Whole Orange Blender Cake

4.74 from 363 votes

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My mom’s whole orange blender cake is light, 🍊 citrusy, and moist. It’s always on rotation in my house. I know it’s crazy, but this cake combines a few simple ingredients in the blender, including a whole orange, to make the most amazing cake. My mom and I worked on this recipe to bring you the easiest and most flavorful coffee cake ever! The subtle hints of orange and lemon 🍋 make this cake irresistible.

Why You’ll Love Whole Orange Blender Cake

Using a 🍊 whole orange, blended to perfection, infuses the cake with a zesty and citrusy element that is both refreshing and healthy. Some citrus cake recipes require you to zest, peel, or juice an orange – not this one! All you have to do is clean and cut your orange into 🔶 quarters and toss it in the blender. Don’t worry, the resulting cake won’t reveal your secret and you’ll be making this cake on repeat, just like me!

How to Prepare

🔥 Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper and baking spray.

🌀 Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender, starting with the wet ingredients. Blend for 30-40 seconds until a thick pourable batter forms. Do not over-blend!

♨️ Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 2 inches from the side.

🧊 Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan.

❄️ Once cooled, dust the cake with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!

Nonna’s Tip 🍊

I used a Navel orange which was sweet. Do NOT over-blend this cake. If your blender is not powerful enough to break down the orange peel, please zest it, peel it and use that instead. I use a Vitamix and blend only for 20-30 seconds. 

Variations and Substitutions for Whole Orange Blender Cake

Remember to adjust quantities accordingly and have fun experimenting with these variations to create your best version of my whole orange cake 🧡 that suits your preferences!

  1. You can use alternative flours such as almond flour, 🥥 coconut flour, or 1-1 gluten-free flour for a gluten-free cake.
  2. Feel free to experiment with 🍯 honey, maple syrup, or monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar if you prefer a natural sweetener.
  3. Add chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
  4. Include shredded coconut or grated 🥕 carrots for additional texture.

Other Coffee Cake Recipes

Best Served With

  • Coffee or tea 🫖
  • Other loaf cakes, like my Carrot Cake or cookies with a brunch

Common Questions

What type of orange should I use?

I used a Navel orange which was seedless and sweet. You could also use a Cara Cara orange. If you are unsure if your orange is bitter, peel it and throw it in peeled! You can also add the zest as well.

CAN I USE A FOOD PROCESSOR?

Yes you may. However, if the food processor is not powerful enough it may not break down the skin. To be sure, please peel the fruit and add the zest as well.

Would this recipe work with a Cara Cara orange?

As per your feedback, this recipe would work with a Cara Cara orange.

Could I use a blood orange for this recipe?

I have not tested this, but yes, you can experiment with a blood orange for this recipe. Your cake may turn out a different color (maybe pink!).

How long should I blend the batter for?

Do NOT over-blend this cake. If your blender is not powerful enough to break down the orange peel, please zest it, peel it and use that instead. I use a Vitamix and blend only for 20-30 seconds. 

Can I make this orange cake gluten-free?

I have not tried making this cake gluten-free but you could try using a gluten-free 1-to-1 all-purpose flour for baking. Let me know if you try it and how it comes out!

Would this recipe work with clementines?

Certainly, you can use clementines or tangerines to prepare this cake. Click HERE to make my Clementine Cake.

Could I add poppy seeds to this recipe?

You can add poppy seeds to this recipe!

Can I adjust the recipe for keto, low-carb, or other diets?

If you have any dietary preferences (like keto or low-carb), you will have to experiment with a 1-to-1 monk fruit sweetener and various other alternatives. Please let us know in the comments of this blog how you made this cake differently so others can learn as well.

How can I adjust the sweetness of the cake?

You can always adjust the sugar in this recipe as it’s not overly sweet. Feel free to add more if you like your baked goods sweeter. Alternatively, you could do less sugar if you’re trying to cut sugar out.

How will I know when the cake is done?

The bake time will depend on the oven and what type of pan you use, so please keep a good eye on it.

What type of pan do you use?

I use a ceramic, non-stick loaf pan for this recipe. You can use a different type of pan, but please keep a close eye on it as the baking time may reduce or increase.

How do you prepare the pan for baking?

I like to spray and line the loaf pan for easier cleanup, but feel free to butter and flour it if you wish to do so as well.

Do I have to use the lemon extract?

The lemon extract is optional. I would use lemon zest instead of lemon juice, as it has a stronger flavor, like the extract.

How do I store the cake?

You can store this cake, covered, on the counter for a few days but it probably won’t last you that long!

Can I use a lemon instead of an Orange?

Certainly, you can use Meyer Lemon to prepare this cake. Click HERE to make my Whole Lemon Blender Cake.

Could I use almond flour in place of all-purpose flour?

Although I have not tried this cake with almond flour, you will have to experiment. You will have to experiment but always add a little at a time until you have the proper consistency. 

How should I clean my oranges before using them in a recipe?

To ensure lemons/oranges are clean, you can soak them in a vinegar and water solution and scrub them 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. 

What type of oil can I use for this recipe?

Any oil will work for this cake. You can also use melted butter if you’d like.

Can I substitute butter for the oil?

Yes, you can certainly use butter instead of oil for this recipe.

Would this recipe work in a Nutribullet?

A Nutribullet is not nearly as powerful, but If you try it in a Nutribullet, I would suggest peeling the orange before blending.

What if my cake comes out too dense?

Always check the baking powder and flour before use! If the cake comes out too dense and not fluffy or moist, the baking powder is most likely out of date.

How can I check if my baking powder is still good?

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. 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.

whole orange blender cake

Whole Orange Blender 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 whole orange cake one of the simplest cakes.
4.74 from 363 votes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Bulgarian
Makes: 13 slices
Author: The Modern Nonna
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients 

  • avocado oil spray
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup avocado oil, 175ml
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 grams
  • 1 whole seedless navel orange, washed, quartered, and seeds removed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 5 grams
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, 250 grams
  • ¾ tablespoon baking powder, 8 grams (make sure it's not expired)
  • ½ teaspoon salt, 3 grams
  • powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions 

  • Please check if the baking powder or flour is expired prior to starting.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. You can use a bigger size pan as well, but the cake will be larger and thinner, so you may need to adjust the baking 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 20-30 to seconds or until a thick pourable batter forms. Do NOT over-blend.
  • Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake on the middle rack 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!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 183mg, Potassium: 40mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 74IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Bulgarian
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Hi! I'm Sneji. Nice to meet you!

I am more commonly known as “The Modern Nonna” on social media where I create easy home cooked meals with a modern twist. I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and learned how to cook at the best culinary school in the world – my grandma’s kitchen. I lived in Greece on the Island of Crete with my parents for a while and then moved to Toronto, Canada when I was in grade 5. I started to really cook and experiment with food 11 years ago when I was 21 years old. Everything I currently know is a reflection of some part of my life…

Keep up to date with me on social media! Follow @themodernnonna

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250 Comments

    1. Hi Kathy! You can bake them as muffins, though you will need to adjust the baking time. I have not tested this, but I’m thinking around 15-20 minutes. (Keep an eye on them 😉.)

  1. 5 stars
    so easy, so quick, whips up in minutes and bakes to perfection! this one is a keeper! thanks for sharing. PS I did it the first time in a food processor, then a blender and results are the same. I sub lemon extract with cherry…sooo good! fantastic find of a recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    I had my doubts, but this cake is so easy and so tasty (I will never eat an orange Hostess cupcake again). I have been baking this cake at least once a month for the past six months. Everyone who has tried has asked for the recipe! Thank you for sharing. Your grandmother must have been an impressive baker.

  3. 5 stars
    This cake is the best. My family ate it in 3 days. I even made it with less sugar and oil and it still turned out wonderful. Everyone loved it.

    1. Absolutely, you can use your preferred non-stick spray! Another trick I use in a pinch is to drizzle a little avocado oil in the bottom of the pan, and take a basting brush (or even a paper towel!) and spread the oil evenly around the dish. 😊

  4. 5 stars
    This is amazing!
    I used GF flour, melted and cooled butter, and 1/4c of sugar. The best GF cake I’ve made.
    So delicious!

  5. 5 stars
    Hi there! I’ve had a cold that won’t quit and whenever I’m sick I crave baking. I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 10 years ago now and before that I used to bake all the time. But baking has become far less fun as a person with celiac since gluten-free flour acts so differently than wheat flour, and different blends of gluten-free flour act differently from each other, so while I used to consider myself a reliable baker it’s much more of a gamble now. I generally try to find recipes that don’t have that much flour in them or are developed to use non-wheat flours to begin with. But, I’ve been seeing a different versions of the blender orange cake recipes out there a lot lately and since I was craving baking and craving citrus I decided to try one and yours looked yummy.

    I followed your recipe pretty closely but made a few changes to accommodate my need for gluten-free.
    – I used a 1:1 gluten-free flour, making sure it had xanthan gum in it to help make up for the elasticity that gluten would normally give.
    – I’ve also learned that citric acid helps with the crumb in gluten-free baking and since this recipe has lots of citrus in it already, it felt like a good bet.
    – I don’t have a Vitamix but I have a good Cuisinart blender and it did pretty well but it did struggle a bit with this batter. Gluten-free flour is often higher in starch content with a mix of flours like rice, potato, tapioca, etc. so batters can be stickier, which I think is what was being difficult for the blender to get through. I blended in about 7 second bursts and stopped to use a spatula to scrape down the sides and give a bit of stir to make sure it wasn’t just the bottom getting blended.
    – Since it was thicker than I think it would have been with wheat flour, I felt it needed a bit of extra liquid. Each time I stopped the blender to scrape the sides I added about 1/4 cup of milk. By the end of it I think I added about 3/4 of milk.
    – It felt like too much batter for my bread pan and my experience with gluten-free batter is that if it gets too deep in a pan, it doesn’t cook all that well in the middle so I decided to use a bundt cake pan instead and I greased and floured it first.

    I cooked per your directions and it came out perfect. I loved that it wasn’t too sweet, but it was light and moist and didn’t taste “gluten-free” like some recipes do if they were developed with wheat flour and you just swap out 1:1 gluten-free flour.

    My tween wasn’t a huge fan because of the sweet/bitter taste profile of the citrus but that’s just their personal preference. I love it and I’ve frozen half of it to take to my mother’s place as she loves citrus as well and I know she’ll be a fan too.

    Thanks for the great recipe! It hit the spot!

    1. Oh my goodness Amber! I’m so happy you love the recipe and have found a delicious treat that fits your diet. All these notes are so helpful to readers! Thank you for sharing! 💗