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Brazilian Orange Cake: The Best Orange Cake I’ve Ever Had

This Brazilian orange cake recipe is a tropical dessert that pairs particularly well with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Needless to say that this cake will be your next favorite afternoon tea recipe!

Brazilian orange cake Pinterest graphic

Easy Brazilian orange cake recipe

We Brazilians have a sweet tooth–I’m sure of that!

We love nibbling cakes in the afternoon preferably with a cup of coffee or, who knows, some tea.

At home, my grandma used to bake this orange Bundt cake for us as it was her favorite cake–but we all loved it, too.

And I since received so many positive reactions on our Brazilian carrot cake recipe, I decided to also share the secret to the best orange cake recipe–at least for me, of course!

As far as taste is concerned, this cake has a subtle orange flavor that, paired with the orange sauce, makes it fruity, tropical, and sweet.

The texture might be similar to an orange pound cake–it’s light and orangy.

However, if you like your cake very moist and nicely sweet, you might be better off with this Brazilian coconut cake–it’s d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.

Pssst: In the next weeks, I’ll share one of my favorite Brazilian recipes–lime cake recipe here. You won’t want to miss it!

Brazilian orange cake on a pan

What you will need for this orange cake:

Tips for a perfect Brazilian orange cake

  • Break the eggs separately in an apart little bowl, one by one, before adding them to the batter. This way you make sure all eggs added are still good.
  • Wash thoroughly the oranges before zesting them.
  • This recipe for orange Bundt cake calls for a sauce, but you could also make an orange glaze instead if you like it more. I say, give this recipe a try first so you can at least taste it.
  • Before preparing this incredible cake, be sure to read all the instructions in advance so that you can prepare the ingredients, such as juice and zest the orange, etc.
Brazilian orange cake closeup
This Brazilian orange cake was one of my grandma’s favorites

Orange cake with butter instead

As I mentioned above, this is my grandma’s original recipe and it calls for sunflower oil. If you would like to bake an orange butter cake instead, that can also work.

(On a side note, we love the orange flavor in Brazil. It’s so refreshing, tropical, and bright that we eat it at any moment. It doesn’t matter if it is an orange jam, cake, dressing!)

Anyway, the rule of thumb for swapping a liquid fat for a solid fat like butter is to use 25 percent more of the amount of oil. So if the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of oil, like this one, you would use 2/3 cup butter for your orange cake.

The texture of cakes made with oil is—in general—superior to the texture of cakes made with butter. Oil cakes tend to bake up loftier with a more even crumb and stay moist and tender for far longer than cakes made with butter.

For how long can I keep this Brazilian orange cake?

For the best moisture, keep your cake at room temperature for up to 4-5 days–use this fabulous cake dome for that–or for up to 10 days in the fridge.

Brazilian orange cake slice

How to make this easy orange cake recipe

Orange cake and sauce

Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.

Grease with baking spray a 12-cup (10-inch/25 centimeters) Bundt cake pan Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the eggs, sunflower oil, and sugar on medium-high speed and continue mixing until it is a soft mixture. Add the orange juice and combine.

Then, turn down the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Do not overmix.

Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the bundt pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil if you begin to see the top browning quickly.

Brazilian orange cake with fruits

In the meantime, make the orange sauce. For that, whisk the granulated sugar, flour, and orange juice together. It will be very liquid at this point.

Transfer it to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir it now and then so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. When it starts bubbling, cook for another 4-5 minutes until it is thicker, and remove it from the heat. Set aside.

Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes inside the pan.

Invert the slightly cooled bundt cake onto a wire rack set over a large plate or serving dish.

Allow the cake to cool before pouring the sauce and garnishing it with orange zest. Serve it with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and enjoy!

Did you like this Brazilian orange cake recipe so far? Share it with a friend who might like it too!

Brazilian orange cake Pinterest graphic
Brazilian orange cake closeup

Brazilian Orange Cake

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

This Brazilian orange cake recipe is a sweet dessert that pairs particularly well with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Needless to say that this cake will be your next favorite afternoon tea recipe!

Ingredients

Orange cake batter

  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup sunflower oil
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice

Orange sauce

  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • Zest from 1/2 orange for garnish, optional

Instructions

Orange cake batter

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C.
  2. Grease with baking spray a 12-cup (10-inch/25 centimeters) Bundt cake pan Set aside.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the eggs, sunflower oil, and sugar on medium-high speed and continue mixing until it is a soft mixture. Add the orange juice and combine.
  5. Then, turn down the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Do not overmix.
  6. Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the bundt pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil if you begin to see the top browning quickly.
  7. In the meantime, make the orange sauce. For that, whisk the granulated sugar, flour, and orange juice together. It will be very liquid at this point.
  8. Transfer it to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir it now and then so it doesn't stick to the bottom. When it starts bubbling, cook for another 4-5 minutes until it is thicker, and remove it from the heat. Set aside.
  9. Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes inside the pan.
  10. Invert the slightly cooled bundt cake onto a wire rack set over a large plate or serving dish.
  11. Allow the cake to cool before pouring the sauce and garnishing it with orange zest.
  12. Serve it with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 300mgCarbohydrates: 93gFiber: 1gSugar: 61gProtein: 7g

Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

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