Iced Orange Loaf

This tender iced orange loaf is packed with fresh orange flavor and lightly glazed with an orange-vanilla icing.

This recipe was inspired by the classic lemon loaf, but I love orange juice and wanted to see how it would taste in a loaf cake. I’m happy to report that this fresh, fruity cake is moist and delicious!

While you’re here, be sure to check out my Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• Flour – I used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Baking powder – Helps the cake rise.
• Salt – Enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
• 4 Oranges – The juice and zest are used for the most orange flavor.
• Sugar – Used to sweeten the cake.
• Vegetable Oil – Keeps the cake moist.
• Eggs – 3 eggs are used in this recipe. They give the cake a dense texture which is typical for loaf cakes.
• Vanilla – I always use pure vanilla extract. I personally can taste a big difference when imitation vanilla is used.

For the icing:

• Powdered sugar – Used to sweeten the icing.
• Orange juice and zest – For additional orange flavor. I like using zest to make the cake look more orange so the flavor can be determined visually.
• Vanilla – Helps to balance the orange flavor.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ICED ORANGE LOAF

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Start by juicing the oranges and straining out the pulp. Place 1 cup (for the cake) and 1 tablespoon (for the icing) in 2 separate bowls.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, use your hands to combine the orange zest and sugar. Whisk in the orange juice, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
5. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
6. Place in a greased standard loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes. A toothpick should come out with just a few crumbs when inserted into the center of the loaf.

For the icing:

1. While the loaf is cooling, prepare the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla- it should be a thin consistency.
2. Once the loaf has cooled completely, use a spatula to coat it with the glaze. Slice and eat right away or wait about 30 minutes for the icing to set.

The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Iced Orange Loaf

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Abbey

Servings

10

Slices

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Orange Loaf

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons orange zest

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, about 4 oranges

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 3 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon orange juice

• 1 tablespoon orange zest

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

• Orange Loaf
• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Start by juicing the oranges and straining out the pulp. Place 1 cup (for the cake) and 1 tablespoon (for the icing) in 2 separate bowls.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, use your hands to combine the orange zest and sugar. Whisk in the orange juice, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients.
• Place in a greased standard loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes. A toothpick should come out with just a few crumbs when inserted into the center of the loaf.
• Icing
• While the loaf is cooling, prepare the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla- it should be a thin consistency.
• Assembly
• Once the loaf has cooled completely, use a spatula to coat it with the glaze. Slice and eat right away or wait about 30 minutes for the icing to set.

Notes

• By combining the zest and sugar with our hands, we are creating orange sugar! This helps to release the oils in the zest which adds additional flavor.