Orange Blender Cake is one of those recipes that has been in my family longer than I can remember. My grandmother would make this in the summer in France as a quick after-camp treat, the whole kitchen smelling of fresh orange and olive oil before we even got through the door. One whole orange, peel and all, blended smooth with eggs, extra virgin olive oil, and Greek yogurt, pulsed with flour until just combined, and baked into one of the moistest, most fragrant cakes you will ever make.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Orange Blender Cake
🕒 Ready In: ~ 55 minutes
👪 Serves: 10 servings
🍽 Calories: ~ 321 per serving (estimated)
🥣 Main Ingredients: Orange, flour, sugar, eggs, extra virgin olive oil
👌 Difficulty: Easy
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
The technique of blending the entire orange including the skin is what makes this cake completely different from anything you have made before. The peel contains essential oils that give the cake a deep, complex citrus flavor that orange juice or zest alone simply cannot replicate. Finished with an orange blossom glaze that sets into a delicate floral shell on top.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Everything goes in the blender: One blender, minimal cleanup, done in 5 minutes of hands-on work.
Extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter: It keeps the crumb incredibly moist for days and adds a subtly fruity richness that is completely Mediterranean.
That orange blossom glaze: Delicate, floral, and just sweet enough.
Gets better the next day: The orange flavor deepens overnight and the crumb becomes even more tender as it sits.
Orange Blender Cake Video
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Ingredient Notes
One Whole Seedless Organic Orange: The ingredient that makes this cake what it is. The entire orange goes into the blender, peel and all, and that is not a typo. The skin of the orange contains essential oils that give the cake a deep, slightly bitter, intensely fragrant citrus flavor that juice or zest alone simply cannot replicate. Use organic specifically because you are eating the peel and you do not want pesticide residue in your cake. 😅 Wash it thoroughly before cutting and make sure it is seedless.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil keeps the crumb incredibly moist for days and adds a subtle fruity richness that is deeply Mediterranean. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil here. The flavor comes through in the final cake. If you want to know what to look for in a bottle, my Mediterranean olive oil guide covers everything you need.
Greek Yogurt: Full-fat Greek yogurt is what you want here. Low-fat versions have more water content and can make the batter too loose. The yogurt works together with the olive oil to create a crumb that is rich and moist without being heavy. I use the same Greek yogurt technique in my Lemon Semolina Olive Oil Cake for the same reason.
Fleur d'Oranger: Fleur d'Oranger is simply the French name for orange blossom water, a delicate floral distillate used widely across French, Middle Eastern, and North African baking. It adds a layer of fragrance that is very specifically Mediterranean and very specifically what my grandmother used in this cake. You can find it in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or at Middle Eastern and Mediterranean specialty stores.
The Orange Blossom Glaze: Confectioners sugar, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a little Fleur d'Oranger whisked together into a thin pourable glaze.
Pro tip
The Secret to Perfect Glazed Cake
Let the cake cool completely before adding the glaze. A warm cake will absorb the glaze rather than letting it set on the surface, and you will lose that beautiful thin shell that makes the top look so elegant. Patience here takes about an hour and it is worth every minute.
Substitutions & Variations
No Fleur d'Oranger? Grand Marnier is a good substitute and adds a deeper, slightly more boozy orange flavor. Use the same quantity.
No Greek yogurt? Full fat sour cream works in the same quantity. The flavor will be slightly richer and the tang slightly more pronounced but the texture will be very similar.
Loaf pan vs round cake pan? This recipe is sized for a 9x5 loaf pan. A 9 inch round cake pan also works but reduce the baking time to 35 to 40 minutes and start checking at 35 minutes. The thinner batter in a round pan bakes faster than a loaf.
FAQ
Almost certainly the dry ingredients were overmixed after going into the blender. A few pulses is all you need after the flour goes in. Continuous blending develops gluten and makes the cake tough and dense rather than light and tender. Use the spatula to finish combining any remaining flour streaks rather than the blender.
Yes. Freeze the completely cooled cake without the glaze for up to 2 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil. Thaw overnight at room temperature and add the glaze fresh before serving.
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⭐️ Recipe
Orange Blender Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 whole seedless organic navel orange washed and cut into four
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon Fleur d'Oranger or Grand Marnier (optional) orange blossom
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Orange blossom glaze
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon Fleur d'Oranger orange blossom (optional)
For finishing
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
Prep and blend
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal. I used clips to clip the sides down.
- Wash the orange thoroughly under running water. Cut into quarters and remove any seeds. Add the quartered orange including the peel to the blender. Add the eggs, extra virgin olive oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and Fleur d'Oranger if using. Blend on high for a full 60 seconds until the mixture is completely smooth and the orange peel is fully broken down. There should be no visible chunks of peel remaining.1 whole seedless organic navel orange, 4 large eggs, ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup full fat Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoon Fleur d'Oranger or Grand Marnier (optional)
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt to the blender on top of the wet mixture. Pulse 3 to 4 times until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the batter. Do not blend continuously. Stop and check with a spatula after each pulse. If you see small streaks of flour use the spatula to gently fold them in rather than pulsing again. Overmixing after the flour goes in will make the cake tough and dense.¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 cups all purpose flour, 2.5 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
Bake
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top gently with the spatula. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake at 350F for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with no wet batter attached. If the top is browning too quickly before the center is cooked through, lay a loose piece of foil over the top for the remaining bake time. Every oven is different so start checking at 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to lift the cake out of the pan and transfer it directly to the wire rack. Let it cool completely before glazing. This takes about an hour and cannot be rushed. A warm cake will absorb the glaze rather than letting it set on top.
Make the glaze
- Once the cake is completely cool, whisk together the confectioners sugar, fresh squeezed orange juice, and Fleur d'Oranger if using in a small bowl until completely smooth and pourable. The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but thin enough to pour. If it is too thick add orange juice half a teaspoon at a time. If it is too thin add a little more confectioners sugar.¾ cup confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice, ¼ teaspoon Fleur d'Oranger
Glaze and finish
- Place the cooled cake on the wire rack with a sheet of parchment underneath to catch any drips. Pour the glaze slowly over the top of the cake letting it run down the sides naturally. Let the glaze set for 15 to 20 minutes until it forms a thin shell on the surface. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving if desired.Powdered sugar for dusting
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!