Serves a Crowd
Sunset's Whole Orange Cake
Popular on Food52
125 Reviews
LeBec F.
April 14, 2024
aside from achieving the moist pure oranginesh, i find this recipe so disappointing. it's like advocating orange wonder bread.
i would much rather to use ingredients that include spelt flour, chopped prunes, chopped almonds or pecans, dark chocolate bits, and/or spices: basil, anise,, thyme. Ie: TEXTURE and surprising pinpoints of spice.
best,
mindy
i would much rather to use ingredients that include spelt flour, chopped prunes, chopped almonds or pecans, dark chocolate bits, and/or spices: basil, anise,, thyme. Ie: TEXTURE and surprising pinpoints of spice.
best,
mindy
Imbatnan
April 14, 2024
So why not add those things if you like them?
I love this recipe - it’s perfect for mini Bundt cakes for Christmas. Dark choc does sound like a nice addition. (The others make it sound too much like fruit cake to me.)
I love this recipe - it’s perfect for mini Bundt cakes for Christmas. Dark choc does sound like a nice addition. (The others make it sound too much like fruit cake to me.)
FK
January 27, 2024
I love the flavor of this cake, but the batter is SO THICK and the cake turned out crumbly. Do I need to cut off more of the orange ends? Do I need to supplement with more juice? I desperately want to make this work.
Beth
January 27, 2024
Probably depends on the oranges, some are more juicy than others, some have thicker skin than others. Yes, add more juice if necessary.
Maruta28
January 10, 2024
Fabulous! Make sure you butter the pan really well, even if it is silicone, like mine, to avoid sticking. Also, I reduced sugar to 180g and it was perfect. Very fresh and citrusy.
Gini
August 19, 2022
As is, it can be a show stopper. But with mint leaves and golden berries surrounding the circumference it looks like a beautiful wreath. Plus, it's delicious.
Jenny
January 2, 2022
The cake was wonderfully moist and fragrant with a lovely marmalade-like sweet and bitter flavour. I reduced the amount of sugar to 175g and found it to be plenty, especially with the icing on top. My bundt pan could only just about fit the cake in it, so it would potentially have been better to halve the recipe. Another thing that stood out to me was that the amount of flour in grams was quite a bit less than it was in cups, so I went with something in the middle: a bit more than what it said in grams but a bit less than the amount in cups. Would next time confidently just go by the amount in grams. I also happened to end up with more of the orange puree than in the recipe and used it instead of discarding the leftovers. Lovely recipe!
Mecablond
October 26, 2021
I made and it was really good, I also made the gluten free version and was also as good and friends with this type of problem were really satisfied........Now I need a tip to use this recipe using pineaple insted of oranges....... can you help?
Hilary
April 27, 2021
Really lovely! Made as instructed, except added a touch of vanilla to the cake batter and increased the salt to 1/2 tsp as per the suggestion in the comments. Lovely!
Jane L.
March 15, 2021
Just Delicious!
I doubled the glaze recipe since my family are a bunch of icing freaks. Rave reviews! Thanks!
I doubled the glaze recipe since my family are a bunch of icing freaks. Rave reviews! Thanks!
Amy
January 17, 2021
Lovely cake! I think the cake flavor would be improved with more salt, glaze flavor improved with salt and vanilla extract.
Smaug
January 3, 2021
This was pretty good. I made half the recipe in a smallish (8x4x2 1/2) loaf pan, which worked fine and left a fairly flat top for the glaze. That allowed me to make a wetter glaze (65g. sugar and 5 tsp. sour tangerine juice), which would have mostly run off a Bundt cake- it did take a while to dry, but I didn't want so much sugar on top. The texture is as advertised, very nice. The bitter tone from the peel was interesting- I don't know that I particularly liked it, but interesting.
Smaug
January 17, 2021
Tried this again with most (I'd say about 80%) of the pith removed; also added 1/4 tsp. orange oil. I'd say that the flavor was overall better balanced, but it lacked some of the je ne sais quoi factor of the original. Also, of course, you lose the just toss it in the blender appeal of the original- the oranges need to be zested, then peeled before cutting them up. In theory, it should be a little less moist than the original, and maybe it was, but quite moist enough for any normal purpose. I made 1/2 recipe in a 7" springform, a very good fit, and it allowed me to glaze the cake while still warm (which of course you couldn't do with a bundt cake). I used the same glaze above (I have sour tangerines because there hasn't been enough cold here for them to ripen fully- an alternative would be sour orange juice, or maybe Meyer lemon)- the cake absorbed a good deal of it, and it dried quickly.
garlic&lemon
January 2, 2021
Cara Cara Oranges are in season! They make the most amazing version of this cake. Such a treat in the winter. In a couple of months when the oranges start to get less fragrant, I add 1/2 tsp of Boyajian Orange Oil to boost that orange flavor right back up. Even in the pandemic with only 2 people in the house, I slice it and freeze them with some waxed paper between the slices to keep them from sticking together. A quick 20-30 seconds in the microwave and fresh cake for lunch desert. All ready for the next 4 hours of Zoom.
MJ-YOW
December 26, 2020
Excellent Results - i added about a half cup of unsweetened shredded coconut and half cup of chopped dried pineapple- amped up the tropical notes
Nancy
December 7, 2020
Late to the party, but glad to see this recipe. Both because of the whole orange (sounds good!) and because of Sunset Magazine, which I've always found a treasure trove of recipes.
Ditiya F.
September 17, 2020
I have made this cake several times now and it is just really really great. I would recommend using the 2 whole oranges, not omitting the peel because when it's baked into the cake, it gives it a slight bitterness that i absolutely love and also makes the texture much more interesting. I end up with a cake batter that is quite stable, fluffy and aerated, not runny at all but not dense, making sure to fold in the flour and orange without knocking out all of the air from the creamed butter and sugar. It comes out with such a delicate crumb and aromatic flavor. So nice! I usually get away with using only 3/4 cups of sugar in the batter and adding a dark chocolate drizzle on top.
beejay45
November 19, 2020
Yes! As I watched the video, I was thinking that what this cake cried out for was a dark chocolate glaze. Orange and chocolate are never wrong.
Alison
May 18, 2020
I should have added that I scrubbed my oranges to get off any wax or coating—they were organic to begin with, but I didn’t want any flavors from the coatings that are so common.
Alison
May 18, 2020
This was absolutely delicious! I used two Cara Cara oranges and one Moro, which produced an orange flavor with depth and a perfumed aroma that was amazing. The Moro orange had a lot of pith, so I trimmed some of that one more. I made according to recipe. It seemed plenty sweet to me, but not overly so. I will be making this again.
gratifi K.
April 16, 2020
Hi, I scrolled through the reviews to see if anyone has tried this cake with whole Meyer lemons? Even for Meyer lemons, the pith might be too bitter?
alicia D.
May 22, 2020
Christina’s Cucina website has a recipe for Whole Lemon Cake (one for conventional orange and GF orange as well. Her GF whole orange is the most delicious GF recipe I e ever eaten.)
Brianna R.
June 7, 2020
I make it with 3 lemons regularly, it’s delicious. I do usually add a bit of extra sugar.
Justine S.
April 5, 2020
I loved this cake! My whole family did too. It will definitely go into heavy rotation for us. I'm wondering if it would work with other fruits too? I made a kumquat cake a few months back and I could see that working here easily - but what about something like strawberries, or lime (would it be enough sugar) - would it work out since the fruit brings so much moisture to the batter?
Justine S.
April 5, 2020
I loved this cake! My whole family did too. It will definitely go into heavy rotation for us. I'm wondering if it would work with other fruits too? I made a kumquat cake a few months back and I could see that working here easily - but what about something like strawberries, or lime?
Alison L.
April 4, 2020
Dairy Allergies Read Here:
This is so easy and delicious! I have an allergy to dairy, so I switched out the butter for 1/3 cup coconut oil and it worked great! Highly recommend this recipe!
This is so easy and delicious! I have an allergy to dairy, so I switched out the butter for 1/3 cup coconut oil and it worked great! Highly recommend this recipe!
Mary L.
March 28, 2020
I'd like to try this with gluten free flour, but as some reviews have said it's dense, I think g.f. might not work. Any ideas? Don't want stodgy cake!
Marielys D.
May 3, 2020
I didn’t read the comments beforehand and I used GF flour. Fingers crossed it turns out yummy anyway!
Brianna R.
June 7, 2020
I make it with cassava flour and olive oil instead of wheat and butter. It is delicious and not gummy as long as you add enough flour and bake well.
Anne Y.
March 18, 2020
I made this as muffins per tip from another reader. Used half whole wheat flour, cut sugar in the batter in half, and added a little stevia. Plenty sweet for us. A keeper
Elizabeth
February 23, 2020
Would there be a good way to make eggless for someone who has an allergy?
Diane
February 23, 2020
made this and it was easy but the best part is how delicious it is! Fantastic. Talk about impressing company! I'll be making this often and frequently for company. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Oh and I didn't use the glaze (I don't like super sweet stuff). Most of our company had luscious whipped cream on top but it was moist and delicious all on its own.
Benjamin
January 19, 2020
this cake was easy.moist and delicious- i tried it out on my food snob sisters and they fell in love- there probably had 2 tbsp left of the pulp, and i incorporated into the frosting, This cake did not need any extra orange flavoring, i will brag about this recipe for a long time coming
Beth
December 21, 2019
Made this yesterday, we love the flavor, not too sweet. I added 1/4 teaspoon orange flavoring, could have used more. But we were very disappointed in the texture. With all that butter and eggs I thought it would be more cakey, but it was like a buttery biscuit. Not sure why it came out that way. The batter was quite thick, not at all runny like cake batter, maybe that made the difference. Maybe add some milk, do you think that would help? Any suggestions would be welcome, I won't make it again like this. Thanks.
Beth
December 22, 2019
Possibly, but I don't think so. It wasn't too brown, it was just thick and dense inside. Not at all light like a cake although it did rise, and the baking powder and soda were brand new, just bought them that day. I think the batter was just too thick even though I followed the recipe exactly. There are lots of orange cake recipes online, maybe I'll try another one next time. I do like the idea of the whole oranges pulsed in the processor, so maybe I'll try combining some of that in another recipe.
mary
December 22, 2019
Perhaps you're thinking more layer cake light and not bundt cake dense? Sometimes I find it helpful to adjust my impressions....like when my son says the gravy will taste burnt if I use all those burnt onions on the bottom of the pan and it turns out ok and the gravy is nice and dark. I strain the burnt stuff out and no one is the wiser! Do try making it with Sumo oranges when they hit the market in January. They cost more but their sweetness makes this cake sing.
JASMINE T.
April 17, 2020
I had the same issue! It looked very thick going into the pan; and against my better judgment, I didn’t add more liquid. The flavor is great, but the texture was just off. Trying again. 😋
mary
August 12, 2019
I made this with Sumo oranges awhile back and paired it with beet ice cream from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home. I make a lot of desserts and this one is still at the top of the list.
nomnomwu
May 21, 2019
This cake was delicious! After reading that people found it bitter, I decided to zest the two oranges and then discard the peel. I mixed the zest in with the orange chunk puree. I made this in a loaf pan (this added an extra 15 minutes of baking time). I didn't have any powder sugar so I didn't have a glaze. It was a nice mild orange flavor, it probably would've been more orangey with the glaze!
Robyn J.
May 3, 2019
I made this cake for Easter and it was just okay. The texture was perfect and it was moist enough, but the orange flavor didn't come out that great. I used organic navel oranges and tasted one by itself and it didn't have a lot of flavor, so maybe that's where it went wrong. I'm not sure if I will try this one again or not.
Rouba E.
April 14, 2019
made this last night. I replaced the sugar with sucanat (which has a molasses flavor & made the cake a little darker, but since it didnt' taste good with my coffee I had to get rid of it in baking), o yea, I also had to use bread flour, because for some reason, all purpose flour was all out in my whole foods stores (that was weird), I also used silicone muffin cups to bake, those don't need oiling & flouring... anyway, overall, the results: I loved the taste, it is the perfect amount of sweetness, the texture is a little dense like a muffin but it is nothing that bothers me. I say this is an excellent recipe to withstand all the atrocities I did to it & still come out good, I love it! great job putting it together,
jennifer P.
March 7, 2019
I made this in the fall and did not like it. I made it again today with the following adjustments: I used coconut oil instead of butter. I zested four oranges, removed the pith from three, and then finely diced them all instead of using the food processor. I threw the zest in with the sugar and fat and made everything super duper fluffy. In the end I ended up with an extra half orange, and used it as the juice in the glaze. I also tossed in an extra teaspoon of lime zest...just to punch up the citrus. The finished cake was so wonderful. The diced oranges give some more texture. I also used the coconut oil to grease the bunt pan, and the outer shell has a nice crunch. I also only used one cup of sugar for the glaze, and didn't use all that I made. Very pleased with this cake now. The coconut oil really adds to this.... Super yum
Elizabeth H.
February 10, 2019
Excellent flavor, but quite dense. I added a bit of orange extract the second time I made it for even more intense orange flavor. Instead of an orange glaze, I made a simple chocolate glaze with cocoa and it was fabulous. Everyone loved it! I will try making muffins with this batter next. Thank you for sharing this genius recipe :)
Amy
February 11, 2019
Chocolate glaze on this great cake...! I'm on my way back to the kitchen for another date with this wonderful recipe!
Bonnie B.
February 3, 2019
For those who found the cake bitter, using less white pith sounds like a good idea. But weirdly enough, ACID is the answer. Some extra SALT is probably the answer. Salt counteracts bitterness much better than added sugar. Or lemon juice. It's science...
Jody
January 27, 2019
I baked this cake last Sunday. I happened to be at Trader Joe's and they had Cara Cara oranges, which I had never tried. I used them for this cake and it was great! I always bake and take things to work so was a little hesitant about this one, so I baked it in two fancy bundt loaf pans so I could test it before taking to work and I was pleasantly surprised. For my first taste, I was a little on the fence, but the cake grew on me, and my coworkers and myself LOVED it!!! It was gone in 30 minutes and there are only 4 of us. Will definitely be baking this a lot.
Courtney
January 20, 2019
Easy for a new cook but sophisticated flavor and presentation - made me look like a professional! Delish.
Paul M.
January 14, 2019
Kristen, this ROCKS...
It even inspired me to add orange zest to my gingerbread snack cake... it Works too. Now, to make this without refined sugar; there's the next challenge!
It even inspired me to add orange zest to my gingerbread snack cake... it Works too. Now, to make this without refined sugar; there's the next challenge!
Carina
January 12, 2019
Made this cake for a dinner party and it got rave reviews from all in attendance. I used blood oranges instead of navel oranges.
junewl
January 10, 2019
Made the cake today with oranges from my backyard navel orange tree. Went together beautifully and was easy to unmold after spraying/dusting pan with flour. Cake tasted flat, my oranges aren't bitter but no significant flavor. I'll review comments once more and decide whether to try it again.
Kristen M.
January 13, 2019
Hi junewl, this is probably coming too late, but the flavor (and moisture) can come out more after a day, so I hope you liked it more after first tasting.
Bonnie B.
February 3, 2019
Please see my comment above. I added as much as an additional TSP of salt (1/4 tsp at a time) and an additional TSP of lemon juice (1/4 tsp at a time). The oranges SANG. And you must TASTE the batter before baking, a finger-tip full won't hurt you. There's just no other way to know how sweet or acid your oranges are, unless you TASTE.
Mariah M.
January 9, 2019
Made this cake today. Followed the recipe exactly, and it was perfect! Everyone loved it! We ate for dessert, but this cake would be perfect for brunch too!!
Areena
January 1, 2019
This was horrible and I'm very confused by all the positive ratings. It was easy to put together and smelled divine in the oven, but the final cake was horribly bitter from the pith--that kind of bitter that sticks around in your mouth for a long time. I tried it both fresh and after a day in case the flavors mellowed over time. Then I threw it in the trash. I'll try one of those recipes that uses a whole, boiled orange before giving up on the whole orange concept altogether, but raw orange method was a disaster.
Kristen M.
January 2, 2019
Hi Areena, I'm so sorry to hear this. Do you happen to remember what kind of orange you used? I haven't heard about such an extreme bitterness before.
donna
January 13, 2019
The answer may lie in the fact that some people are 'super tasters' and are excessively sensitive to bitter items. If you dislike thinks like arugula, cilantro, tonic water etc this cake may be too much for your taste buds.
Bonnie B.
February 3, 2019
You really have to taste your batter before baking. There's no other way to predict how sweet or acid your oranges are, without tasting the batter. Mine was bland, so I added additional sale and lemon juice. Go figure...
Susan M.
December 30, 2018
This reminds me of the Orange Kiss Me Cake, a Pillsbury Bakeoff winner in the early 1950s. My mom always made this for picnics. Now when I make it I use organic Seville orangs.
FrugalCat
December 29, 2018
Think this would work with a lemon or Key limes?
Kristen M.
January 2, 2019
Hi FrugalCat—possibly, but you'd need to fiddle with the sugar, and the pith on both tends to be more bitter than on oranges. A couple commenters below used (sweet, not-very-bitter) Meyer lemons and increased the sugar by a couple tablespoons with success. If you decide to go for it, I'd consider a mix of sweet and tart citrus first, do a test run, and taste the puree before adding to try to balance it out.
Liz B.
December 24, 2018
I made this tonight. It was perfectly light! I used the two teaspoons of baking powder and there were no issues with density. The navel oranges from my tree had really thick skins, so for 95% of my orange puree I used another commenter's suggestion and peeled the outermost layer off, then cut off the pith. This way there was still a hit of bitterness but it wasn't overwhelming. I also loved the suggestion of brushing the bundt pan with a mixture of melted butter and flour (1 tbsp of each); it lifted right out. I added some allspice dram to my glaze, but probably didn't use enough sugar - I thought it looked pretty thick but it just ran right off the cooled cake. Still tasted good though! I think next time I'l add some almond extract and maybe a little more salt; the orange is so intense, I think it needs a little something else.
Liz M.
December 23, 2018
I liked the idea of this cake, but it was too dense for me. I would have liked it a bit lighter. Maybe I did something wrong:(
Kristen M.
December 23, 2018
Hi Liz, sorry to hear it—did you make the recipe with 2 teaspoons of baking powder, or the original 1/2 teaspoon? If you did the latter, that's probably the culprit!
Kristen M.
January 2, 2019
Ah, well, then that's probably not the culprit (unless your baking powder is losing its oomph and needs to be replaced). It is a little denser than, say, a yellow birthday cake, but the moistness makes up for it (and keeps improving after a day). I'm sorry to hear it disappointed.
Ameliorator
May 6, 2018
This recipe has roughly half the usual amount of leavening for a bundt cake, and the result definitely showed it--didn't rise much during the bake, and proceeded to collapse on itself as it cooled. No wonder people are saying it's dense. Was the recipe developed for high-altitude and disseminated in its current form by mistake? I like the idea of including the whole orange, and I like the flavor of the cake, but I feel strongly that it needs *at least* a full teaspoon of baking powder and a half teaspoon of soda.
Martha J.
April 9, 2018
I made the cake this week and everyone thought it was delicious. Very dense texture as people have mentioned but I liked it that way (but I also thought I might have underbaked it slightly.) Very disappointed in the glaze though, it did not look at all as pictured and had a disappointing taste and texture. Has anyone tried it with frosting instead? Maybe cream cheese frosting would be good?
tranquility
April 3, 2018
Made this today and while the taste was great (and I like using the whole fruit) the cake turned out way too dense for my liking (and I like dense cakes).
Liz D.
February 25, 2018
Made this yesterday, with Meyer Lemons + 2T sugar in lieu of oranges, in a tube pan. VERY good! Funny thing was, in filing this away, I discovered that I'd torn the recipe out of the Sunset magazine, too. Obviously, it appealed to me!
Regine
February 6, 2018
My most favorite orange cake, which to me is the best I have tasted so far, is
an orange soaked bundt cake I found in fine cooking.com. Here is link. It is a fine grained, not dense, ultra moist cake.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/orange-soaked-bundt-cake
an orange soaked bundt cake I found in fine cooking.com. Here is link. It is a fine grained, not dense, ultra moist cake.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/orange-soaked-bundt-cake
Joseph R.
February 6, 2018
Good recipe (we get gift shipments of fruit so this comes in handy). I like the bitterness; the cake reminded me of the orange marmalade I made. Only problem was sticking in the bundt pan, even though it was heavily buttered, and I use this pan often yet never have this issue with other cakes. Next time I'll do loaf or flat pans, and use parchment paper.
Imbatnan
February 6, 2018
The streusel version of this cake (also on this site) has a great tip: brush bundt pan w 1 TB melted butter mixed w 1 TB flour. I have a very finicky bundt pan with lots of peaks and swirls — this tip proved the ONLY successful tip-out I’ve ever had with it!
Joseph R.
February 6, 2018
Good recipe (we get gift shipments of fruit so this comes in handy). I like the bitterness; the cake reminded me of the orange marmalade I made. Only problem was sticking in the bundt pan, even though it was heavily buttered, and I use this pan often yet never have this issue with other cakes. Next time I'll do loaf or flat pans, and use parchment paper.
Pam W.
February 4, 2018
Really good, fairly easy. Greased and SUGARED the bundt pan- came out perfect!
lori
January 30, 2018
Made this twice in the past 3 days. First time made it per recipe in a bundt pan; it came out very well with mix of navel and Cara Cara oranges (I did cut out some of the thicker pith on the navels)--dense and very moist, sweet enough that we skipped the glaze. Second time I made 4 small loaf pans and used Myer lemons rather than oranges, and increased the sugar slightly, baked 40-45 min. I think I must have done something wrong as the texture was not the same--drier outside, not quite done in middle. The flavor was quite nice with the lemons, though--brighter and nicely lemony. Will try again with Meyer lemons in a bundt pan, and the original orange version is a keeper recipe for us.
sandy L.
January 29, 2018
This is a fantastic, easy and beautiful cake! Everyone loved it - none left to test if it gets more moist with age! I used blood oranges so the glaze was pink. Perfect to brighten a gray wintry day.
Imbatnan
January 22, 2018
Outstanding. Made 2 loaves instead of a bundt, with the intention of giving one away...NOT HAPPENING (YUM!). Better texture than the 5-spice riff on this site, although that one is good, too, and has great tips. This will probably be my Christmas gift to coworkers this year...maybe with a Cointreau glaze.
Maggie
January 21, 2018
Fantastic! This recipe resisted my best efforts to screw it up - I halved it, used two small eggs, two tiny blood oranges that were destined for the compost heap, added a touch of vanilla, and baked it in a 9 inch round, and it still turned out. Truly genius.
Joan W.
January 21, 2018
To eliminate the question of bitterness from the pith, I used the same technique I use in making fresh orange cranberry relish. This works with oranges with a thick rind like navel oranges. First peel the orange rind using a sharp potato peeler (OXO makes the best). Save the thin strips; in fact I chopped them by hand before I put them in the food processor. Then peel off the thick pith and toss it. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
I'm also interested if anyone has made the cake with lemons?
I'm also interested if anyone has made the cake with lemons?
Joan W.
January 21, 2018
To eliminate the question of bitterness from the pith, I used the same technique I use in making fresh orange cranberry relish. This works with oranges with a thick rind like navel oranges. First peel the orange rind using a sharp potato peeler (OXO makes the best). Save the thin strips; in fact I chopped them by hand before I put them in the food processor. Then peel off the thick pith and toss it. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
I'm also interested if anyone has made the cake with lemons?
I'm also interested if anyone has made the cake with lemons?
stingraystirs
January 19, 2018
I made this cake today using Valencia oranges (per Amy's comment below). It's excellent!
Rachel
January 19, 2018
For those asking about using clementines instead, I don't know if clementines would work in this recipe, but I highly recommend Nigella Lawson's clementine cake. For another great, classic whole orange cake recipe, Claudia Roden's orange and almond cake can't be beat.
Amy
January 18, 2018
Wonderful recipe. I worried the recipe called for the bundt pan to be buttered but not floured but that was not a mistake. I used Valencia oranges which have a thinner skin and little pith so no resulting bitterness. Also, I have a 75 year old gas oven that likes to play mind games with baked goods. I baked it for 47 minutes instead of 55 and the crumbs when tested were moist but not clinging to the toothpick. The cake is dense. I took it out of the oven and it contracted into the most moist and favorable cake. We served it with a vanilla ice cream dollop and remembered orange dreamsicles from when were were kids. I really like this recipe and it's a keeper here.
Jordan
January 18, 2018
I made this today and it was delicious! I was worried about it being bitter as another commenter mentioned so I added 1/4 cup extra sugar to the batter. My oranges were Cara cara and were really juicy and slightly sweet. It turned out wonderful!
Jordan
January 18, 2018
I made this today and it was delicious! I was worried about it being bitter as another commenter mentioned so I added 1/4 cup extra sugar to the batter. My oranges were Cara cara and were really juicy and slightly sweet. It turned out wonderful!
Juliebell
January 18, 2018
This cake or one very similar was recently featured on the Joy the Baker blog and she does advise using thin skin oranges to avoid a lot of bitter pith.
Liz P.
January 18, 2018
I'm planning to make this using Mineolas I left in the back of my car during a deep cold spell. I figure the fact that they froze solid shouldn't affect their performance here. But I'm wondering about the thickness of their rind and also their super-juiciness. Any thoughts?
judy
January 18, 2018
Grew up in So Cal with citrus all around. Whole fruit in cakes, pies spaghetti and chili were common. Adds a very interesting dimension to both feet and savory foods.
kiki
January 17, 2018
This was a very disappointing cake. Easy, certainly, but bitter, not orange-y, and somehow too sweet. Also heavy and texturally odd. I followed the recipe exactly. There are lots of good orange cake recipes out there. This is not one of them.
Kathleen R.
January 18, 2018
I agree...too dense and oddly it did not have enough if an orange flavor to me. I used navel oranges.
zora
January 29, 2018
I couldn't imagine the tiny amount of leavening called for in the recipe would be adequate for such a large amount of butter and flour, without beating the egg whites separately. Even with doubling the baking powder, the cake turned out dense and heavy. I used blood oranges, and the taste was lovely, but the texture was disappointing.
Maria
January 17, 2018
I made this recipe this afternoon. Followed the recipe as stated. Made it in a restaurant kitchen. Staff and customers enjoyed it!!! Very easy and came out delicious!
Elizabeth P.
January 17, 2018
We've been making whole orange and cramberry muffins for some time now.....
Colleen
January 17, 2018
Yeah, mine came out a bit bitter, and I only used a little of the pith. Tried extra icing, still not awesome.
btglenn
January 17, 2018
I bake a similar type of cake using tangerines. But, my recipe,adapted from Willoughby's version in then New York Times uses less sugar and I have added 4 tablespoons of butter. It is still delicious!
jph
January 17, 2018
Before there was:
Sunset's Whole Orange Cake
Whole Orange Bundt Cake with Five-Spice Streusel
There was:
1950 Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner:
Orange Kiss-Me Cake by Lily Wuebel (Redwood City, California)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillsbury_Bake-Off
http://theculinarycellar.com/pillsbury-bake-off-1950/
https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/orange-kiss-me-cake/8815ee24-37ee-4646-a989-8c993d2cdac4
I found the clipped recipe in my mother-in-law's recipe box on a visit in the '80's...it is delicious. Although I don't bake cakes that often, the whole-orange "Kiss Me Cake" is a favorite...actually orange cakes in general (right up there with my very moist carrot cake)...and will certainly give these two recipes a try!
Sunset's Whole Orange Cake
Whole Orange Bundt Cake with Five-Spice Streusel
There was:
1950 Pillsbury Bake-Off Winner:
Orange Kiss-Me Cake by Lily Wuebel (Redwood City, California)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillsbury_Bake-Off
http://theculinarycellar.com/pillsbury-bake-off-1950/
https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/orange-kiss-me-cake/8815ee24-37ee-4646-a989-8c993d2cdac4
I found the clipped recipe in my mother-in-law's recipe box on a visit in the '80's...it is delicious. Although I don't bake cakes that often, the whole-orange "Kiss Me Cake" is a favorite...actually orange cakes in general (right up there with my very moist carrot cake)...and will certainly give these two recipes a try!
Emily
January 22, 2018
Exactly. There is nothing new under the sun, and the infrequency with which "authors" credit supposedly new recipes is pathetic.
Lois R.
January 22, 2018
The Orange Kiss-Me Cake is very similar to one my mother has made since the early 1950s (same vintage, you notice). She used to use her food grinder -- has moved up to Cuisinart. I'm not sure there was an emphasis on originality in the Bake-Off recipes -- I think some were simply new and improved takes on old classics.
jph
December 30, 2018
Ha! I still use a food grinder (even though I've had an early model of the Cuisinart food processor forever) because the texture is different and better, I think.
Jackie J.
January 17, 2018
This sounds like a good, different recipe. Can clementines be used as that is all the “oranges” I have on hand at this time. Temps are 7 degrees and snowing so I am observing a self enforced ban on going to the store LOL!
Signeo
January 17, 2018
Is there a way to make this for lactose - intolerant eaters? Maybe substitute the butter for olive oil? coconut oil?
radhaks
January 17, 2018
I love the recipe but not a big fan of oranges...could lemons, meyer lemons or grapefruits be used as well? For grapefruits maybe there would be a need to remove some of the pith...since it tends to be a bit thicker than other citrus(?).
Regine
January 17, 2018
This recipe pasted below from food52 was also inspired from the Sunset cake. When I made it, I found cake a bit dry but maybe I did not measure well. I may try it again as well as the genius version.
https://food52.com/recipes/21578-whole-orange-bundt-cake-with-five-spice-streusel#comments
https://food52.com/recipes/21578-whole-orange-bundt-cake-with-five-spice-streusel#comments
Laurence T.
January 17, 2018
Only oranges I’m finding these days have really thick peels....how to compensate? Will that make the batter too bitter?
See what other Food52ers are saying.