Moist Orange Cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Base for Orange Cake
01 -
75g (⅓ cup) canola oil
02 -
3 teaspoons orange zest
03 -
250g (1¼ cups) granulated white sugar
04 -
270g (2¼ cups) plain flour
05 -
170g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
06 -
40g (⅓ cup) cornstarch
07 -
½ teaspoon salt
08 -
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
09 -
3 large eggs, at room temp
10 -
112g (½ cup) fresh orange juice
11 -
90g (5½ tablespoons) room temp whole milk
12 -
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Orange Frosting with Cream Cheese
13 -
1½ teaspoons vanilla
14 -
570g (4½ cups) powdered sugar
15 -
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
16 -
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
17 -
335g (1½ cups) cold block cream cheese
18 -
225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
# Instructions:
01 -
Turn your oven on to 180°C (350°F) if using the standard setting. Grease and line two 8-inch round pans with parchment paper.
02 -
Pass the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder through a sifter into a bowl. Give it a quick whisk to combine, then put aside.
03 -
Using a mixer on medium, beat butter, oil, sugar, and orange zest until fluffy and pale—about 2 minutes. Toss in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix until smooth between each.
04 -
Pour in orange juice, vanilla, and milk. Stir well until smooth, but skip the mixer for the next step.
05 -
Gently fold the dry mix into the wet mixture using a spatula. Stop right when the last bits of flour disappear to keep the batter light.
06 -
Share the batter equally between the pans. Smooth out the tops and tap to get rid of bubbles. Slide the pans into the oven for 30-35 minutes. Check if done by inserting a toothpick—it should slide out clean. Let cakes cool for about 15-20 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
07 -
Cream the butter until fluffy, then add in powdered sugar little by little over three additions. Pop in the cold cream cheese, vanilla, orange juice, and zest. Mix until just smooth—overmixing isn’t your friend here.
# Notes:
01 -
Metric weights give the most accurate results.
02 -
When zesting, only take the orange part—not the bitter white layer underneath.
03 -
Use 160°C (320°F) for fan ovens.
04 -
Stick to firm cream cheese—cold and block-style works best for this frosting.