Vegan Orange Cake made in 1 Bowl and just 8 ingredients! Easy Moist Citrusy Vegan Cake. Soyfree Palm-Oil-free Recipe.
Weekend calls for some cake sitting on the counter. And this citrusy 1 bowl orange cake makes it very easy to have some around. Esp when glazed with some boozy marmalade glaze! Right?
We end up with a bottle of orange juice or a orange something mix juice every now and then. Hubbs gets some, drinks it a few times and forgets about it. Sometimes he gets it just because there should be something to drink for visitors. And I tell him, we always have water or I can make lemonade. Why get the whole juice bottle, esp when both of us don’t really like it and since packaged juice is just.. that, packaged and questionable. I was brought up in the Orange city in India(yes there is such a city!). Those juicy sweet fresh oranges now appear only in my dreams. The juice from those oranges, so fresh and sweet, also in my dreams. After decades of trying many different options, the sour juice just doesn’t cut it for me. So anywho, I use up the leftover orange juice in this cake. 1 bowl, easy, 8 main ingredients, 2 tbsp oil, vegan orange cake! What do you do with excess juice?
I generally use carton orange juice and the juice varies between brands, types and hence the flavor in the cake. For stronger orange flavor, add zest of an orange to the batter or use orange marmalade frosting. This cake is like a basic sponge cake that needs a moist and flavorful frosting or glaze to make it shine. For more moisture in the cake, add a bit more oil to the batter.
More Cakes from the blog.
- Cream Cheese Marble Pound Cake
- Basic Vegan Yellow Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Marble Cake
- Soy-free Mini Pound cake
- Vegan Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate PB Ganache
- Gingerbread Cake
One Bowl Vegan Orange Cake
Ingredients
Dry:
- 1 cup (120 g) whole wheat pastry flour or use Spelt flour
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) unbleached white flour or all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp starch like corn or arrowroot
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar I powder raw sugar and use, Add 2 to 4 tbsp more for sweeter.
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) baking soda
- a generous pinch of salt
Wet:
- 1 cup (248 ml) orange juice
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180ºc. Line a 8 or 9 inch cake pan with parchment, or grease well and dust with flour.
- In a bowl whisk all the dry ingredients until combined well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl and mix until smooth. Pour the batter in the prepared cake pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or a toothpick from near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before slicing.
- Add frosting of choice like vegan cream cheese frosting, or with whipped coconut cream and fruit, or make a boozy marmalade glaze.
- For the boozy glaze: Mix a tbsp of liquor in a 1/4 cup of orange or apricot marmalade or preserves of choice. Heat for a few minutes until bubbling. Use as glaze or serve with each slice.
- For a regular glaze: Use a tbsp orange juice mixed with the marmalade, or mix 2 to 3 tbsp orange juice with a 1/3 cup or more powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Watch this week: Kidnapped at Birth – “I was taken from my mother at birth. I’m trying to remember her. This is my story.”
A beautiful poem by a British Farmer turned vegan.
A list of Meat and Dairy farmers who went vegan and became vegan activists.
T
Hi, can I use almond flour instead of while wheat flour?
Richa
Yes, you might need more flour
Sherri
This is the BEST orange cake EVER! Don’t even look any further. This is it! Thank you for this lovely, moist, deliciously orangy and fluffy cake.
Vegan Richa Support
thanks!
Janet
Excellent!
I made it using mandarins instead of oranges, and coconut sugar instead of the standard powdered one. I also made it an upside down thing with caramelised mandarins on the top and dark chocolate chunks in the batter. All highly approved by my housemates!
Vegan Richa Support
love those upside down things for sure
Catherine
I’ve made this recipe a number of times as a loaf cake and usually add orange zest, orange extract, and cinnamon. It’s so quick and easy especially if I use vegan shop bought frosting (currently white chocolate and orange). I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
yum!
sab
can i use oat flour instead?
Vegan Richa Support
You cannot. out flour is gluten-free and needs way more moisture Then regular flour. So a direct sub doesn’t work
Ismini
Veganricha’s recipes are always spot on.This cake was moist and fluffy. Beautiful. I added poppy seeds snd orange zest. Thank you so much!
I made vegan cream cheese topping with orange zest and a little orange and lemon juice.
Vegan Richa Support
sounds perfect
Lavina
What is replacement of corn starxh or arrow root? I don’t have either of these. Also, whats the need for corn starch in cake?
Cindy
I just made this last night and it’s great. Don’t be afraid to substitute for another flour if you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour. I used all whole wheat flour and it turned out very well (not dense at all). I added grated zest of an orange and used the recipe for the “boozy glaze” to top it (once cooled). So good with tea! Thanks for an easy, delicious recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
good to know – thank you
Nandita B
Can I use only wheat flour ?
Vegan Richa Support
yes
Florence
Any oil free option?
Vegan Richa Support
Just omit the oil and add 1 tbsp more orange juice
Talia Briski
Looks great – would buckwheat flour work ?
Milica
Could I sub oil for applesauce or almond butter?
Richa
Just omit the oil. Applesauce will be too moist for the cake and nut butter will add too much flavor. Just omit the oil and add 1 tbsp more orange juice
Erin
If I want to make this without sugar but using honey, how should I adjust the recipe?
Vegan Richa Support
you can use maple, same amount as sugar and reduce Oj by same amount
Maya
This cake turned out absolutely amazing! Because there aren’t many ingredients it came out super light and fluffy (just an excuse for true fact that I ate 1/4 of it in one sitting perhaps).
I added another 2 tbsp of coconut oil and 1-2tbsp of orange juice and 1.5 tbsp of orange peel (didn’t have enough orange flavor for me without it) to make sure it wouldn’t be dry.
It was a little sticky when it came out and I probably could’ve baked it for another 5 or so minutes.
I plan on making it again! Hopefully with poppy seeds 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
yay! thanks
Tascha
Very nice 😊
I made muffins from the batter, yielded 11 for me.
Also made several changes:
Erythritol in place of sugar, whole pureed oranges with some cest, 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 vegan protein powder instead of the flour.
Turned out wonderful so I’m sure the original recipe will be even better! Thanks for sharing with us 😁
Vegan Richa Support
good to know. thank you!
Veronika
Hey Richa,
Do you think it would be great with matcha frosting?
If not, which of your cakes would you recommend with matcha frosting?
Thank you for your time
Sue
Made this today and it came out perfect! Perfectly moist, light, and fluffy. Used light spelt flour (Hockey Valley), arrowroot powder, fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest.
What an easy and beautiful cake! Thank you for this recipe!!
Ceinwen
I just made this with all purpose I bleached flour and only 1 tbsp olive oil. I made it in an 8.5” loaf pan and baked for 40 mins. I also added a little orange zest. It was amazing. My husband ate the whole thing!!
Vegan Richa Support
Fabulous !! thanks
Karolina
Great recipe, thank you!
I didn’t need a vegan cake but egg free so i just swapped oil for 4 tbsp of melted butter. All other ingredients I followed your instructions and measurements. I juiced 3 premium oranges and kept any bits in it. Also added zest from one of them into the batter. My cake turned moist, fluffy and unlike some eggless sponges -didn’t flop! I used 8’ springform. The only thing I will change next time is the amount of sugar, will increase to maybe 120g or a bit more, as I had that floury aftertaste.
Amal BIGGERS
We loove this cake. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Cheryl Cross
I Love this recipe. I cut it into 8 servings and freeze so I don’t eat the whole thing in a day! Keeps very well. I love adding the boozy marmalade. I use a spoon of marmalade and a splash of brandy in the microwave for 15 seconds for a heavenly glaze and warmth. I’ve also melted the marmalade with a square of dark chocolate. Perfect cake for a solo baker.
So many wonderful recipes, thank you Veganricha.
Nicole
Mine is extremely dense and did not rise much at all, even though I added the amount of baking powder indicated. I’m so disappointed!
Richa
The baking powder might be old. If the baking powder doesn’t do it’s job then it will be dense. Did it rise during baking and then fall? That would mean too much moisture or it needed more flour. Flours can absorb moisture differently so batter has to be adjusted. What was the consistency of the batter?
Neerali Parag
Hi Richa
Thank you for this super simple quick recipe. I made this with my 5 year old today with Whole wheat flour and self raising flour. It was slightly damp in the middle, and not as spongy as yours looks in the pics, should I have still added a bit of Baking powder to the self raising?
Kendra
Hi Richa, I made this cake with success and my family finished in seconds!I have googled all over eggless recipes but all using 1/2 cup oil. That is so much fat. Seldom I see using only 2 tbsp of oil in an eggless cake which works. I am so lucky to find yours. Hope you can create more low fat eggless cake recipes!
Vegan Richa Support
excellent!
Auj
Hi, is there something I could use instead of the vinegar, like lemon juice? Or could I omit the vinegar completely?
Vegan Richa Support
lemon juice would add to the lovely citrus tang – just double the amount
Vegan Richa Support
sure lemon juice works just use double the amount you would have used for the vinegar
Suthi
I used self-raising flour and omitted the baking soda but the cake did not rise. What did I do wrong? Thanks.
Richa
sometimes the the leavening in the flour gets old and that might cause it to not be enough. this also happens if baking powder is too old, suddenly the cakes wont rise much or rise at all as the baking powder is too old to sustain enough leavening
Sb
Best way to store this? For serving in a day or two…also does it freeze well with glaze?
Came out yummy! Substituted white spelt flour for all the flour and coconut sugar for the sugar.
Richa
refrigerate. havent tried freezing
Amal Biggers
I cooled the cake and cut it in small pieces. I froze the pieces on parchment paper. Once frozen, I pit them in a gallon ziplock bag. Perfect.
Zou
Can I use this recipe to make orange muffins in a 12 cup muffin pan? Thanks!
Richa
yes
Michele
Delicious! Made for dad’s birthday cake and he says Don’t lose that recipe!!! Thanks 😊
Richa
yay!
serena
Hi! In my usual recipe, I use around 80ml of oil, how comes you use such a small amount of oil with this!? What is the science behind it? Thanks!
Richa
more oil will give you a more moist and decadent result. But its not necessary to make a good cake. A bit is enough for texture, flavor and moisture
Summer
Hello, Happy Holidays! A couple of questions if you don’t mind. Can I make this the day before it is needed? Can I use regular WW flour but not pastry with the white? And the recipe says 4 servings so I would like to double it, would cooking in two pans be better or should I do two separate recipes instead of doubling ingredients? Thank you so much!
Richa
Yes, use whole wheat flour with the allpurpose flour. You can double the recipe, you will need to a add abit more flour so the mixture is not too thin. and yes you an make it a day before
Simcha
I’m excited to try this. I recently made your pumpkin bread and it was delicious. My 4 year old and 3 year old also devoured it. I love how your recipes are so healthy and low fat (as cakes go anyway). And that your serving sizes are so realistic! I get so annoyed when the serving is 1/12…as if I’m really only going to eat a little sliver, hah!
Carla Thomson
My first attempt at vegan baking – so easy to make and came out so well. Delicious with some vanilla bean coconut yoghurt 😀
Richa
awesome!
Ailen
It’s in the oven at the moment, for those who decided to use only white flour, i had to put double the amount uf orange juice, it was way to dry, lets see what happens i hope it comes out good.
Roni
Hi Richa I have 9′ on 5′ rectangle bake pan (it is not a real cake pan), do I need to change sth in the recipe? Or the 9′ cake pan is a must?
looks so delicious i want to make it for my son’s birthday tomorrow!
Richa
sorry for the late response. yes the 9 by 5 will work
Mercedes
This turned out perfectly! Great recipe, have shared it with family and friends. I added poppyseeds to make it into an orange poppyseed loaf. Very moist and delicious.
Richa
awesome!
Yogi
Any advice for using gluten free flour?
Richa
use my gf blend from here (in the notes) https://www.veganricha.com/2018/08/vegan-coffee-cake-recipe.html
BunnicusRex
It’s in the oven now, preliminary rating of 5🌟s because the batter was delish & literally every recipe I’ve made from you has been divine.
But for the question of what to do with extra OJ, especially when it’s prepackaged or frozen?
Drinks! Mimosas (extra-orangey mimosas if you have frozen concentrate don’t bother with water before adding to the champagne), screwdrivers, tequila sunrises, or Madras cocktails – with apologies to the actual city of Madras, especially if crappy OJ. Otherwise, blending with vegan vanilla ice cream for a “creamsicle shake” yummmm 🍹❤️
BunnicusRex
Update: turned out amazing! Used the extra-oil option for a moist-er cake, a bit more booze than required (because yum), and 100% “white whole wheat” flour since that’s what we had… but basically stuck to the recipe. Another fantastic success we’ll def make again.
Thanks! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Richa
awesome, thanks!
Himabindu
My husband loves orange poppy seed cake and want to bake him one for his birthday. Can I just add the poppy seeds to the mix?
Richa
yes, add poppy seeds to the batter
Himabindu
Thanks for the recipe. The cake turned out absolutely yum!! Added some orange buttercream frosting to it and hubby loved it. He even took some to work and they couldn’t believe it was homemade.
akriti sharma
Hi! I weighed my all ingredients. But my cake came out sticky and I could squeeze it in a ball. It kept sticking in my mouth. What am I doing wrong?
Richa
what flour were you using, what was the consistency of the batter before baking?
If the batter was too flowy then it probably needed more flour. Or it needed extra baking time. Was it gummy in the middle or all over?
Flours can absorb liquid differently, so you might need to add a bit more depending on that.
akriti sharma
Is it okay if I use all purpose flour only?
Richa
yes
Brin
Looks so tasty!
I only have a 10 1/2 inch pan… Should I use the same temperature and time?
I would love to make the cake!
Richa
it will prob need 5 mins less time