Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (2024)

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By Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

4.34 from 6 votes

Mar 06, 2015, Updated Feb 20, 2024

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This Portuguese Orange Cake is moist and fragrant, with the most alluring bright orange flavour.

Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (2)

Table of Contents

  • This Portuguese Orange Cake recipe is authentic.
  • Portuguese Orange Cake is moist and fragrant, with the most alluring bright flavour.
  • Other Citrusy Desserts You’ll Love
  • Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe

This Portuguese Orange Cake recipe is authentic.

It was shared with my by my friend Cherie who is married to a Portuguese man with a major penchant for the orange cake of his country. I realize it hasn’t even been a week since I posted a Lemon Pound Cake recipe, but I don’t often hearanyone complain about too much cake.

Cherie bakes it regularly and it’s a treat I look forward to when I pop by for play dates – our sons were born on the same day in the same hospital!

Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (3)

Portuguese Orange Cake is moist and fragrant, with the most alluring bright flavour.

Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (4)

It leans slightly more toward bitterness than the tartness you might expect from citrus desserts – this is owing to the lashings of zest beaten into the batter. Don’t worry, it’s not bitter-bitter, just enough to be intriguing.

It’s a sponge cake of sorts, with egg whites folded in at the last minute to lighten the batter, but with more moisture than the airy sponge cakes you may have had. Both the zest and juice of three oranges are involved, so it is wonderfully orange-y.

Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (5)

Make sure to bring all of your ingredients to room temperature before you bake – cold eggs or oranges will cause the butter to seize up.

Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (6)
Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (7)

Serve with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, a fluffy dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of softened vanilla ice cream. Leftovers freeze well!

Other Citrusy Desserts You’ll Love

  • This moist Blood Orange Cake with pretty blood orange glaze.
  • A wonderful Portuguese Orange Cake recipe – very delicious.
  • This Lemon Curd Cake is definitely a must-try for citrus lovers.
  • Lemon Curd Cookies can’t be missed either.
  • Love citrus, love chocolate? This Chocolate Orange Cake is for you.
  • This Cranberry Lemon Cake is a long-standing favorite.

Of course, can’t forget this recipe for orange pound cake with orange glaze, baked in a pretty bundt pan.

Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (8)

4.34 from 6 votes

Portuguese Orange Cake

By: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

This from scratch, yet simple, Portuguese orange cake recipe is moist and fragrant, with the most unreal bright orange flavour. It’s definitely one of the best cake recipes I’ve got. Similar texture to a sponge cake, but with more moisture than even the best airy cakes you may have had. Both the zest and juice of three oranges are involved, so it is wonderfully orange-y and citrus-y.

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 9

Ingredients

  • cup 150 grams butter, softened
  • 1 ¼ cups 250 grams granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs separated, room temperature
  • 3 large oranges room temperature
  • 2 cups 9 oz/250 grams all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease an 8×8″ baking dish or line with parchment paper.

  • Beat butter and sugar on medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each. With mixer on low speed, add the zest and juice from all three oranges. The mixture will appear curdled at first – that’s ok. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until it comes together, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

  • In a separate bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. With mixer speed on low, gradually beat into the butter mixture until just incorporated.

  • In another bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the cake batter to lighten it up, then gently fold in the rest. (Use a light hand so you don’t deflate the whites.) Scrape batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until top feels springy when gently pressed and tester inserted in centre comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 631IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried thie recipe? Leave a comment!

Portuguese Orange Cake Recipe | Foodess.com (2024)

FAQs

Where does orange cake come from? ›

Sephardic Jews popularized citrus cultivation in the Mediterranean region in the 15th century and popularized the use of orange in baked goods. In addition to its Iberian flavors, the cake also has North African and Spanish roots.

Why is it called Devil cake? ›

There are a few theories as to how it got its name. One, it's the decadent counterpart to angel food cake. Two, it's sinfully delicious. Finally, devil's food cake came about during a time when food that was spicy, rich, or dark was described as deviled, like deviled ham and deviled eggs.

Why is my orange cake dry? ›

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard. For best results, I would encourage you to use a scale when baking, but if you don't have a scale, then just make sure you're using measuring cups correctly.

Can you use lemon juice instead of lemon zest in a cake? ›

Lemon juice carries the same flavor as lemon zest, but it's more acidic, so you might want to add a pinch of sugar to balance out the tartness. That said, the lemon flavor is not as concentrated as lemon zest, so you'll want to keep this formula handy: 1 teaspoon of lemon zest = 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Can I use orange juice instead of milk in a cake? ›

Any liquid can be substituted for the milk in a recipe with a 1:1 ratio. Choose the best liquid for your recipe: Is your recipe sweet or savory? You may choose between a fruit juice, water or broth, depending on if your recipe's flavors.

Can I use orange extract instead of orange zest? ›

Part of a video titled How to Substitute Orange Extract for Orange Peel - YouTube
0:08
0:49
And a set of measuring spoons orange extract is an easy substitute. And a good thing to have on handMoreAnd a set of measuring spoons orange extract is an easy substitute. And a good thing to have on hand orange extract is made from pure orange. Oil choose a 100% pure natural orange extract replace one

What lineage is orange layer cake? ›

Orange Layer Cake solod under Potluck is a Sativa strain with lineage that is derived from the Mimosa strain. Orange Layer Cake has a strong aroma and flavor that reminds you of its namesake-with notes of fruit and citrus flavors bursting through.

What ethnicity is fruit cake? ›

You may know that fruitcake has roots in England, but that's not where it originated. It has been around since ancient Roman times, where it was made of a mix of pine nuts, barley mash, pomegranate seeds, raisins, and honeyed wine.

What ethnicity is carrot cake? ›

Carrot cake
A slice of carrot cake with frosting
Typesheet cake, layer cake, cupcake
Place of originDisputed; either England, France, Switzerland or Denmark
Region or stateWestern Europe
Main ingredientsFlour, eggs, sugar, carrots, and baking powder
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