This moist Orange Drizzle Cake recipe will be your new take on the classic lemon drizzle cake, as this uses oranges for a unique flavor.
This Orange cake recipe is a crowd-pleaser because it's simple to whip up and requires only a few pantry staples. Orange icing soaks into the cake for a delicious finish, elevating the classic taste of this cake recipe. Delicious, tender, and scrumptious best describe this dish.

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Easy Orange Drizzle Cake
A simple and so convenient sponge cake flavored with orange syrup, guaranteed to please fans of the citrus fruit. Light and fluffy but with a bit of moisture, this is indeed a delightful dish to try.
You may as well serve this moist cake for dessert, as its mild sweetness and citrusy taste are great dessert flavors. You can also just make this as your snack after a long day when you just need something flavorful to devour alongside your favorite refreshments.
This dish may be simple, but it does not mean you can no longer serve this to your table when an occasion calls for a tasty cake. Serve this cake to your guests and watch as their eyes take the shape of hearts with how delightful and flavorful this cake is.
Why Does This Recipe Work?
It has already been said how flavorful and delicious this Orange Drizzle Cake is, but there is so much more to this recipe than how it tastes. Come along and follow this blog to learn more about what makes this recipe an extra special one:
- A convenient and easy-to-make recipe that will not take much effort to put together. You do not even have to be an expert baker in the kitchen to perfect this recipe! You just have to follow the step-by-step instructions and measurements then you will already have an excellent result for this dish.
- Made with a couple of pantry-staple ingredients. If by some odds there are ingredients unavailable from your pantry, you can always find them in the nearest store at an affordable price.
- Perfect cake idea for any season. You can enjoy this as your summery snack, or as a pair to your hot chocolate when the cold winter air begins.
- This cake promotes creativity as you can have the chance to decorate it with any cake decorations you would like to add alongside the orange drizzle.
- A delightful treat you can give to your kids! The mild sweetness and citrusy taste of this cake are suitable for your kids.
- If you are fond of citrus cakes, this easy orange drizzle cake will be your new favourite, especially in the citrus season.
What's in This Recipe?
Unsalted Butter. In the course of the baking process, butter helps the cake to rise. In addition, the butter contributes to the formation of a cake batter that is airy and tender.
Caster Sugar. Caster sugar is utilized quite frequently in the preparation of baked goods such as this particular recipe due to the sugar's fine consistency and its ability to dissolve quickly. Your cake will have a lighter and airy texture too.
Eggs. Eggs give our baked drizzle cake more structure, leavening, color, and flavor. We will owe the height and texture of this cake to the ideal ratio of eggs to flour that is used in this recipe's preparation.
Self Raising Flour. With self-raising flour, your cake will surely rise perfectly, and more importantly, you get a consistent rise when baking it. Since we are aiming for a fluffy and light texture akin to a sponge cake, this flour is a perfect choice.
Fresh Orange Juice and Zest. Use fresh oranges in making this cake. Orange zest will give this recipe its citrusy taste, the base flavor for this particular cake. The acid that the zest contains will also help texturize the batter creating a fluffy and light texture with a bit of moisture.
"See the recipe card below for more information about the ingredients and quantities."
How to Make Orange Drizzle Cake - Step By Step
One: Preheat the oven to 170 C/ 338 F and line a 20 cm cake tin with parchment paper.
Two: In a large mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar and eggs together until fully combined.
Stir in flour and orange zest.
Three: Scoop the batter into the cake tin and bake for 45-55 minutes. Allow to cool.
Make the orange drizzle
Four: In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and orange juice, then pour over the cake and leave to cool in the tin for 2-3 hours and then cut and serve.
Top Tips!
- Use the size of the tin that is specified in the recipe and make sure it is well-lined. If you decide to use a different size of tin, either smaller or larger, you will need to adjust the amount of time that the dish is cooked for.
- Due to its non-stick nature, baking parchment is an excellent choice for lining pans. Alternate options include oil that has been dusted with flour as well as butter that has been softened. However, be careful not to use too much fat, or the sides of the cake will become burnt.
- After the cake batter has been prepared, immediately place it in the oven to bake. Because the leavening agent will begin to perform its function as soon as it comes into contact with any of the "wet" ingredients, the cake mixture should be placed in the oven as soon as possible to achieve the desired level of rising.
- In most cases, recipes will include cooling instructions, but as a general rule, it is best for most sponge cakes, like this one, to be left alone for a few minutes before serving to prevent the edges from becoming soggy.
Recipe Variations
- You may use all-purpose flour and baking soda instead of self-rising flour if the latter is not available.
- Add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to assist the self-rising flour in turning this cake lighter and airier.
- Use superfine sugar instead of caster sugar for a better orange drizzle.
- You can make orange drizzle loaf cake if you bake the batter in a 2lb loaf pan.
- You may sprinkle some icing sugar on top of the cake instead of orange glaze. You can also top your cake with fresh orange slices.
- For extra orange flavour add a few drops of orange extract to the batter or spread ½ cup of orange curd sandwiched between 2 layers of the batter.
Serving Suggestions
When serving this easy Orange Drizzle Cake as a dessert, be sure to pair it with the sweet and cold honeycomb ice cream or red bean ice cream. It will also go well side by side with a homemade Kunafa with mango and cream.
Storage
To Store: You can refrigerate this cake for up to three days in an airtight container.
To Freeze: Put the slices of cake in a ziplock before freezing for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when planning to serve again.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cake has the texture of a sponge cake so reheating it will ruin the texture by turning it dry and crumbly. Just thaw it in the fridge; no reheating is needed if it has been frozen.
If you are not allergic to nuts, you may add crushed almonds to the cake batter to give this recipe an extra texture and nutty flavor.
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Recipe
Orange Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 2 tablespoon orange zest
For the orange drizzle
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ cup caster sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 C/ 338 F and line a 20 cm cake tin with baking paper.
- In a bowl, mix butter, sugar and eggs together until fully combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup caster sugar, 3 large eggs
- Stir in flour and orange zest.2 cups self-raising flour, 2 tablespoon orange zest
- Scoop the batter into the cake tin and bake for 45-55 minutes. Allow it to cool.
Make the orange drizzle
- In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and orange juice, then pour over the cake and leave to cool in the tin for 2-3 hours and then cut and serve.¼ cup orange juice, ½ cup caster sugar
Notes
- Use the size of the tin that is specified in the recipe and make sure it is well-lined. If you decide to use a different size of tin, either smaller or larger, you will need to adjust the amount of time that the dish is cooked for.
- Due to its non-stick nature, baking parchment is an excellent choice for lining pans. Alternate options include oil that has been dusted with flour as well as butter that has been softened. However, be careful not to use too much fat, or the sides of the cake will become burnt.
- After the cake batter has been prepared, immediately place it in the oven to bake. Because the leavening agent will begin to perform its function as soon as it comes into contact with any of the "wet" ingredients, the cake mixture should be placed in the oven as soon as possible to achieve the desired level of rising.
- In most cases, recipes will include cooling instructions, but as a general rule, it is best for most sponge cakes, like this one, to be left alone for a few minutes before serving to prevent the edges from becoming soggy.
Variations
- You may use all-purpose flour and baking soda instead of self-rising flour if the latter is not available.
- Add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to assist the self-rising flour in turning this cake lighter and airier.
- Use superfine sugar instead of caster sugar for a better orange drizzle.
- You can make orange drizzle loaf cake if you bake the batter in a 2lb loaf pan.
- You may sprinkle some icing sugar on top of the cake instead of orange glaze. You can also top your cake with fresh orange slices.
- For extra orange flavour add a few drops of orange extract to the batter or spread ½ cup of orange curd sandwiched between 2 layers of the batter.
Luna
Perfect for breakfast in winter, loaded with vitamin C 🙂
Molly
So soft and moist; my son loved it so much.