Moist Orange Sour Cream Cake
If you love moist citrus cakes, this Orange Sour Cream Cake is baked in a loaf pan, making it easy to slice and perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert. Made with fresh orange juice, fragrant orange zest, and sour cream, this loaf has a tender crumb, a bright citrus flavor, and a light vanilla glaze that makes every slice even more delicious.
The combination of oil and sour cream keeps the cake soft and moist for days, while fresh orange adds a refreshing flavor that isn’t overpowering.
Whether you’re baking for family, guests, or simply treating yourself, this orange loaf cake is simple to make and full of fresh homemade flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and moist for several days.
- Made with fresh orange juice and zest.
- Easy to prepare with simple ingredients.
- Light vanilla glaze adds the perfect finishing touch.
- Perfect for breakfast, tea time, or dessert.
While Testing This Recipe
These little tips helped me get the best results:
- Use a fresh, fragrant orange since both the zest and juice flavor the cake.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour to keep the loaf light and tender.
- Let the cake cool completely before pouring the glaze over it.
- The cake tastes even better the following day as the orange flavor develops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the glaze?
Yes. The loaf is delicious on its own, but the glaze adds a little extra sweetness and enhances the orange flavor.
Can I use bottled orange juice?
Fresh orange juice gives the best flavor, so I highly recommend using a fresh orange.
How should I store the cake?
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze the loaf, with or without the glaze, for up to 2 months.
Orange Sour Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup oil
- 3 tablespoon orange juice
- ¾ cup sugar
For the glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Line a 9 x 5 x 3-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, sift flour together with salt, baking powder, baking soda, and keep aside.
- In a different bowl, add eggs, vanilla, sugar, orange zest, and beat until combined. Add oil, sour cream, milk, orange juice, and beat well.
- Add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix well but for few seconds, over mixing will result in dry cake.
- Pour the batter into the previously prepared baking pan, bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the loaf cake from the pan and place on cooling rack.
- When cool pour the glaze and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting the loaf in slices.
Making the glaze
- Mix the glaze ingredients together until it comes to a pouring consistency. Pour the glaze over the cool cake.
Notes
- Use a fresh, fragrant orange since both the zest and juice flavor the cake.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour to keep the loaf light and tender.
- Let the cake cool completely before pouring over the glaze.
- The cake tastes even better the following day as the orange flavor develops.
Nutrition
.
This looks bakery perfect, Muna, and with just 3/4 cup of sugar, I can totally enjoy a couple of slices too.
You will love this cake Angie 🙂
This cake sounds incredible, Muna! I love sour cream pound cakes, and this sounds similar to one of my favorite recipes…just with added orange juice and zest. I definitely need a slice of this one! Now I hope you got some sleep after writing this one. 🙂
I can’t believe how crazy I sound when sleepy :), Yes, I slept well after my struggle to write this post!
A lovely bake – great color, texture, and flavors! It would keep me awake for sure! : )
You are so sweet Monica 🙂
Oh my word!! This look so amazing. I HAVE to make this, pronto! I’m hoping I have everything to make it in my pantry. I know I have some delicious oranges right now. Yipee! Your photos are stunning. I am a new food blogger and I am still learning. I will be studying your photos for sure 🙂
Thanks!
Emily
Hi Emily, thanks for your kind words, I hope you enjoy my orange loaf cake, it is really delicious and I’d like you to let me know how you liked it whenever you make it 🙂
This is a very gorgeous cake. I hope I can find some fresh and good oranges so that I can perfectly make this loaf cake. Yummy!
I’m so excited Nagi and can’t wait to see how you will like it, please send me a pic whenever you make this loaf cake 🙂
I made this and it turned out wonderfully, but I’m having trouble finding where to add the orange zest in the directions. I see it in the ingredient list, but I can’t find anywhere in the directions where to add it. I added it when I added all the other ingredients to the sugar egg vanilla mixture.
Hi Ginny, you add the orange zest in step four. Thanks for your kind words 🙂
Made this loaf cake last night and it is delicious!
I will definitely be making this again, my husband loved it.
I’m happy that you have enjoyed it, thanks for your feedback 🙂
I used the zest of one orange (about 3 teaspoons) and added some poppy seeds. The cake had a golden crust on the top, was moist and very tasty – and the cake was eaten in a flash! Will make again.
Thank you so much for the feedback, I’m glad that you loved the recipe ☺
Hi Muna, this cake looks lovely! May I ask what oil you used for this please?
Hi Debbie, I mostly use sunflower oil or corn oil in my baking.
Thank you!! Aiming to make this today! 🙂