This Portuguese Orange Cake is moist and fragrant, with the most alluring bright orange flavour.
This Portuguese Orange Cake recipe is authentic + SO GOOD
This beloved orange cake recipe was shared with my by my friend who is married to a Portuguese man with a major penchant for the orange cake of his country.
It’s definitely one of the best cake recipes I’ve got and one of my favorite orange desserts.
This simple Portuguese orange cake recipe is moist and fragrant, with the most fragrant, bright orange flavour. Both the zest and juice of three oranges are involved, so it is wonderfully orange-y.
Why The Internet Is Obsessed with this Orange Cake
This moist orange cake recipe has been a fan favorite on the Foodess blog since I posted it a decade ago, and for good reason.
- It’s a sponge cake of sorts, with egg whites folded in at the last minute to lighten the batter, but with more moisture than the airy sponge cakes you may have had.
- Both the zest and juice of three oranges are used, so it is wonderfully orange-y and citrus-y.
- It leans slightly more toward bitterness than the tartness you might expect from citrus desserts – this is owing to the lashings of zest beaten into the batter.
- Don’t worry, it’s not bitter-bitter, just enough to be intriguing.
Bottom line? You get a moist orange cake and a fluffy, airy sponge cake vibe all in one gorgeously orange-packed bite.
Portuguese Orange Cake Ingredients
Make sure to bring all of your ingredients to room temperature before you bake – cold eggs or oranges will cause the butter to seize up. Here’s how to quickly bring ingredients to room temperature. Now grab:
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Eggs: Separate them first, with yolks adding richness and whites providing lift.
- Orange: Zest adds a punch of flavor, while orange juice keeps everything moist. It’s a double whammy of flavor.
- All-purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap oranges for lemons (Lemon lovers, try my lemon swirl cheesecake recipe – it’s like my best Philadelphia Cheesecake recipe with lemon curd!)
- Gluten-Free Flour: Swap in a gluten-free all-purpose blend.
- Make a Chocolate Orange Cake instead!
Readers who love this moist orange cake also love my peach pound cake recipe, moist vanilla cupcake recipe, and moist vanilla cake recipe!
Grab These Tools
- 8×8″ Baking Dish: The perfect size for this cake, ensuring even cooking.
- Electric Mixer: Makes creaming butter and sugar, as well as whipping egg whites, a breeze.
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk and Spatula
- Zester and Juicer
You’ll also need a wire rack for cooling, and a toothpick or meat thermometer to check doneness.
How to Make Portuguese Orange Cake: An Easy Guide
Baking a Portuguese Orange Cake is a breeze with the right approach. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making this moist and flavorful cake.
Prep Work
- Preheat the Oven: Start by heating your oven to 350ºF (180ºC). This ensures it’s at the right temperature when your cake is ready to go in.
- Prepare the Baking Dish: Grease an 8×8″ dish or line it with parchment paper. This helps the cake come out easily after baking.
Mix the Batter
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Use your electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 2 minutes.
- Add Egg Yolks and Orange: Incorporate the egg yolks one at a time, then mix in the orange zest and juice. Don’t worry if it looks curdled at first.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake light.
Fold in Egg Whites
Egg whites add airiness to the cake, giving it a wonderful texture.
- Whip the Egg Whites: In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. This introduces air, making the cake fluffy.
- Fold into Batter: Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Then, carefully fold in the rest, keeping as much air as possible.
Bake and Cool
Now, into the oven it goes. The waiting is the hardest part!
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into your prepared dish and bake. Check after 35 minutes, but it may need up to 45. The cake should feel springy to the touch.
- Cool and Slice: Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack before dusting with confectioners’ sugar, if using. Use a sharp knife to cut into 9 pieces.
How to Serve this Portuguese Orange Cake
- Room Temperature is Best: For both flavor and texture and texture.
- Dust with Powdered Sugar: Right before serving, dust with confectioners’ sugar for a sweet touch and a beautiful look.
- Cream on the Side: Offer whipped cream or a dollop of mascarpone. Their richness contrasts beautifully with the cake’s moisture.
- Frost it: You could also frost it with my easy frosting recipe or cream cheese frosting.
Using Other Sized Pans
- For a 9-inch round pan, the batter amount is right for a single layer.
- I don’t recommend loaf pans for this cake. It’s too much batter for a single pan and not enough for 2 fluffy loaf cakes.
- For a layer cake, you could try:
- Dividing the batter evenly between two 8-inch round cake pans.
- This will reduce the baking time, so start checking around 15 minutes.
- Fluffy vanilla frosting or simple whipped cream would be nice to fill and ice the cake.
Always keep an eye on the oven, and use the toothpick test (or better yet, check for 190ºF on a meat thermometer) to check if the cake is ready.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Room Temperature Storage: Keep the cooled cake in an airtight container. It stays fresh for up to 3 days on your counter.
- Should I refrigerate? I don’t recommend storing this cake in the refrigerator. Read my article on how long cake lasts in the fridge to find out why.
- Freezing: This cake freezes well. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Enjoy it within 3 months for the best flavor.
- Thawing: Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on the counter. This keeps the texture nice and moist.
Other Citrus Recipes You’ll Love
- This moist Blood Orange Cake with pretty blood orange glaze.
- Lemon Pound Cake and Lemon Curd Cake are favorites for citrus lovers.
- Lemon Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins
- Lemon Curd Cookies can’t be missed.
- This Lemon Cranberry Cake is a long-standing favorite.
Of course, can’t forget orange bundt cake. This recipe for orange pound cake with orange glaze is baked up in a pretty bundt pan.
Orange Cake FAQs
Just skimming through? Here are some quick answers to the commonly-asked questions.
Orange cake is made of butter, sugar, eggs, oranges (both zest and juice), flour, and baking powder.
To intensify the orange flavor in a cake, use fresh orange zest and juice. You can also add orange extract or a bit of orange liqueur to the batter.
Cinnamon, cardamom, and clove are spices that enhance the flavor of orange in cakes and desserts. They add warmth and depth.
Chocolate, vanilla, and almond flavors complement orange beautifully.
Yes, you can make this cake gluten-free by substituting the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure to check the blend is suitable for baking.
For a dairy-free version, replace the butter with a plant-based butter alternative. Ensure it’s one that can be used for baking.
While fresh orange juice is preferred for its flavor, you can use bottled orange juice in a pinch. Make sure it’s 100% juice without added sugars.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cake stays fresh for up to 3 days. In the fridge, it can last up to a week.
Yes, this cake freezes well. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. It keeps for up to 3 months in the freezer.
To ensure the cake comes out moist, don’t overbake it. Keep a close eye on it after the 35-minute mark and test for doneness.
More Cake Recipes to Try
- Fan-favorite Moist Chocolate Cake recipe
- My softest Carrot Cake recipe with buttermilk
- Plum Cardamom Cake
- Blueberry Pound Cake recipe
- Cherry Cheesecake Bars (and these creamy little Mini Cheesecakes!)
Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe (Moist + Fluffy!)
Video
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs separated, room temperature
- 3 large oranges room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease an 8×8″ baking dish or line with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugar on medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.2/3 cup butter, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each.4 large eggs
- With mixer on low speed, add the zest and juice from all three oranges. The mixture will appear curdled at first – that's ok. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until it comes together, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.3 large oranges
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. With mixer speed on low, gradually beat into the butter mixture until just incorporated.1 tsp baking powder, 2 cups all purpose flour
- In another bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the cake batter to lighten it up, then gently fold in the rest. (Use a light hand so you don't deflate the whites.)4 large eggs
- Scrape batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until top feels springy when gently pressed and tester inserted in centre comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Internal temperature will be 190ºF on a meat thermometer. Once cake is cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.Confectioners’ sugar
Notes
- Zest: From three large oranges, you might get around 3 to 4 tablespoons of zest.
- Juice: These oranges should yield about 1 cup of juice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just wondering how much juice you expect from the three large oranges, in terms of cups so I can be sure that I am adding enough liquid.
The juice of 3 oranges was a lot of liquid and for me, it made the bottom of the cake soggy. Delicious but soggy. Im trying again today with less juice to see if that helps!
3 large oranges should yield about 1 cup juice. Maybe you had super juicy ones. I will add a note to the recipe card, thank you so much for your feedback.
Hi Gina,
Totally fair question! This is definitely a forgiving recipe because I’ve made it countless times just using the number of oranges, which will of course vary a bit.
But in general:
Zest: From three large oranges, you might get around 3 to 4 tablespoons of zest.
Juice: These oranges could yield about 1 cup of juice.
Easy to follow and bloomin gorgeous recipe. Thank you.
Amazing recipe ,cake turned out to be moist fragnant and delicious , thx for sharing !
Thank you so much for the feedback, Aleks!
So delicious & easy. Everyone loved it the orange flavour was amazing. Could I make this with lemons…..please say yes & let me know how many lemons!
Hi Colleen,
I am so happy you loved it! Lemons are significantly less sweet and more acidic than oranges, so you’d have to make some adjustments. Maybe use 1/4 cup lemon juice, zest of 2 lemons, and 3/4 cup milk to make up the remaining liquid. I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work!
best orange recipe ever! have made this 3 times and everything is perfect. light, fluffy, full of flavour and such an easy recipe compared to others which use sooo many ingredients or sour cream or buttermilk…so glad you shared this!
Can this be doubled? I need a bigger cake
Delicious !, I love the orange flavor is coming through very well. I made in a cake form size 8,5‘x8,5‘ and it was to small. I would recommend 1-2inches bigger size than I’m using. I also just add only 200g of sugar and it’s still was to sweet. Next time i will just add only 150g should
Be enough. Because the orange I had was sweets already. Anyway So fluffy and delicious… yum yum yum ! ?
I wonder if can do 250 gram flour for 150g butter and 150g sugar or can do follow 150 gram butter and sugar the same as 150 gram flour? Which best taste better?
Can you freeze this recipe
Yes, it freezes well!
Just a thought, what do you mean by fold the egg whites after being whipped?
It is a method of gently incorporating the egg whites without crushing out the air bubbles. I recommend searching “How to fold in egg whites” on google or YouTube if you’ve never done it.
Hi! I’d love to try this cake out. 🙂 Just wondering how much zest to add. All the zest from the 3 oranges? Thanks!
Yes!
All 3 oranges squeeze juice?