This orange loaf cake is sunshine in slice form – a buttery, tender crumb perfumed with fresh orange zest and juice, finished with a glossy citrus glaze. Simple, bright, and endlessly comforting, it’s the kind of bake that disappears fast. If you love this style of cake, try our Viennese Cherry Cake or the Chocolate Banana Cheesecake.
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- 200 g (14 tbsp) softened butter
- 200 g (1 cup) sugar
- 4 eggs
- 250 g (2 cups) flour
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- For the glaze: juice of 1 orange; 50 g (3.5 tbsp) butter; 2-3 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp cornstarch or flour
Instructions
- Cream the softened butter with the sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, then the orange juice and zest; gradually fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour into a loaf pan and bake at 170-180 C (340-350 F) for 35 minutes; check doneness with a toothpick.
- For the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir until it boils; simmer for 5 minutes, then pour over the warm cake.
Tips
- Zest the orange before juicing it – it’s much easier that way and gives you the most fragrant zest. Allrecipes has great citrus zesting tips.
- Pour the glaze over the cake while it’s still warm so it soaks in and sets glossy. Serious Eats explains why warm cakes absorb syrups better.
- Leftover slices toast beautifully – and for more baking inspiration, see our Viennese Cherry Cake.
Nutrition: per 100 g: 151 kcal, protein 9.5 g, fat 2.8 g, carbs 21.8 g.