, then I put that in a bowl and just mixed in the dry ingredients with a whisk. I did it that way because I didn’t feel the wet ingredients would purée enough before the flour would develop too much gluten. And, I used pastry flour instead of AP flour, because I had it and it makes a slightly finer crumb. I also made a simple glaze with orange juice and powdered sugar.
I’ll definitely make this again. It’s so simple and quick to put together. A great “snack cake.”
And, am I the only one that thought this cake tasted just like Froot Loops? It immediately reminded me of the taste and my partner thought the same.
Jeff, thank you for taking the time to write such an elaborate review and message. Means so much to me. So happy you loved the recipe
This is seriously the best orange cake EVER!! It is so moist and yummy and just so easy to make.
I didn’t want to risk the cake being bitter so I didn’t use the whole orange.
I used 1/2 table spoon of the orange zest.
1/3 cup orange juice (as mentioned in the comments) and 1 tsp of vanilla extract instead of lemon extract.
It turned out fabulous.
Thank you so much for such a lovely and simple recipe.
I love how you made this cake your own Farah and according to your taste buds 🙂 Thanks so much for the review
It was the first time I made an orange cake, and it’s definitely one of the easiest and still tastiest I have ever had. I used 3/4 cup sugar, no lemon zest, and 1.5 oranges(had many lying around). I also added some dried cranberries, which made this cake taste like tuty fruity cake slices we used to have in India. Have made it thrice, will be trying a gluten free version next for my niece! Thanks a lot!
Love how you made this recipe your own 🙂 Thank you Juhi
Another 5-star recipe from The Modern Nonna! I’ve made this 5 times now, including two in a loaf pan, two as bundts, and once as muffins. I’ve even added mini chocolate chips for a surprise flavor. My husband requested this for his office potluck next week! A winner! Thank you!
so happy you loved it Ellen 🙂 Happy Sunday!