Orange Drizzle Cake – Easy Orange Upside Down Cake

My Orange Drizzle Cake recipe is full of fresh and fruity orange flavours combined with light and fluffy sponge cake. This fresh orange cake is full of flavour and absolutely delicious. I love this orange juice cake for a light easy-to-eat cake all year round. It’s a lovely cake for a weekend bake and is great as an afternoon tea cake too. This easy orange upside-down cake with fresh orange is so moist and above all sweet and juicy.

Summer is the season of outdoor gatherings, and what better way to celebrate the blue skies, warm days and sunny weather than with a delicious dessert!

Look no further than this mouth-watering orange drizzle cake, the perfect addition to any summer picnic. Packed with fresh citrusy flavours and a light texture, this recipe is sure to delight everyone.

Get ready to impress your family and friends with this amazing orange drizzle cake!

I’m a massive fan of lemon drizzle cakes so I was intrigued to see if I could make it with oranges. I made it an upside-down cake so the beautiful orange slices would stay in place once cooked. It also makes it easier to serve when still warm as you don’t need to wait until it’s cool to decorate.

Top Questions

Can I eat orange peel?
How do you keep a cake from getting soggy on the bottom?
Can you add fresh orange to a cake?
Can I replace the oranges with blood oranges in a cake?

Why you’ll love this orange drizzle cake recipe

This orange upside-down cake is the best cake you will make with oranges

The orange slices glisten on the cake after the drizzle is poured over. The smell is amazing and it will make everyone’s mouth water.

I love how it looked so golden and brown and I was amazed at how great it smelled. My house smelled so fresh and fruity. I think we were all waiting for it to cook so we could get a slice.

It’s a super simple cake and brilliant to make with children (but leave the hot syrup to the adults).

Making the drizzle is easy too and it’s just orange juice, icing sugar and water. Add them in a saucepan and put on a medium heat and keep stirring as it starts to thicken up.

This recipe uses real oranges to create a bright and tangy taste. It’s the perfect way to showcase the freshness of summer produce and bring some zest to your picnic spread.

Ingredients

For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.

Fresh Orange

To make the most of this fresh orange flavour, I recommend using high-quality oranges and juicing them yourself. This will ensure that you get the best possible taste and avoid any bitterness that can come from shopbought juice. You can also add some orange zest to the batter for an extra pop of citrus.

Self Raising Flour

Using self-raising flour is essential for the perfect texture of this orange drizzle cake. Self-raising flour is a combination of all-purpose flour (plain flour) and baking powder. It helps to create a light and fluffy cake by providing the necessary leavening agents.

To make your cake even more airy, it’s important to not overmix the batter. Over-mixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop, resulting in a dense and tough cake. Gently folding the sieved flour into the wet ingredients until it’s just combined ensures that your cake will be light and airy.

Caster Sugar

Caster sugar plays a crucial role in this recipe, helping to balance out the sharpness of the orange juice and zest while providing sweetness to the cake. It’s important to use the right amount to achieve the perfect flavour profile.

Unsalted Butter

While it may be tempting to use regular salted butter, it can affect the overall taste and texture of your orange drizzle cake. Using unsalted butter allows you to have greater control over the salt content in your recipe, ensuring that it is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the caster sugar.

Eggs

For this recipe, we will be using medium-sized eggs. For the best results use room temperature eggs. Make sure to crack each egg into a bowl before adding it to the batter. This ensures that you can easily remove any shells.

To check of the eggs are still usable add the eggs into a bowl of water. If they sink they are fine to use. If they float the have gone off and should be thrown away.

Orange Upside Down Cake Recipe

Orange upside down cake is so easy to make. Take thin slices of orange and place at the bottom of a prepared cake tin (make sure there is greaseproof paper on the bottom). Then add the cake mix over the top. Give the tin a tap on the work top to remove air bubbles and bake. Leave the cake in the tin until cool. Turn out and add the drizzle over the top. It will be ready to eat!

How to make orange drizzle cake – step by step

For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.

I love this orange upside down cake recipe. It’s so easy to do. I love it. You simply add a piece of greaseproof paper to the bottom of a cake tin. This will help the oranges stay connected to the cake and not get stuck to the base of the tin.

From there thinly slice an orange and place the slices on the base without overlapping. If they are overlapped there is a risk of them not all sticking to the cake. This wouldn’t be terrible but it wouldn’t look as nice as the cake below. When you add the cake mix over the top of the orange slices be gentle so they don’t move too much.

Bake as normal. Then when baked and you turn the cake over and remove the greaseproof paper off the golden orange cake will be revealed. It’s gorgeous. then while it’s still warm you add the juicy sugar and orange juice drizzle. I adore this orange upside-down cake.

Top Tips

Use room temperature ingredients: This is one of the most important steps in baking a cake. If your ingredients are too cold, they won’t mix well together and will result in a lumpy batter. Leave your butter and eggs out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before starting for best results.

Don’t overmix the batter: While it’s important to mix the ingredients thoroughly, be careful not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can result in a tough and dense cake. Once you’ve added the dry ingredients, mix until they are just combined.

Use fresh orange juice and zest: The orange zest gives this cake its wonderful citrus flavour. Be sure to use fresh oranges and grate the zest just before adding it to the batter. The oils in the zest can start to dry out if left sitting out for too long.

Serving Suggestions for orange drizzle cake

Enjoy a slice of orange upside down cake with a cup of tea or I can confirm that a glass of prosecco also works really well with this cake.

Consider whipping up some homemade whipped cream to dollop on top. The fluffy creaminess of the whipped cream will pair perfectly with the tangy orange flavour of the cake.

For a more indulgent option, you could also serve the orange upside down cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cold and creamy texture of the ice cream will balance out the warm and juicy flavours of the cake.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can even try serving the cake with a side of grilled peaches. The sweetness of the peaches will complement the citrusy notes of the cake, creating a perfectly balanced dessert. Serve with vanilla ice cream and a sprig of fresh thyme.

Orange cake recipe with orange juice

Making a delicious cake with orange is easy and gives great results. I used the juice of one orange for this cake and it gave a beautiful cake. I used fresh oranges but if you don’t have fresh oranges to use, orange juice in a carton will still work really well.

Fresh orange cake

For this orange upside down cake, I use fresh oranges and freshly squeezed orange juice. You can use ready to go orange juice if you want but nothing can beat the flavour of freshly squeezed. I really think using freshly squeezed orange juice with bits/ pulp adds something so much more tastier to this orange cake.

Fresh orange cake is easy to make, quick bake and ready to serve once it’s cooled down a little. Your house will also smell amazing it’s cooking. Plus if you squeeze a little fresh orange juice you can enjoy a lovely cup of orange juice to go with it.

Equipment

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• 8 inch cake tin
• Mixing bowl
• Kitchen scales

Orange Drizzle Cake – Substitutions and Variations

Grapefruit cake

You can replace the orange juice and zest with lemon or grapefruit for a tangy twist.

Dried fruit or nuts

You can also add some chopped nuts or dried fruit to the batter to give it some extra texture and flavor.

Chocolate orange drizzle cake

Want to make this super special? Add chocolate chips to the mix that you pour over the oranges to create a chocolate orange drizzle cake. It tastes incredible and makes a very fruity cake a little more naughty.

Terry’s Chocolate Orange iconic flavour can be made even better by carefully chopping up pieces of chocolate orange to add in. Break up a chocolate orange and chop up into chocolate chips and stir in after the flour.

Lemon and orange drizzle cake

If you want to make this even more delicious try adding a mix of lemon and orange. Lemon and orange drizzle cake adds even more a citrus and zesty flavour. Divide the amounts in the recipe equally between the orange and lemons. I would suggest to make it slightly more orangey than lemony as sometimes the lemon can take over flavour wise but half and half seems a good starting place.

Storing / Making ahead of time options

Store in the Fridge

f you’re planning a summer picnic, it’s important to prep as much as you can ahead of time so that you can enjoy the day without worrying about food prep. Luckily, this Orange Drizzle Cake is perfect for making ahead. Once it’s cooled completely, you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Freeze ahead of time

If you want to make it even further in advance, you can bake the cake up to a month ahead of time and freeze it. To do this, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then again in foil, and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve it, simply let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

FAQS

Can I eat orange peel?

Yes you can eat orange peel. They aren’t as sweet as the orange but as they are thin pieces they are fine to eat.

I really love how the orange looks on the orange upside down cake when it has just been turned out of the tin. Any cake that doesn’t need a lot of extra decorating is a good one in my book.

How do you keep a cake from getting soggy on the bottom?

Cook the orange upside down cake for the time listed in the recipe below. Use a cake tester to check the cake is cooked the whole way through.

Once cooked, make sure your cake is completely cooled before you store it. If there is any residual heat, it can create condensation and make the cake soggy

Can you add fresh orange to a cake?

Yes you can add fresh orange to a cake. In fact, adding fresh orange to your cake can elevate its flavour profile and make it even more delicious. Add some grated orange zest for an extra burst of citrusy goodness

Can I replace the oranges with blood oranges in a cake?

Yes you can replace the oranges in this orange drizzle cake recipe with blood oranges. It will add a richer flavour but also that beautiful red colour too.

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This citrusy orange drizzle cake is the perfect addition to any summer picnic. Its refreshing taste and easy transportability make it a go-to dessert for any outdoor gathering.

With its simple ingredients and straightforward instructions, this recipe is perfect for both novice and experienced bakers. Whether you’re serving it with a dollop of whipped cream or enjoying it on its own, this cake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. So, why not give it a try?

Recipe

Orange Drizzle Cake

Sisley White

My Orange Drizzle Cake recipe is full of fresh and fruity orange flavours combined with light and fluffy sponge cake. This fresh orange cake is full of flavour and absolutely delicious. I love this orange juice cake for a light easy-to-eat cake all year round. It's a lovely cake for a weekend bake and is great as an afternoon tea cake too. This easy orange upside-down cake with fresh orange is so moist and above all sweet and juicy.

5 from 18 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Bakes, Cakes, Dessert

Cuisine British, English

Servings 12 slices

Calories 285 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 200 g self-raising flour
• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 g unsalted butter
• 3 medium eggs
• 3 oranges
• 4 tbsp icing sugar / confectioners sugar
• water

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan). 
• Grease and line an 8 inch cake tin with greaseproof paper.
• Thinly slice the oranges and lay them in the bottle of the cake tin so they don’t overlap. 
• Cream the sugar and butter together in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
• Mix in each egg one at a time. 
• Sift in the flour and mix until smooth.
• Add the zest and juice of 1 orange to the mixture and mix well.
• Spoon the batter into the cake tin being careful not to move the oranges.
• Bake for 30-45 minutes. The cake should be golden on the outside and the skewer should come out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the drizzle. It might take up to an hour depending on your oven just keep an eye on it.
• In a small pan, mix the juice of 1 orange with the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of water.
• Warm on a medium heat and keep stirring as the liquid turns into a syrup.
• Using a knife loosen the cake from the edges of the tin. Place a plate on the cake tin and turn it over to release the cake and show the orange slices on top.  Poke holes all over the sponge with a skewer just over half way down. 
• Take the syrup off the heat (careful, it’s hot!) and pour all over the cooling sponge.
• Leave for a few minutes for the drizzle to sink in. Best served when it is still warm.
  

Notes

•Keep stored in an air tight container and it will last for about 3 days.

•Store in cool place but not in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 18mgPotassium: 96mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 550IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 0.4mg

Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Keyword Blueberry and Orange Waffles, cake, orange cake, Orange cake recipes, orange juice cake, orange upside down cake

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Originally posted 2019. Updated 2023