Orange Blossom Bundt Cake

Name: Orange Blossom Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 eggs; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup oil; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp orange rind; 1/3 cup milk; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 cup butter; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup orange juice; 1/2 tsp orange blossom water; 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·★★★★★5 from 11 reviews

This orange blossom cake is impossibly moist with just the right amount of tang and sweetness. Snag the easy, drool-worthy recipe below.

bundt cake on a cake stand with greenery and blossoms on top

Growing up, my Grammy Eula was a legend among family members for her witty, and at times painfully true, sayings.

"Family, like fish, tend to smell after three days," she used to say. In other words, don't overstay your welcome.

"I never met a dessert that could spoil my appetite," was probably my favorite growing up, and was definitely used (although not with any measure of success) to justify my clear need for dessert at all hours of the day. That may not have worked with my parents, but I'm an adult now and I do what I want.

"The best meal is the one someone else cooks." Yet, despite her less than enthusiastic take on making meals, she could be a wizard in the kitchen.

Case in point: Grammy Eula's famous orange cake. AKA the top secret family recipe I'm sharing with you today.

This was her go-to cake recipe, and for good reason.

It's impossibly moist thanks to the glaze poured right into the pan while the cake is still hot.
You don't need to be a Michelin star chef to decorate this easy cake.
This cake weathers the freezer like no other... Not that you'll have any leftovers.

Jump to:

A quick word about orange blossom water
How to make an orange blossom cake
Expert tips
Storage
More citrus desserts
Recipe

A quick word about orange blossom water

Adding orange blossom water to this cake is my own twist and, not that this cake needs the help, gives the glaze a little something extra. If you've never baked with orange blossom water before, here are a few things you should know:

What is orange blossom water

Orange blossom water (also sometimes known as orange flower water) is an essence created from the flowers of orange trees. It has a slightly bitter orange flavor and a little goes a long way.

Where can I buy orange blossom water?

This ingredient is often found in Middle Eastern recipes and can be commonly found at Middle Eastern markets or shops, on Amazon and at local culinary store.

What can I use as a substitute?

While orange blossom water has a unique flavor that can be difficult to recreate, if you can't get your hands on any, finely grated orange rind can be used as a close substitute.

Is orange extract the same?

No. Where orange extract is made from orange fruit, orange blossom water is made from the petals of the orange tree. Substituting orange extract for orange blossom water will not produce the same flavor.

slice bundt cake with bowl of icing nearby

How to make an orange blossom cake

Start by making your bundt cake.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with an electric handheld mixer), whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

In separate bowls, whisk together the wet ingredients (bowl #1) and dry ingredients (bowl #2).

Alternating between the wet and dry ingredients, add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Mix on low until just incorporated.

Add the wet ingredients, mixing on low until just incorporated. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into a well greased bundt pan and bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out mostly clean.

Second, glaze the cake.

In a small saucepan, cook the ingredients for the glaze (except for the powdered sugar) over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the cake from the oven and pour about half of the glaze (about a ½ cup) over the hot cake. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.

overhead shot of orange blossom glaze with ingredients

Finally, turn the cake out and decorate.

Once the cake has cooled, turn it out onto a cooling wrack. Drizzle with the remaining glaze and top with orange blossoms or other edible flowers and greenery.

photo of glaze being poured on an orange bundt cake

Expert tips

Over-mixing your batter can result in a cake that collapses after baking. To avoid this, mix your batter on low only and until the ingredients are just combined.
To keep your cake from sticking to the bundt pan, grease the pan generously. I personally prefer to use a homemade pan release that's equal parts vegetable shortening, vegetable oil and flour.
Decorating cakes with flowers: When decorating cakes with flowers, you want to make sure they're edible, clean, organic and pesticide-free. For more information, check out my post on how to safely use fresh flowers on cakes..
Storing cut cake: Once your cake is cut, you’ll want to protect the exposed cake area. The easiest way to do this is with a piece of plastic wrap or two.

Storage

This cake can be sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

overhead photo of sliced cake with plated pieces

More citrus desserts

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I regularly update these posts and feedback from wonderful readers like you help me make them better.

Recipe

Orange Blossom Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 11 reviews

This small bundt cake is sweet, tangy and perfectly moist. Topped with orange blossom water glaze.

Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 1 small bundt cake (6 cups batter) - 10 slices 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the bundt cake:

3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup oil
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp orange rind
⅓ cup milk
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

For the glaze:

¼ cup butter
⅔ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup orange juice
½ tsp orange blossom water
¼ cup powdered sugar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Whip the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
In a bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (oil, milk, vanilla, orange rind).
In another bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt).
Add half of the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture and mix on low until just incorporated.
Add the wet ingredients, again mixing on low until just incorporated.
Add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan.
Bake at 350F for about 40-45 minutes.
Combine all the ingredients for the glaze (except the powdered sugar) in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves.
With the cake still in the pan, pour half of the glaze (about ½ cup) over it.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan before removing it.
Add the powdered sugar to the remaining glaze and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Top with edible foliage like mint, parsley and jasmine or orange flowers.

Notes

Over mixing your batter can result in a cake that collapses after baking. To avoid this, mix your batter on low only and until the ingredients are just combined.
To keep your cake from sticking to the bundt pan, grease the pan generously. I personally prefer to use a homemade pan release that's equal parts vegetable shortening, vegetable oil and flour.
Decorating cakes with flowers: When decorating cakes with flowers, you want to make sure they're edible, clean, organic and pesticide-free. For more information on safe practices for decorating a cake with flowers, check out this post.
Storage: This cake can be sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storing cut cake: Once your cake is cut, you’ll want to protect the exposed cake area. The easiest way to do this is with a piece of plastic wrap or two.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 370
Sugar: 37.5g
Sodium: 188mg
Fat: 17.2g
Saturated Fat: 4.9g
Carbohydrates: 52.2g
Fiber: .5g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 62mg

Keywords: orange cake recipe, bundt cake recipe, orange blossom cake

Oh hey! You made it all the way to the bottom of this post.

Since you're still here, I wanted to share a little more with you about the woman behind the cake.

Grammy Eula was born into a coal mining family in the heart of the Midwest, the youngest of 11 children. During the second World War she worked for the Army as a civilian, which is where she met my grandfather, a wounded vet returning home from the front-lines.

What I remember most about her was her warm, caring heart, open to anyone who needed a kind ear or a shoulder to cry on. And second only to her kindness was her vibrant nature: Grammy was a keen and colorful dresser, sharp-witted and was about as good-spiritedly mischievous as they come (one year, for the retirement home Halloween party, she wore a shirt that said "manipulated" along with some skin-tight leggings and a purple wig and proceeded to walk my grandfather around on a leash with a sign that said "MY old man." Needless to say they did NOT win the retirement home costume contest... but they should have).