This zesty orange buttermilk cake with marmalade cream cheese icing is perfect for when you're craving a slice of cake. It's soft, moist and ideal for snack time as well as dessert!
I know you will love this soft moist orange buttermilk cake with cream cheese marmalade icing. The buttermilk orange cake was definitely a success. I would have eaten it happily with no icing on at all and not felt anything was missing. But then, as far as eating goes, I'll always rank cake above icing.
Not only is it a delicious moist cake, it's also very easy to make. It's just a case of whisking everything together and baking. If you don't bake because you think it's too much effort then this cake will hopefully convince you otherwise.
The marmalade icing is delicious too. I loved the flavour the marmalade gave it.
I have to admit that I don't like the effort of decorating cakes but this marmalade cream cheese icing is ideal for just spreading on the top and in the middle. It's not a super thick icing so is not ideal for piping. But, you can get a bit of a drip and drip cakes are always good!
What ingredients do you need for this orange buttermilk cake?
To make this orange buttermilk cake you'll need:
- Flour - When I first made this cake it was adapted from an American recipe so I used plain flour and baking powder. However, you can replace the plain flour and baking powder with just self-raising flour.
- Caster sugar
- Eggs - I use large eggs
- Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk you can use a substitute. Just mix a spoonful of white wine vinegar into some milk.
- Vanilla extract - I like to add vanilla as well as the orange but you could omit it and add a drop of orange extract instead to enhance the orange flavour. I also think almond extract would work well.
- Orange - Make sure it is an unwaxed orange. You'll need to grate the zest for the cake and squeeze some of the juice for the icing.
- Butter - You can use salted or unsalted.
And for the icing you'll also need:
- Marmalade - I like to use one without peel so there are no bits in the icing. I have used one with thick cut peel so it was easy to remove the peel before making it. However, if you and your family are real marmalade lovers you may like to use thin peel and leave it in.
- Cream cheese
- Butter - I usually use unsalted but salted will also be fine.
- Vanilla extract - As above you could add orange extract instead to really bring out the orange flavour
- Icing sugar
How to make orange buttermilk cake
Do check out the recipe card further down the page for full details. First whisk together the eggs and sugar. You can do this by hand or using an electric whisk.
Then whisk in the vanilla extract, orange zest and buttermilk followed by the melted butter.
Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold into the wet ingredients.
Transfer the mixture to a lined cake tin and bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes at 180°c. Cool on a wire rack and decorate when it has completely cooled. Otherwise it will melt the icing.
To make the icing, just whisk together all the ingredients. If the icing is too runny, add extra icing sugar.
Cut the cake in half and spread some of the icing in the middle of the cake and spread the rest on the top.
Can you adapt this orange buttermilk cake?
You could easily adapt this buttermilk cake recipe to make it lime, lemon or even grapefruit flavoured. Any citrus fruit would work really well. Just make sure you buy unwaxed citrus fruit if you are going to make it into a cake.
How long does it stay fresh?
This cake stays really moist for at least three days.
The inspiration for this buttermilk cake
The recipe was slightly adapted from this one on Daring Gourmet.
Recipe
Orange Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 200 g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 230 ml buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 orange zested and juiced (juice is for the icing)
- 60 g butter melted
Ingredients for the marmalade cream cheese icing
- 40 g marmalade Ideally one without peel
- 110 g cream cheese
- 60 g butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 260 g icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the bottom of an 18cm round cake tin
- Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
- Put the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat until pale.
- Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and orange zest and continue to whisk. Then whisk in the melted butter.
- Fold in the flour and then whisk briefly just to make sure it has combined.
- Pour the mixture into the cake tin. Bake in the oven for 45 - 55 minutes.
- Test whether it is cooked by inserting a skewer. It should come out dry. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing by beating together all the ingredients except the sugar. Also add one tablespoon of the squeezed orange juice. As I used coarse shred marmalade I took out the pieces of peel to make a smooth icing. When smooth, add the sugar and continue to beat. Add a little extra icing sugar to make a thicker icing if it's too thin.
- If you want, cut the cake in half horizontally and spread a third of the icing in the middle. Spread the rest of the icing onto the top of the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you like this orange buttermilk cake?
Why not try one of my other cake recipes?
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you make this orange buttermilk cake or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.
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Places I've shared this Orange Buttermilk Cake
Love Cake hosted by JibberjabberUK
Bake of the Week at Casa Costello
Ness (@JibberJabberUK)
I love marmalade on cakes and January always seems to be the perfect month for it. This looks so lovely and moist. Thanks for linking up.
Corina
You're welcome. I'm not actually a big fan of marmalade but I love it in cakes.
Joanne
Such a lovely cake!! The citrus flavor is a great infusion.
Corina
Thank you.
petra08
The cake looks great and I love the sound of the marmalade icing! Like you I only just got started with my new years resolution (one of them) to get fit, I would honestly rather eat a slice of your delicious looking cake! 🙂
Corina
I'm doing far more of the eating cake than keeping fit but it's so hard not to, isn't it!
petra08
I completely agree! It is never as much fun doing exercise than eating something really nice! 🙂
strongassoup
I love the sound of this. Better still, it's marmalade making time - if I get around to it.
Corina
Wow! THis would be lovely with homemade marmalade. You could slice it through the middle and spread some marmalade on too to make it even more lovely and orangey
MyKabulKitchen
I love buttermilk in baked goods, gives such a rich depth of flavor, and marmalade cream cheese icing just makes my mouth water...just think cake is a necessary carb perfectly within your healthy eating resolutions 😉
Corina
Especially if I manage to go running too maybe!
Fiver Feeds
Gosh this looks amazing! Wish I was there to taste it 🙂
Corina
I wish there was still some left!
DesignsbyJeanneR
Wow, I like the ingredients you've used here, and I'll bet the orange and cream cheese is a tasty combination!
Corina
It's lovely. I'm thinking of making some more orange flavoured things now as well.