Easy Orange Cake Recipe With Glaze
This Easy Orange Cake is a moist, citrus-packed Bundt cake that brings a bright pop of sunshine to any dessert table. Combining an orange cake mix with apricot nectar helps this heirloom recipe achieve a velvety texture and an irresistible orange flavor so that every bite is moist, flavorful, and fruity!
A Slice of Summer Sunshine
This orange cake recipe is one of my Grandmother Lucy’s favorite cakes, so she often has it sitting under a dome on her counter whenever folks come to visit. It is very moist with an irresistible orange flavor, just the right thing for a hot summer’s day or a picnic.
I love that this orange bundt cake is incredibly easy to make. All you need is an orange cake mix, as well as fruit nectar, oil, sugar, and eggs. Mix the ingredients together, pour them into a bundt pan, and then it’s time to bake. That’s it! I love pairing my orange cake with an easy glaze. However, you could also simply sprinkle on some icing sugar before serving or serve with some fresh .
If you’ve never had orange cake before, you’re in for a treat. If you have had it before, you’re probably making out your grocery list now. While you’re at it, you might want to snag the ingredients for my Bakery-Style Strawberry Bread with Glaze!
Recipe Ingredients
- Orange supreme cake mix
- Apricot nectar
- Oil (I like )
- Sugar
- Eggs
Tips for the Perfect Orange Bundt Cake
- The Cake Mix Secret: Many modern cake mixes have shrunk in size. To keep this old-fashioned recipe from sinking in the middle, I recommend adding an extra 1/2 cup of dry mix from a second box.
- Prevent the Stick: Bundt pans can be finicky. Use a good cooking spray, or better yet, grease and flour every nook and cranny of that fluted mold so your cake slides out like a dream.
- Nectar Substitutions: Can’t find apricot nectar? Mango nectar is a fantastic backup. If you’re feeling adventurous, try strawberry banana nectar with a strawberry cake mix for a fun twist!
- Glaze Consistency: Add your milk to the powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time. You want it thick enough to slowly drizzle down the sides without running right off the cake.
How to Make Grandmother Lucy’s Orange Cake
1. Mix the Batter
Preheat your oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, apricot nectar, oil, sugar, and eggs. Use an electric mixer to beat the ingredients until the batter is smooth and well combined.
2. Prep the Pan
Grease your Bundt pan (or “fluted mold” if you’re being fancy) thoroughly. Pour the vibrant orange batter into the pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
3. Bake Until Golden
Bake for exactly one hour. Your kitchen is going to smell heavenly! Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes (this is crucial for helping it release) before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Whip Up the Glaze
While the cake cools, whisk together your confectioner’s sugar, softened butter, and milk. If you want an extra citrus kick, swap the milk for a tablespoon of fresh orange juice.
Cut all of that together with a fork and add a wee bit more milk. Add the milk just a tablespoon or so at a time because we want this to be the consistency of glue, and it can get too thin really fast. You should also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or butter flavoring, too.
5. Drizzle and Serve
Once the cake is cool to the touch, drizzle that thick glaze over the top. For a beautiful finish, garnish with a bit of fresh orange zest or decorative orange slices.
And serve to those you love, who love cakes bursting with . Enjoy!
Storage
You can store leftover cake in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cake (without glaze) for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and bring to room temperature before serving and glazing.
Mix It Up With Recipe Variations
If you want to swap the Bundt pan for something else or add a little personal touch, try these simple twists!
- Change the Pan: You can bake this as two loaf pans (40–50 mins), 24 muffins (20–25 mins), or two round cake layers (25–30 mins).
- Fruit & Crunch: Fold in a cup of sugared cranberries or finely chopped walnuts for extra texture.
- Warm Spice: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter for a cozy, spiced citrus flavor.
- Chocolate Twist: Stir in mini chocolate chips or a swirl of cocoa powder to create a delicious chocolate-orange marble cake.
You may also enjoy these other cake recipes:
- Grandmama’s Coconut Cake With No-Fail Seven Minute Frosting
- Phenomenal Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake
- S’mores Poke Cake
- Pumpkin Praline Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 box orange supreme cake mix see note
- 1 cup apricot nectar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Place all cake ingredients in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Pour into a well-greased Bundt pan.
- Bake at 325°F for 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping onto a rack.
- Whisk glaze ingredients together until they reach a thick, glue-like consistency.
- Drizzle over the cooled cake and serve.
I made this tonight but I messed up a little… I used the whole can of mango nectar. My family loved the first piece but wasn’t so thrilled about the second piece… that might have been why. I will definitly try again! Maybe that lemon or strawberry idea… it was yum~~
Christy — just wondering if you knew when your cooking with Paula Deen segment will air — or have I missed it?
I also grew up with the lemon version. In fact, I think my mom grew up with it also. The recipe used to be on the Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme box, but not anymore. You have to go on-line to find it. It took the cake mix and instant lemon pudding, eggs, oil, etc. The glaze was only confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice. Very tart and yummy. Great for summer cook-outs.
Update: My first cake was delicious, but a little too dry. Perhaps my pan is more shallow than Christy’s, but 45 min. of cooking instead of an hour made the second cake more moist. I used Nectar with the first cake, but couldn’t go to the store before I made the second and was out of nectar. I had some large navel oranges. I zested one and then put the pulp in the blender and liquified it. Then added the zest and a little orange juice to make up 1 cup. Cake turned out great.
On where to find nectar, it is in the Mexican food area of my kroger here in TX. Last year when I was taking care of my dad in TN after his stroke, they wanted me to give him nectar because it would be easier to swallow than juice since it is thicker. I found it in Kroger’s in TN, but it was cheaper and sold in bottles not just cans at Publix. We don’t have Publix here in TX though.
I stopped by to see what you’re cooking up this week and lawsie mercy if you didn’t tempt me. The good Lord knows I don’t need any sweets right now but I’m surrounded by bunches of people who do, so this one is on the list to do. Thanks sweet friend!
P.S. Wish someone’s grandma was selling homemade sausage biscuits when I used to work. I may have made it to work on time!
Going to make this orange version for our finger foods for graduates tomorrow night @ church. Wondering how banana cake would be with pineapple nectar and mix some coconut milk in the glaze?!?
Word to the wise…don’t forget to put in the cooking oil! Hahahahahahaha. Can you say flat as a pancake????
sent the hubs to the local Piggly Wiggly for another cake mix….Take Two on the way.
Ok….I’m feeling a bit defeated here….this one did the same thing. 🙁
Hey Kim! if you are talking about it sinking in the middle, that means it hasn’t fully cooked as the middle cooks last. I would let it cook for five to ten minutes longer and when you get ready to take it out of the oven, just halfway pull it out and watch to see if the middle starts to sink any – or stick a toothpick in. If the toothpick comes out gummy, put it right back in for a few more minutes. If it comes out clean, it’s done and won’t sink in the center.
Another great help is to get an oven thermometer on the gadget aisle at the grocery store or wal mart. It hangs in your oven and tells you what temperature it is. Over the years the temperature in our ovens gets a little off (very easy to happy) and we may think we are cooking something at 350 but we are actually cooking it at 325 or 330 or such. I check my oven temperature every year and if it is ever off I kinda keep this in the back of my head when baking things and adjust the time accordingly.
But my main point is that if it sinks in the middle, it isn’t fully cooked. It takes me a while to get around to the main point. 🙂 Hope this helps!