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Whole Orange Blender Cake

By Snejana Andreeva

on Jan 31, 2023, Updated Jan 14, 2024

My mom’s whole orange blender cake is light , 🍊 citrusy , and moist . It’s always on rotation in my house. I know it’s crazy, but this cake combines a few simple ingredients in the blender, including a whole orange, to make the most amazing cake. My mom and I worked on this recipe to bring you the easiest and most flavorful coffee cake ever! The subtle hints of orange and lemon 🍋 make this cake irresistible.

Why You’ll Love Whole Orange Blender Cake
How to Prepare
Nonna’s Tip 🍊
Variations and Substitutions for Whole Orange Blender Cake
Other Coffee Cake Recipes
Best Served With
Common Questions
Whole Orange Blender Cake Recipe

Why You’ll Love Whole Orange Blender Cake

Using a 🍊 whole orange, blended to perfection, infuses the cake with a zesty and citrusy element that is both refreshing and healthy. Some citrus cake recipes require you to zest, peel, or juice an orange – not this one! All you have to do is clean and cut your orange into 🔶 quarters and toss it in the blender. Don’t worry, the resulting cake won’t reveal your secret and you’ll be making this cake on repeat, just like me!

How to Prepare

🔥 Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper and baking spray.

🌀 Add all ingredients to a high-p owered blender , starting with the wet ingredients. Blend for 30-40 seconds until a thick pourable batter forms. Do not over-blend!

♨️ Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 2 inches from the side.

🧊 Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan.

❄️ Once cooled, dust the cake with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!

Nonna’s Tip 🍊

I used a Navel orange which was sweet. Do NOT over-blend this cake. If your blender is not powerful enough to break down the orange peel, please zest it, peel it and use that instead. I use a Vitamix and blend only for 20-30 seconds.

Variations and Substitutions for Whole Orange Blender Cake

Remember to adjust quantities accordingly and have fun experimenting with these variations to create your best version of my whole orange cake 🧡 that suits your preferences!

You can use alternative flours such as almond flour, 🥥 coconut flour, or 1-1 gluten-free flour for a gluten-free cake.
Feel free to experiment with 🍯 honey , maple syrup , or monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar if you prefer a natural sweetener.
Add chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
Include shredded coconut or grated 🥕 carrots for additional texture.

Other Coffee Cake Recipes

Four slices of Revani Cake, a yellow pound cake topped with powdered sugar, are neatly arranged on a white plate, placed on a white surface with a white cloth in the background. - 6

Orange Lemon Cake

35 mins

A close-up of a sliced apple cake on a white plate, showing a moist, dense crumb with visible apple chunks and a light dusting of powdered sugar on top. - 8

Easy Apple Cake

45 mins

Loaf of lemon drizzle cake with a thick glaze, partially sliced. A lemon wedge and knife are nearby on a white surface, with a white tiled background. - 10

Whole Lemon Blender Cake

55 mins

Clementine Cake

55 mins

Best Served With

Coffee or tea 🫖
Other loaf cakes, like my Carrot Cake or cookies with a brunch

Common Questions

I used a Navel orange which was seedless and sweet. You could also use a Cara Cara orange. If you are unsure if your orange is bitter, peel it and throw it in peeled! You can also add the zest as well.

Yes you may. However, if the food processor is not powerful enough it may not break down the skin. To be sure, please peel the fruit and add the zest as well.

As per your feedback, this recipe would work with a Cara Cara orange.

I have not tested this, but yes, you can experiment with a blood orange for this recipe. Your cake may turn out a different color (maybe pink!).

Do NOT over-blend this cake. If your blender is not powerful enough to break down the orange peel, please zest it, peel it and use that instead. I use a Vitamix and blend only for 20-30 seconds.

I have not tried making this cake gluten-free but you could try using a gluten-free 1-to-1 all-purpose flour for baking. Let me know if you try it and how it comes out!

You can add poppy seeds to this recipe!

You can always adjust the sugar in this recipe as it’s not overly sweet. Feel free to add more if you like your baked goods sweeter. Alternatively, you could do less sugar if you’re trying to cut sugar out.

The bake time will depend on the oven and what type of pan you use, so please keep a good eye on it.

I use a ceramic, non-stick loaf pan for this recipe. You can use a different type of pan, but please keep a close eye on it as the baking time may reduce or increase.

I like to spray and line the loaf pan for easier cleanup, but feel free to butter and flour it if you wish to do so as well.

The lemon extract is optional. I would use lemon zest instead of lemon juice, as it has a stronger flavor, like the extract.

You can store this cake, covered, on the counter for a few days but it probably won’t last you that long!

Although I have not tried this cake with almond flour, you will have to experiment. You will have to experiment but always add a little at a time until you have the proper consistency.

To ensure lemons/oranges are clean, you can soak them in a vinegar and water solution and scrub them to draw out any impurities. Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar + 2 cups of water and soak for 5-10 minutes. Rinse and use as directed.

Any oil will work for this cake. You can also use melted butter if you’d like.

Yes, you can certainly use butter instead of oil for this recipe.

A Nutribullet is not nearly as powerful, but If you try it in a Nutribullet, I would suggest peeling the orange before blending.

Always check the baking powder and flour before use! If the cake comes out too dense and not fluffy or moist, the baking powder is most likely out of date.

You can test if your baking powder has expired by adding ½ teaspoon baking powder to ¼ cup hot water. If the water bubbles up, it’s not expired; if it does not bubble, it’s expired and should be tossed. When using baking powder, always check the expiration date. Expired baking powder will not help your recipe rise in the oven, and you’ll have a sad, deflated cake.

While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.

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Video

Equipment

▢ Loaf Pan
▢ Parchment Paper
▢ Measuring Cups + Spoons
▢ Liquid Measuring Cup
▢ Nakiri Knife
▢ Blender

Ingredients

▢ avocado oil spray
▢ 4 eggs , at room temperature
▢ ¾ cup avocado oil
▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 whole seedless navel orange , washed, quartered, and seeds removed
▢ 1 teaspoon lemon extract
▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
▢ ¾ tablespoon baking powder , (make sure it’s not expired)
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ powdered sugar , for dusting (optional)

Instructions

▢ Please check if the baking powder or flour is expired prior to starting.
▢ Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. You can use a bigger size pan as well, but the cake will be larger and thinner, so you may need to adjust the baking time.
▢ Add all of the ingredients to a high-power blender, starting with the wet ingredients. Be sure to add the wet ingredients first so that the blender doesn’t get stuck. Blend for 20-30 to seconds or until a thick pourable batter forms. Do NOT over-blend.
▢ Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake on the middle rack for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 2 inches from the side.
▢ Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Take the cake out of the loaf pan and once it has cooled, dust the cake with powdered sugar, if using. Enjoy!

My Notes

Nutrition

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