Orange Lemon Cake

Make all your citrus dreams come true with our straightforward-to-make Orange Lemon Cake! This beautiful dessert combines the tanginess of oranges and lemons, resulting in a moist and tender texture that will leave you wanting more. If you’re looking for a homemade treat without the hassle, this cake is the choice. Plus, your kitchen will be filled with the smell of citrus.

What stands out

You will love this Orange Lemon Cake because it is the combination of tangy orange and zesty lemon, resulting in an incredibly refreshing cake. This cake delivers a moist texture that pairs wonderfully with a cup of morning coffee or can be served at a friend’s brunch party.

Not only does this cake come out perfectly every time, but it is so quick to bake and comes together in just 25-30 minutes. Not to mention, this is a straightforward recipe for those of you who are not baking professionals!

How to Prepare

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a blender combine oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, then blend for 20-30 seconds. Make sure you don’t over-blend the mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add orange zest, lemon juice, and orange juice, and mix well.

Mix in half the flour, then add the other half along with the baking powder and mix again.

⭐ Pour the batter for the Orange Lemon Cake into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy your citrus cake!

Kitchen tip

To reduce the amount of oil, you can substitute 1/4 cup of oil with 1/4 cup of yogurt or sour cream for a alternative.

Swaps

This and moist Orange Lemon Cake is your baking canvas. Don’t forget to let us know in the comments what you try!

1. Instead of orange zest, try using lime or grapefruit zest for a different citrus flavor.
2. Experiment with different fruit juices, such as lime or grapefruit juice, in addition to or instead of lemon juice.
3. You could try whole wheat flour or a gluten-free flour blend for a healthier or gluten-free option.
4. Substitute white sugar with brown sugar honeymaple syrup or monk-fruit sweetener depending on your preference or what you have on hand.
5. You can use 1/2 oil and 1/2 sour cream for a healthier and still version of this recipe.
6. Mix in chopped nuts (such as almonds or walnuts) or dried fruits (like cranberries or raisins).
7. Drizzle the cooled cake with a citrus glaze made with powdered sugar and citrus juice.

Serve it with

• Coffee or tea
• Other cakes (like our Apple Cake) or cookies for brunch

Questions

How can we make this cake gluten-free?

We have not tried making this Orange Lemon Cake gluten-free, but you could try this with a gluten-free 1-to-1 all-purpose flour (for baking) instead.

Can we add more orange or lemon zest?

You can add as much zest from each citrus fruit as you like.

Can we add more lemon juice?

If you add more lemon juice, it will affect the outcome of the cake, so for a stronger citrus flavor from whichever citrus fruit you’re using, feel free to use as much zest as you’d like.

What type of oil should we use?

Any oil will work for this cake. We recommend a mild-tasting oil such as grapeseed, light olive oil, avocado oil, etc. You can also use melted butter if you’d like.

How can we REDUCE THE oil?

To reduce the amount of oil, you can substitute 1/4 cup of oil with 1/4 cup of yogurt or sour cream for a alternative.

Can we substitute butter for the oil?

Yes, you can certainly use butter instead of oil for this recipe.

Could we add poppy seeds to this recipe?

Yes, you could add poppy seeds to this recipe!

What if our cake comes out too dense?

Always check the expiry date on the baking powder and flour! If the cake comes out too dense, (not fluffy or moist) the baking powder or flour is likely old.

How can we check if our baking powder is still good?

You can test if the baking powder has expired by adding ½ teaspoon baking powder to ¼ cup hot water. If the water bubbles up, it’s not expired. However, if it does not bubble, it’s expired and should be tossed. When using baking powder, always check the expiration date. Expired baking powder will not help your recipe rise in the oven, and you’ll have a sad, deflated cake.

Why are the metric weights of your ingredients different than the results of Google and our kitchen scale?

While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in our kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.

Ingredients

Makes 10 pieces

• ½ cup avocado oil, any oil works
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ⅓ cup orange juice, juice of one large orange
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder

Equipment

• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Zester
• Mixing Bowls
• Parchment Paper
• Loaf Pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Add the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a blender and blend for 20-30 seconds (do not over blend). Pour the blended mixture into a bowl and mix in the orange zest, lemon juice, and orange juice.
2. Add 1/2 of the flour and mix. Now, add the other 1/2 of the flour + the baking powder. Mix until combined.
3. Pour the batter into a loaf pan that is lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes (depending on the oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!