Yes, you use the whole orange with the skin and just blend everything! It's so easy and proved to be a success. This recipe has more than 4 million views on our Youtube channel (as to this post's publish date). It's also one of our reader's favourite recipes!
This is one of the first cakes that I baked when I first started. As a beginner back then, I was thrilled because it felt so easy to make (it still is). I was also happy because the ingredients list was super short and basic.
One bite of this, and ohhh la la! I felt like a pro immediately! Can you blame me? I mean look at the texture, the colour and I wish you could smell the amazing orange scent lingering in the air.
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Why This Recipe Works
Despite the hesitations that you might feel, trust me, it works like magic. It's because of these reasons:
- Easy method (blend and briefly whisk).
- Easy basic ingredients.
- Unbelievably delicious orange cake
For the effort, you will get a moist, tender cake with amazing orange flavour. You can tell it's going to be an amazing cake just by the smell of the raw batter. And ohh, don't get me started on the heavenly smell as it bakes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Self-rising flour - It's all-purpose flour with the addition of leavening agents that helps the cake rises when baked.
SUBSTITUTION: Make your own self-rising flour. For this recipe you'll need 2 cup all-purpose flour (250 g), 3 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix well and use it as self-rising flour as per instructions in the recipe below.
Oil - I originally used vegetable oil in the video but I've since changed to better ones like olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil. Use any oil that you prefer.
BUTTER: You can, of course, use butter. For this recipe, use 7 tablespoon melted butter (105 ml).
Sugar - Granulated sugar. I've also made it with brown sugar, coconut sugar and erythritol (I use ⅔ cup or 130 g for erythritol). Just know that if you use brown or coconut sugar, the colour of the cake would be darker.
What Orange To Use
I've made this cake a million times and what I noticed is that, the type of orange matters. So I'm sharing my findings with you here.
- Orange for juice - Here in Spain we have the option to choose between oranges to make juice from or simply to eat or snack on. Choose the orange to make juice because they're sweeter and in general have thinner skin.
- Orange size - The most common, which is more or less an adult's fist size.
- Thin-skinned - Yes, choose orange with thinner skin. This is to avoid that strong bitter taste.
- Seedless - Preferably seedless orange since it's easier, you don't need to remove the seeds one by one. But it's not like it's going to take 5 minutes anyway if you have to. Bottom line, remove seeds if there's any.
What Utensils To Use
- Loaf pan - I highly recommend you use a 5x9 inch loaf pan (13x23 cm) for this recipe amount. The silver color reflects the heat, meaning the cake cooks slower, doesn't get overly brown, and helps in avoiding dry cake.
- Blender - I use this food blender, which blends everything in less than 1 minute. The tall jar and multiple blades help to blend the ingredients and amount perfectly. It's from a whole set of kitchen systems. Very useful for me in the kitchen!
How To Make Whole Orange Blender Cake
- Blend: Add the whole orange, oil, eggs and sugar in a food blender and blend.
- Whisk: Pour into a bowl and add in self-rising flour. Whisk to combine.
- Assemble: Pour into a loaf pan.
- Bake: Bake. Cool completely, slice and enjoy!
How To Store
Room temperature - This delicious orange cake lasts up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
Fridge - It lasts up to a week, in an air-tight container. Bring it to room temperature before serving, or warm it up in a microwave for a few seconds. You won't regret it.
Freezer - Wrap each slice individually in cling wrap (easier to take the only amount that you need), and freeze. Best consumed within 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Warming it up for a few seconds in the microwave will make it feels as if it just came out of the oven.
FAQs
Like a fresh natural homemade orange cake that you eat when you visit somebody who bakes their entire life. So homemade and naturally fresh.
This cake is with amazing orange, citrusy flavor (and smell!). It's not overly sweet at all. It has that light hint of natural bitterness that you find in freshly squeezed orange juice. Not the artificial orange juice from the box that has 50 more ingredients added to it, alright?
This is just pure orange flavor transferred into a soft tender cake.
Nope, it's not bitter.
Do you notice that freshly squeezed orange juice has that very light hint of natural bitterness to it? Well, that's the extent of bitterness (if we were to say it's bitter) in this cake.
I know this recipe works magically with oranges. I haven't tried with other citruses though.
I have a killer lemon loaf cake that I really think you should try. It's also one of our readers' favorites!
It's because I use self-rising flour which already comes with leavening agents to help the cake rises beautifully when baked. You can make your own self-rising flour, I've written the recipe down below.
Most probably due to 2 factors. 1) You've changed the recipe by using only all-purpose flour, thinking that it's the same as self-rising flour. It's not the same. See the question/answer above 👆. 2) You over-mixed the batter, producing gluten in the process which results in a dense and chewy cake. Less is always more, remember that.
Because of the orange. Use the orange to make juice from, not to snack on. Use a ripe, sweet one, the size of an adult's fist.
Or perhaps you're used to sweeter cakes. No worries. Simply add more sugar, I've written the adjustment in the recipe below.
Due to 2 factors. 1) Again, it's the orange. Use oranges to make juice from, not to snack on. Those oranges are so common. Remove the seeds if any. See the question/answer above 👆 . 2) Perhaps you're not familiar with the natural bitter touch of freshly squeezed orange juice. Might I recommend you my amazing lemon loaf cake then, I promise it's a hit. No blending whole lemons here.
Of course! Any oil that you prefer. You can also use melted butter (7 tablespoon or 105 ml).
I understand and I've got you. I've made this many times with whole-grain spelt flour and it turns out amazing every single time. Be alert on the baking time though as spelt flour tends to cook faster (we don't want your cake to over-bake and get dry).
Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Whole Orange Blender Cake
Video
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 seedless sweet orange with skin (or remove seeds if any)
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (80 ml)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 gr), add ¼ cup (50 gr) more if you like it sweeter
Dry Ingredient
- 2 cup self raising flour * (250 gr)
* Make Your Own Self Rising Flour
- 2 cup all purpose flour (250 g)
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Wet Ingredients
- Add all ingredients into a blender jar and blend into a smooth mixture and pour it into a bowl.
Dry Ingredient
- Add flour into the mixture and mix everything together. You can use a spatula or a hand whisk. Do not over mix to avoid dense cake.
- * If you're making your own self rising flour, mix all purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and use that flour mixture instead.
Bake
- Pour the batter into a 5x9 inch (13x23 cm) loaf pan, previously greased and floured. Bake in a preheated oven on the ⅔ lower rack, using upper and lower heat, at 340ºF (170ºC) for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use ripe, seedless, sweet orange with thin skin.
- Use spoon and level method if you're using cup measurement.
- Use a portable oven thermometer to make sure your oven has the accurate temperature. I use it every single time.
- Check the doneness of your cake 10 minutes before the recipe says, to avoid over baking it (since all ovens are different).
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Originally published on Aug 16, 2017. Updated with improved text, recipe and pictures on Apr 16, 2022.
Sheila says
Very easy to mix and bake i have used gluten free flour can't wait to try it.
Bea & Marco says
We're so glad you found it easy to make! Using gluten-free flour is a great idea—let us know how they turn out, we’d love to hear!
Ruth Ann Michaud says
This orange loaf was delicious I added a little orange juice batter was a little thick. Everyone loved it! I drizzle dark chocolate icing on it! Yummy!
Bea & Marco says
That sounds amazing! The dark chocolate drizzle must have been so good! So happy everyone loved it, and thanks for sharing your twist, Ruth!
Alison says
Hiiiyaaa from down under, thank you so much for sharing your recipe ❤️
I absolutely adore this as it leaves no food wastage and with no diary products. It’s the ultimate cake to make if you’re in a hurry with less hassle of a clean-up (you can basically make this with leftovers from the pantry even).
I tried this over the weekend for an afternoon tea party and it was so delicious! 😋 I did two versions; the original and slightly altered version which came out more moist and citrusy 🍊
For all the citrus lovers out there, I highly recommend putting 2 oranges instead of 1 with the same amount of self-raising flour (2 cups), vegetable oil (1/3 cup) and eggs (3 large eggs). I did put in 1/5 sugar in the second batch to make it less sweet however lol.
It was in the oven for about 45mins at 180 degrees when the skewer came out clean and then I used monk fruit sugar with a little bit of lemon juice and water for the icing.
I hope this helps someone out there who is looking for an easy orange recipe with lots of citrus flavour 😊
I will definitely be making this again!
Betty says
Awesome recipe! Sooooo good!! All I changed was lowered the sugar to 1/4 cup and added chopped nuts!! This is a keeper!!
Bea & Marco says
Yay! That's awesome to hear, thanks, Betty!
Lynne says
Very easy to make and tastes delicious
Bea & Marco says
Yay! Thank you, Lynne!
Dawn M says
After looking at multiple recipes for this cake, I decided on this one. I added the extra quarter cup of sugar. I did not use self rising flour so I added the baking powder and salt. I used a standard clear glass loaf pan with parchment paper inside. These are my takes for this recipe: Definitely use the extra sugar. Sift the flour since you are not mixing it a lot so that you don’t activate the gluten. I found mine had a couple of flour “pills “ because I was trying not to mix it too much and I did not sift it. I plan on using a shallower cake pan next time and possibly making two of them, as I just felt it took longer than 40 minutes to cook and I was worried about overcooking it, but that may be an oven issue.
With that said, hands-down, this recipe is delightful. The ingredient amounts are spot on, and the flavor is perfectly orange without being bitter or overwhelming. I have decided that it would be nice to have an orange flavored icing on it as well If it’s for guests, but if it’s just to eat around the house for something a bit sweet, it’s perfect without it! Thank you!!
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Dawn! We're happy to hear that you're enjoying the cake! Thank you for sharing your take on the recipe, and we hope you'll give our other recipes a try, too! Sorry for the late reply, as we've recently moved house and are still figuring things out!
Wilder says
This cake was so delicious and moist. I loved it!
Bea & Marco says
Yay! We're happy to hear that. Thanks Wilder!
Heidi says
I just made this recipe with 6 mandarins. I also added some demerara sugar on top before baking. I put it in a 9x9 pan and baked on 350 for 40 minutes and it is perfect! So glad I could use up the last of my cuties!
Bea & Marco says
That makes us so happy to hear! Such a great way to use up the last of your mandarins! Thanks, Heidi!
Carlos L Saldana says
Can I use a food processor instead of a blender?
Bea & Marco says
We recommend using a device with a smaller jar/bowl to make sure the orange is blended properly. A small food processor would work. Hope it helps. Sorry for the late reply, as we've recently moved house and are still figuring things out!
Pat Glass says
I made this using Gluten Free flour. Turned out fantastic. Hint. Bake it at 350 degrees and for about an hour but start checking the loaf for still too raw center after about 50 minutes.
Bea & Marco says
Oh, it's awesome to know that the recipe works with gluten-free flour, too. Thanks for sharing that with us, Pat! Sorry for the late reply, as we've recently moved house and are still figuring things out!