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–+ servings
thin orange cake slice with white icing and orange candies on top
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5 from 1 vote

Fresh Orange Cake with Orange Vanilla Bean Icing

Fresh orange cake with orange vanilla bean icing is a vibrant and zesty sheet cake that's a breeze to whip up and even easier to enjoy.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Cooling Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 24
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 4 oranges zested and juiced (1 1/4 cups juice)
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
  • Additional butter for pan

Orange vanilla bean icing:

  • 3/4 cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 orange zested and juiced
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Orange slice candy optional

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Butter a sheet pan with sides (jelly roll pan), and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Pour the cake mix into a large mixing bowl.
  • Strain the orange juice to remove big chunks.
  • Add the orange juice, orange zest, eggs, and melted butter to the bowl.
  • Mix together with a whisk until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Pour into buttered pan, and use a spatula to spread it out. The consistency is a little different than a normal cake mix, so you need to be sure to spread the batter to the edges; it won't go there on its own.
  • Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the cake springs back when touched.
  • While the cake is baking, make the icing.

For the orange vanilla bean icing:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, orange juice (unstrained -- the pulp is pretty), orange zest, and vanilla bean paste.
  • Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, and whisk it all together until you get a smooth wet paste. This is the time to get all of the lumps out.
  • Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, whisking after each cup, until you get a soft icing consistency, around 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. The icing should be thin, but not run off of a spoon dipped into it. Ice the sheet cake in the pan after it has cooled completely.
  • Garnish with orange candy slices if you'd like.

Notes

  • If your cake turns out dry, it was probably overbaked. Check the cake for doneness at the earlier baking time, then give it a couple more minutes if needed. It should spring back when touched lightly.
  • If one side of the cake bakes up higher than the other, your oven most likely cooks unevenly. Give the pan a 180° rotation halfway through cooking next time.
  • A tough cake is usually a sign of overmixing. You want to mix the batter just until it's all combined. Don't worry about getting all the lumps out - they will bake out in the oven.
  • A little garnish just makes the cake feel extra fancy. Use candy orange slices, curls of orange zest, thin slices of orange, or even a little mint.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 24 servings | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1mg

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