Orange Cake (Eggless, Vegan & with Whole Wheat flour)

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Sweet, soft, moist, and tasty Orange Cake made with fresh orange juice. This Cake Recipe is easy to follow, a bit healthy and includes whole wheat flour. A lovely eggless orange cake that is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans alike!

orange cake slices with the loaf on a white oblong tray on a wooden board.

Why This Orange Cake Recipe Works

This eggless orange cake recipe is a delicious guilt free sweet treat made with fresh ingredients. I use fresh orange juice in this recipe but you can use canned or packaged orange juice. 

You can swap a few ingredients in this recipe if you do not have them to hand. I used whole wheat flour to make this orange cake however, you can use all-purpose flour instead. I also used raw sugar as a sweetener but you can swap it with powdered jaggery.

The great thing about this cake is that it is very light as not much oil is needed in this recipe. You won’t get that heavy feeling after eating a slice of this orange cake. This is definitely a relatively healthy orange cake recipe compared to others.

If you want more sweetness then feel free to frost this cake with orange whipped cream or buttercream icing. However, I prefer to eat it plain with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

This recipe makes a medium-sized quantity for 3 to 4 people. You can also try this delicious egg-free Orange Muffins recipe.

This eggless orange cake can be baked both in a regular oven and in the microwave oven with the convection mode.

eggless orange cake in a loaf pan with a orange next to it on a brown table
Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Orange Cake

Make Batter

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sieve 1 cup whole wheat flour with 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or custard powder), a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Keep this sifted dry mixture aside.

Note that cornstarch is known as cornflour in India.

dry ingredients in a seive

2. Add ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup sunflower oil to a bowl. You can include softened butter instead of oil. Use a neutral flavored oil. You can also use olive oil.

Kindly note that in the video, there is a typo for the amount of oil. The quantity of oil that you actually need to add in this recipe is ¼ cup only.

sugar and oil in a bowl

3. Beat this mixture with an electric beater, hand beater, or wooden spoon for a few minutes.

I have made this cake with jaggery too. So you can add powdered or grated jaggery instead of sugar.

sugar and oil mixture

4. I made fresh orange juice but you can use packaged orange juice too, preferably without added preservatives. If you are making fresh juice, use an electric juicer.

You can also blend the orange segments (seeds removed) and strain the juice as shown. I used three medium oranges to get a bit more than 1 cup of juice.

You can check this post for the step-by-step method of making Orange Juice in a blender.

straining fresh orange juice

5. The below photo is of fresh strained orange juice.

strained orange juice

6. Measure and add 1 cup of the orange juice to the sugar and oil mixture. If you are using whole wheat flour, then 1 cup of orange juice works well and if you are using all purpose flour then you can add about ¾ cup of orange juice.

Do not keep the orange juice resting as it turns bitter. So use it straightaway to make the cake batter.

orange juice, oil and sugar mixture

7. Stir very well thoroughly with a wired whisk until all of the sugar dissolves.

orange mixture with dissolved sugar being stirred with wired whisk

8. Now add the sieved flour mixture and ½ to 1 teaspoon orange zest. For a stronger orange flavor add a bit of orange extract or essence.

Note: To get the zest of orange, grate the orange peel before peeling the oranges. Use a handheld grater or zester to grate the orange peel. Do not grate the white pith.

sieved flour, orange zest, orange extract in orange cake batter

9. Mix everything very well with a wired whisk. There should be no lumps in the cake batter.

orange cake batter being mixed

10. The orange cake batter is ready.

batter for eggless orange cake recipe

Bake Orange Cake

11. Pour the batter in a lined or greased cake tin of about 7×4 inches. Use a spatula to scrape the batter from the sides of the bowl and pour it into the cake pan.

orange cake batter in baking tin

12. Tap the pan from the sides or tap the bottom of the pan on the countertop to remove excess air bubbles. The batter will easily level in the pan by itself when you tap the pan.

leveled orange cake batter in baking tin

13. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes.

Check the cake with a toothpick or bamboo skewer and it should come out clean. If there is any batter sticking on the skewer, then bake for some more minutes.

TIP: If the top of the cake starts browning too much, cover the top with aluminum foil or parchment paper while baking.

SUGGESTION: If you do not have an oven, then bake the cake in a stove-top pressure cooker. Follow the method as detailed in this recipe post of Pressure Cooker Cake to make this eggless orange cake.

baked eggless orange cake

14. Place the baked cake on a wired tray to cool at room temperature. Later gently remove the orange cake from the pan.

Serving and Storing Suggestions

Slice the eggless orange cake and serve as a sweet dessert snack or with tea or coffee.

If you want to save some cake for later then wrap the remaining cake in cling film or store in a covered container, and refrigerate for about a week. You can also freeze this cake for about a month.

orange cake slices on an empty black cup with a half loaf of orange cake on a white oblong tray at left side and a black cup filled with tea on the top

Expert Tips for Orange Cake

  • Flour: Make sure you sieve the flour before making your cake batter. This gets rid of any bran in the flour, and splits up lumps of flour. I used whole wheat flour to make this orange cake recipe as it is a healthy alternative however, you can use all-purpose flour if you do not have any whole wheat flour to hand.
  • Oil: I added oil to this orange cake batter which makes it a vegan option. For a vegetarian option use butter instead. Both ingredients work well in this cake.
  • Orange juice: If you are making orange juice from scratch then use medium-sized, juicy ripe oranges. Make sure you remove the seeds before juicing them. Sieve the juice to ensure that the orange fibers do not get added to the cake batter. Alternatively, you can use canned orange juice without preservatives or additives, if you are short of time.
  • Leavening ingredients: It is important to add baking soda and powder to this recipe as they help the cake to rise. Make sure that both leavening ingredients have not expired because this will stop the orange cake from rising.

FAQs

What causes a cake to be too moist?

Adding too many liquids to cake batter can result in an overly moist cake. Make sure you add ¼ cup of oil to this recipe to achieve the perfect amount of moisture.

Can I add orange extract to cake mix?

Yes, you can. In this recipe, I have only added fresh orange juice but you can add orange extract or essence to enhance the orange flavor. Add a bit of orange extract along with the sieved flour mixture and ½ to 1 teaspoon of orange zest.

Can I freeze orange cake?

Yes, it is very easy to freeze orange cake. Allow the cake to cool completely and wrap it tightly in cling film then foil. Label the cake and freeze it for up to 1 month.

My cake didn’t rise at all. What could be the reason?

There are a few reasons why your cake may not have risen. Perhaps the batter was mixed too much or maybe it wasn’t mixed enough. Also, using expired baking powder or soda will prevent the cake from rising.

Why is corn starch added to this recipe?

I add corn starch to this recipe to give this cake a delicious soft texture.

More Delicious Cake Recipes!

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

orange cake slices with the loaf on a white oblong tray on a wooden board

Orange Cake (Eggless, Vegan & with Whole Wheat flour)

A soft, sweet and light orange cake made with fresh orange juice and whole wheat flour. This eggless orange cake recipe is easy to follow and a bit healthy, suitable for both vegetarians and vegans alike.
4.82 from 115 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Cuisine World
Course Desserts
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 12 orange cake slices
Units

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour – 120 grams or can use all-purpose flour or half-half of both the flours
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ¾ to 1 cup Orange Juice – If using whole wheat flour then add 1 cup orange juice and if using all-purpose flour, then add ¾ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup raw sugar – 100 grams, can use powdered jaggery or powdered sugar – add more if required
  • ¼ cup sunflower oil or olive oil or butter or any neutral oil
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour) or eggless custard powder

Instructions
 

Making batter

  • Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Sieve whole wheat flour with the corn starch (or custard powder), a pinch of salt, baking powder and baking soda. Keep this sieved mixture aside.
  • In a bowl add the sugar and oil. You can also use softened butter instead of oil.
  • With an electric beater or hand beater or a wooden spoon, beat this mixture of oil/butter and sugar for a few minutes until well blended. Set aside. I have made this cake with jaggery too. So you can add powdered or grated jaggery instead of sugar.
  • Now make the fresh orange juice. You can extract the juice with a handheld juicer or in an electric juice or blender. For the blender method, blend the orange segments (with seeds removed) and strain the juice to filter out the fibers. I have used three medium oranges to get a bit more than 1 cup juice.
  • You can use packaged juice too.
  • Measure and add 1 cup of the orange juice to the sugar and oil mixture. If using whole wheat flour, then 1 cup of orange juice works well and if using all purpose flour, then you can add about ¾ cup of orange juice.
  • Mix very well until all the sugar is dissolved.
  • Now add the sifted flour mixture and orange zest. To get a more dominant flavor of oranges, add a bit of orange extract or essence.
  • Mix everything very well with a wired whisk. There should be no lumps in the cake batter.

Baking orange cake

  • Pour the batter in a lined or greased cake tin of about 7×4 inches. Use a spatula to scrape the batter from sides and add it to the cake pan.
  • Tap the pan from the sides or tap the bottom of the pan on the countertop, so that excess air bubbles are released and the batter becomes even in the pan.
  • Bake the cake in a preheated oven for 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes.
  • Check the cake by inserting a bamboo skewer and it should come out clean. If it has any batter on it, bake the cake for some more minutes.
  • Place the cake on a wired tray or rack to cool it completely at room temperature.
  • Later gently remove it from the pan. Slice the eggless orange cake and serve as a sweet dessert or with tea or coffee. You can wrap the remaining cake or store in an tight container and keep in the fridge for about a week.  

Video

Notes

  • If using fresh orange juice, then make the juice just before you add it to the oil-sugar mixture. Keeping orange juice for a long time can result in it getting bitter and spoiling the taste of the cake.
  • The recipe can be scaled easily. If scaling, then keep in mind that the time of baking will increase if you bake the entire cake batter in one pan. If you decide to bake in 2 to 3 pans, the timing will remain almost the same.
  • Omit cornstarch (cornflour) or custard powder if you do not have it. 
  • Make sure that your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, active and within their shelf period. 
  • You can use all purpose flour in this recipe. Add ¾ cup orange juice if making the cake with all purpose flour.
  • Note that the approximate nutrition info is for one slice of the orange cake.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Orange Cake (Eggless, Vegan & with Whole Wheat flour)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 117 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Sodium 50mg2%
Potassium 87mg2%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 32IU1%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 3µg3%
Calcium 14mg1%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 9µg2%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 16mg4%
Phosphorus 50mg5%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Orange cake recipe post from the blog archives (first published on February 2013) has been republished and updated on 5 June 2021.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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424 Comments

  1. Tried this recipe today. Turned out awesome. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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