This orange bundt cake is moist, flavorful, and loaded with citrus flavor, raisins, and walnuts. The orange glaze is delicious but totally optional. You can also embellish the cake with some dehydrated oranges.
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This orange cake is a staple in most Assyrian homes. Anytime you enter an Assyrian home, you are greeted with warm hospitality, tea, and a slice of homemade Orange Bundt Cake!
Whenever I make this recipe, I am instantly transformed into mom's kitchen, so you know this recipe is near and dear to my heart! If you grew up eating your mom's version of this Assyrian classic, I hope it does the same for you!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This orange bundt cake is easy to make and absolutely delicious!
- If you have leftovers, the cake freezes well!
- This Assyrian orange cake goes great with tea, coffee, or as a quick breakfast option when you're not too hungry.
🔖 Ingredient & Substitutions
- Orange: I recommend using fresh orange juice in this cake recipe. Especially since you will need orange zest to mix in the batter and in the glaze.
- Apple Sauce: I recently added applesauce to this recipe after my husband complained that the cake wasn't moist enough. I chose to add applesauce instead of more butter, and so glad I did. It did the trick without the added fat.
- Orange Glaze: The orange glaze is listed as optional, but I highly recommend trying it! It really intensifies the orange flavor. Or try this orange syrup instead!
- Vanilla extract: You'll need vanilla extract, or you may substitute lemon or orange extract.
*See recipe card for complete list of ingredients.
🍊 How to Make An Orange Bundt Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F
Step 1: Generously grease a bundt cake pan with butter or cooking spray, then dust with flour.
Step 2: Cream room temperature butter with the paddle attachment on medium speed, then mix in sugar. Beat until blended.
Step 3: Whisk eggs, then add to the mixing bowl along with milk, apple sauce, vanilla, 3 tablespoons of orange juice, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Beat on medium to high speed until blended.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Add orange zest (set a few teaspoons aside if you plan on making an orange glaze).
Step 5: Pour half of the flour mixture into the mixer and stir on low speed until incorporated. Stir walnuts and raisins into the remaining flour to coat. Pour the remaining flour into the mixer and beat just until blended.
Step 6: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Step 7: Cool the cake in the pan for approximately 10 minutes. To un-mold, place a large, flat plate or wire rack over the pan and flip the cake over. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Prepare Orange Glaze (optional)
To make the orange glaze, mix powdered sugar with the remaining orange zest and approximately 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the warm cake.
You may also want to check out this yummy peach cobbler pound cake or this Egg Yolk Bundt Cake. Another scrumptious option is this Mile High Pound Cake!
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you don't have oranges, you can use tangelos or tangerines.
- Lemon zest can also be added to the batter.
- Mixing the walnuts and raisins in the flour first will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake once it's cooked, so don't skip this step!
- The glaze is perfect for "gluing" pieces of the orange cake back on if they stick to the pan after unmolding the cake. It's also great for hiding imperfections.
- Store the cake on the counter for a few days, then store it in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before storing it in the freezer.
🥮 More Orange Recipes!
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Generously grease a bundt cake pan with butter or cooking spray, then dust with flour.
- Cream room temperature butter with the paddle attachment on medium speed, then mix in sugar. Beat until blended.
- Whisk eggs then add to the mixing bowl along with milk, apple sauce, vanilla, 3 tablespoons of orange juice, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Beat on medium to high speed until blended.
- In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Add orange zest (set a few teaspoons aside if you plan on making an orange glaze).
- Pour half of the flour mixture into the mixer and stir on low speed until incorporated. Stir walnuts and raisins into the remaining flour to coat. Pour the remaining flour into the mixer and beat just until blended.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for approximately 10 minutes. To un-mold, place a large, flat plate or wire rack over the pan and flip the cake over. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
- To make the orange glaze, mix powdered sugar with the remaining orange zest and approximately 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the warm cake.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you don't have oranges, you can use tangelos or tangerines.
- Lemon zest can also be added to the batter.
- Mixing the walnuts and raisins in the flour first will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake once it's cooked, so don't skip this step!
- The glaze is perfect for "gluing" pieces of the orange cake back on if they stick to the pan after unmolding the cake. It's also great for hiding imperfections.
- Store cake on the counter for a few days, then store in the refrigerator.
- To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, before storing in the freezer.
Shant says
Hi Hilda,
I'm planning to make this Orange Bundt cake for my parents this New Year. They are Armenians who originally grew up in Iraq, now living in London, UK. I thought it would be a nice treat to try and make this for them!
I just wasn't too sure about how much of the Applesauce you mentioned in the recipe to add? In the "ingredients" section, it says "1 4 oz applesauce"? I'm not sure if that is supposed to be 14 oz, 1 x 4 oz, or 1/4 oz of applesauce. Would be appreciated if you can confirm/clarify.
Many thanks
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Shant, What a sweet thing to do for your parents! I'm sure they'll love it. As for your question you need 4 ounces of apple sauce. I always hope that that type of info doesn't confuse people, it's hard to make it clear in the recipe card. The visual (ingredients pic) towards the top of the page is supposed to help but I know most people hit the jump to the recipe button 🤦♀️. Good luck and I'd love to know what they think!
Katrina says
Hello Hilda,
I’m Armenian from Iran and I have been searching for this recipe for a long time. It’s a classic recipe that reminds me of the cakes from my childhood. Thank you for the work you did in putting this recipe together. It was Devine! God bless and take safe.
HildaSterner says
Hi Katrina,
Nice to meet you! Armenians and Assyrians seem to have so much in common. I remember growing up in Iraq, my mother had many Armenian friends. Many of them were able to speak Assyrian too. I'm so glad you liked the recipe and that it brought back some fond childhood memories. God bless & stay safe!
Pramane Younathan says
Oh my God Hilda! This cake is amazing! Just made it tonight and it is delicious! This is my first time making this and your directions were perfect. My husband wanted me to tell you when he ate it it reminded him of home, which is Iraq.
HildaSterner says
Hi Pramene,
Haha, so glad you both like it. I think this cake is so dangerous. When I bake it, I can't stop eating it 😬. For this reason, I only make it a few times a year... but I LOVE it!