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Sicilian orange cake is a traditional Italian dessert cake which is decadent, citrusy, and moist. My easy Sicilian Orange Cake recipe infuses every bite with vibrant, zesty orange flavor, creating a perfect treat for any occasion.
Best Sicilian Orange Cake Recipe
When I saw this Sicilian Orange Cake on my friend CP’s Facebook, I knew I had to get the recipe. This easy Sicilian Orange Cake recipe is like a classic butter cake but with the addition of fresh orange juice, which gives it a delightful citrusy tang and irresistible aroma. The combination of buttery richness and zesty oranges makes for a truly unique and delicious dessert. With just three simple steps, the end result is a beautiful and mouthwatering Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake that’s perfect for any occasion.
For more moist cake recipes, check out my Banana Cake, Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Yogurt Cake recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for beginners. This orange cake may seem fancy, but it’s actually super easy to make. With just a three simple steps, you’ll have a delicious cake that looks and tastes amazing.
- Simple ingredients. You can easily whip up this cake anytime with just basic pantry items and fresh oranges.
- Great for using leftover oranges. Baking with oranges is a fantastic way to use up leftover fruit, using their fresh juice and zest to create a tasty and vibrant dessert that everyone will love.
- Versatility. This cake is great for any occasion—whether you’re having a laid-back family get-together, celebrating something special, or just enjoying a relaxing afternoon.
Orange Sicilian Cake Ingredients
- Self-raising flour – contains baking powder to help the cake rise, so additional baking powder is not needed in this recipe
- Butter – makes the cake batter rich and moist. I recommend Challenge brand butter for baking.
- Oranges (juice and zest) – give the cake its main citrusy flavor and delightful aroma.
- Castor sugar – dissolves easily and blends smoothly into the batter, giving the cake a fine texture and evenly distributed sweetness.
- Rum – gives the cake a special kick of flavor and richness that goes perfectly with the citrusy orange notes, making it taste even better.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Sicilian Orange Bundt Cake
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Grease and line a 22cm (8.7 inches) round cake pan. Using an electric beater, cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy
Step 2. Beat in eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is well incorporated before adding the next. If needed, add a spoonful of flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling. Beat in orange zest. Add the flour all at once and mix well, then slowly incorporate the orange juice.
Step 3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a lightly greased sheet of aluminum foil. Leave the cake in the pan to cool on a wire rack, then unmold and serve.
Baking Tips For Home Bakers
- Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature before you begin. This helps the batter mix together smoothly for a better consistency.
- When grating the orange zest, be careful to avoid the bitter white part, as it can make the cake taste bitter.
- Beat the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy, which adds air to the mixture and makes the cake lighter in texture.
- Add eggs one at a time, making sure each one is mixed in well before adding the next. This keeps the batter smooth and prevents it from curdling.
- Keep an eye on the cake as it nears the end of baking. Test it by inserting a skewer into the center—it should come out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it, but not wet.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before taking it out. This helps it set and keeps it from breaking apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sicilian Orange Cake uses both orange juice and zest, which makes its citrus flavor stronger than cakes that use just one or the other.
Yes, you can. Using blood oranges will give the cake a distinctive color and a slightly different flavor compared to regular oranges.
Fresh oranges are preferred. Bottled orange juice may alter the taste and consistency of the cake.
You can bake Sicilian Orange Cake in a regular cake pan instead of a bundt pan. Just make sure to adjust the baking time to make sure it cooks evenly throughout.
It tastes great by itself or with some whipped cream, powdered sugar sprinkled on top, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Keep the cake in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to store it longer, you can refrigerate it for up to a week.
This recipe is only 407 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Orange Cake
For a delicious sweet and savory breakfast treat or afternoon pick-me-up, pair it with the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please share your photo in the Comments section and consider giving it a 5-star rating. I can’t wait to see your creations! Want more easy and delicious recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Baking Recipes You Might Like
Equipment
- skewers
- Bundt pan
Ingredients
- 250 g (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 250 g (8 oz) castor sugar , or reduced to 200 g
- 4 medium eggs , or 3 large eggs
- 2 grated oranges zest
- 270 g (9½ oz) self raising flour
- 120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon rum, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Grease and line a 22cm (8.7 inches) round cake pan. Using an electric beater, cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is well incorporated before adding the next. If needed, add a spoonful of flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling. Beat in orange zest. Add the flour all at once and mix well, then slowly incorporate the orange juice.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a lightly greased sheet of aluminum foil. Leave the cake in the pan to cool on a wire rack, then unmold and serve.
Notes
- Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature before you begin. This helps the batter mix together smoothly for a better consistency.
- When grating the orange zest, be careful to avoid the bitter white part, as it can make the cake taste bitter.
- Beat the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy, which adds air to the mixture and makes the cake lighter in texture.
- Add eggs one at a time, making sure each one is mixed in well before adding the next. This keeps the batter smooth and prevents it from curdling.
- Keep an eye on the cake as it nears the end of baking. Test it by inserting a skewer into the center—it should come out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it, but not wet.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before taking it out. This helps it set and keeps it from breaking apart.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This easy to make cake was a HUGE hit with all that had some! I did use a bit of Captain Morgans in the batter. Maybe next time make a glaze
Sounds yummy!
This recipe is a winner! Easy to make n incredibly delicious. I used mandarin oranges which is sweeter and the skin is not bitter at all. Cut sugar to 200g as advised. Everyone loved it. This is going to be my CNY cake every year!
Thanks Bee for sharing this winning recipe!
Awesome Toni!
Found this searching for Brazilian Orange Cake…as it’s Ivan Lins’ birthday today. Looks wonderful and hope to try soon!
Yes, thanks!
Can i add cocoa n make it a chocolate orange cake? If yes, how much to add? Thanks.
My mum likes to bake so I added your website to her iPad. She can only understand simple English but she managed to make the cake with great success. Thanks
Thanks for the recipe. I made this cake during the weekend. I also reduced the sugar even though I did not put any icing on the cake. It was easy to prepare, the aroma was superb. Yummy is probably not the right word to describe … I will definitely recommend this recipe to my friends.
250g (or 1.1 cups or 8.8 oz. or 17 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, room temperature
250g (or 1.1 cups or 8.8 oz.) castor sugar (white sugar) (reduced to 200g (or 7.1 oz. white sugar)
4 medium eggs (3 large eggs)
Grated orange zest from 2 oranges (4 Tbsp. of zest)
270g (or 1.14 cup or 9.5 oz.) self raising flour*
*To make self rising flour (1 cup regular flour; 1½ tsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. salt= 1 cup self rising)
120ml (1.1 cup or 9.5 oz.) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp. Rum or Rum extract, optional
Preheat the oven to 180C or 356F. Grease and line a 22cm (8 inch) round cake pan.
Using a electrical beater, cream the butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well before each addition, if necessary adding a spoonful of flour with the last egg to prevent mixture from curdling.
Beat in orange zest. Add the flour all at once and mix well, then slowly mix in the orange juice.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until skewer inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of lightly greased aluminum foil.
Leave the cake in the pan to cool on a wire rack, then unmold and serve.