Name: Orange drizzle cake recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves: 10
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 175g (6oz) self-raising flour; 175g (6oz) caster sugar; 60g (2oz) ground almonds; 125g (4oz) butter, softened; 2 medium eggs; 4 tbsp milk; Finely grated rind of 1 orange

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 21 July 2023

in Recipes

Our orange drizzle cake takes 10 minutes to prepare and is under 350 calories per slice.

Lemon drizzle cake is a classic for a reason but if you’re craving something a little different this recipe is great. You could also use a combination of the two citrus fruits if you like. Our orange drizzle cake uses store cupboard ingredients and only takes around 10 minutes to prepare. Using an electric hand whisk is the quickest way to combine the batter ingredients but you can also do it manually by hand for an added workout!

Ingredients

175g (6oz) self-raising flour
175g (6oz) caster sugar
60g (2oz) ground almonds
125g (4oz) butter, softened
2 medium eggs
4 tbsp milk
Finely grated rind of 1 orange

For the topping:

Juice of 1 orange
90g (3oz) granulated sugar

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Method

Set the oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and line with a strip of greaseproof paper.
Mix the flour, sugar, almonds, butter, eggs, milk and orange zest together in a large bowl (using an electric mixer if you have one) until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour or until risen, golden and firm when lightly pressed on top.
While the cake is baking combine the orange juice and sugar. Pour over the cake as soon as it is out of the oven. Allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes then cool on a wire rack and slice when cold.

Top tips for making orange drizzle cake

Whether you’re searching for flavours that compliment orange or you’d like to make the cake nut-free, we have plenty of advice for you to read below.

Can I make this orange drizzle cake nut-free?

Yes if you don’t want to use ground almonds simply swap for more self-raising flour.

What goes well with orange in cake?

We love the combination of orange and ground almonds in this recipe. If you’d like a chocolate hit you could sub some of the flour out for cocoa powder or add a scattering of chocolate chips instead. Orange also pairs nicely with a fruity extra virgin olive oil so for a sophisticated twist you could drizzle with a little before serving. Vanilla custard or ice cream is another classic but for something lighter try yogurt rippled with a little honey.

Can you bake drizzle cake in a round tin?

Yes you can use any shaped tin you like when baking but remember the cooking time will vary. We recommend giving the cake a minimum of 20 minutes before opening the oven door to check on its progress. You might want to rotate the tin if your oven has hot spots too.

To make this cake quickly and efficiently it’s important you use an electric hand mixer. If your one is looking a little tired and needs replacing, consider this one from Kenwood.

If you’d like another orange bake we recommend making this chocolate orange cake. Another classic option is this lemon pound cake which has a simple icing and rich cake sponge. Alternatively, our lemon cake with poppy seeds is perfect for afternoon tea but also makes a lovely dinner party dessert as it looks very impressive when sliced.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.