Description
A moist, fragrant Persian orange cake that’s easy enough for anyone to bake. Filled with fresh citrus and cardamom, this cake is perfect for dessert or a special tea-time treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium oranges (about 12 oz), scrubbed clean
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter for more richness)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/4 cup ground almonds or almond flour
- Optional: Orange zest, sliced almonds, or powdered sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Place whole oranges in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for 30-35 minutes until very soft. Drain and cool, then cut open, remove seeds, and puree (skin and all) until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Whisk in oil, orange puree, and vanilla extract until combined.
- In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Stir in ground almonds if using.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients gently, mixing just until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Dust with powdered sugar, orange zest, or sliced almonds before serving if desired.
Notes
For a dairy-free cake, use vegetable oil instead of butter. To make it nut-free, omit the ground almonds. You can substitute tangerines or clementines for oranges. The cake stays moist for days and is perfect for make-ahead baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Persian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 of cake)
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 160
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 5
Keywords: Persian orange cake, moist orange cake, easy orange cake, Persian dessert