Orange Buttermilk Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
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This Orange Buttermilk Cake features an irresistibly moist and tender crumb and a show-stopping orange cream cheese frosting, give you a double burst of sweet orangey flavor!
I was just talking to one of my best childhood friends, Steffi, in Germany. Talking to her got me thinking about many of the things I miss from back home in Europe. One small, but fond item that came to mind was triggered by seeing a jug of buttermilk in my fridge. Germany makes the best flavored milk drinks (Müller Milch) and flavored buttermilk. You can go into any grocery store in Germany and find pint-sized cartons of delicious flavored buttermilk – all kinds of different fruity flavors. I used to love getting a carton of cold, refreshing berry or citrus-flavored buttermilk and drinking it in the car on the way home from a grocery trip. So, I was looking at this jug of buttermilk in my fridge today, craving that fruity buttermilk from Germany. I was in the mood for something sweet and fresh. My eyes next caught hold of some oranges I had on the bottom shelf. Buttermilk and oranges…oh, yes! While I was tempted to just make a sweet orange buttermilk drink like the kind I would buy in Germany, I decided to go a different direction. Within 5 minutes I was whipping up a new creation: an Orange Buttermilk Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting!
The buttermilk cuts down on fat while adding a refreshing tang and creating a moist and tender crumb. Two whole tablespoons of fresh orange zest are nestled within the cake and the cream cheese frosting incorporates freshly squeezed orange juice and orange marmalade. Can you spell d.i.v.i.n.e.?
Orange Buttermilk Cake Variations
Before we get started, let me also add that you can make four alternative versions of this cake: Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, and Grapefruit. Simply substitute the zest, juice, and marmalade accordingly. Isn’t this fun??
Orange Buttermilk Cake Recipe
Let’s get started!
Combine the sugar and eggs. Whisk until combined. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
Zest an entire orange. Add the zest and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and whisk until combined. And the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add the melted butter and oil and whisk to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and carefully whisk just until combined. Careful not to over-whisk or the cake will be dense and heavy. Place a sheet of foil or parchment paper over the cake pan and press down to get the indentation. Cut just inside of the circle indentation to get a good fit. Place the circle cutout in the bottom of the cake pan. Carefully butter the top of the foil or parchment paper and the sides of the pan. Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake the cake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes before removing it and placing it on a wire rack. Invert the cake from the cake pan and allow the cake to cool completely. Using a large serrated knife, cut the cake in half and carefully place the layers next to each other.
Squeeze the juice from the orange you zested. To make the orange cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, orange marmalade, orange extract, and orange juice. Beat with an electric mixer until combined and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until combined and smooth. This orange cream cheese frosting is out of this world!
Spread some orange marmalade on the bottom layer of the cake. Spread 1/4 of the cream cheese over the marmalade. Invert the top layer and place it over the bottom layer. Carefully transfer the cake to a cake saver and frost it with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
Slice the cake and serve.
Enjoy!
For more deliciously fruity cakes be sure to try my:
- Limoncello Cake
- Pineapple Cake
- German Rhubarb Streusel Cake
- French Almond Plum Cake
- Caramel Pear Walnut Cake
- German Apple Cake
- Cherry Marzipan Streusel Cake
- German Plum Cake
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Orange Buttermilk Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs , at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of one orange , just a little over 1 tablespoon
- 1/4 cup butter , melted and cooled to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
- For the frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese , softened
- 4 tablespoons butter , at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a 9×2 inch round baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the top of the lining and the sides of the pan.Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.In a large bowl, add the sugar and eggs and whisk until combined. Add the orange zest, vanilla extract and buttermilk and whisk until combined. Add the cooled melted butter and oil and whisk to combine. Add the flour and carefully whisk until just combined, being careful not to over-whisk.
- Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack and allowing it to cool completely.
- To make the frosting: Combine the first 6 ingredients and beat with a mixer until combined and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined and smooth.Cut the cake in half. Spread some orange marmalade on the bottom half. Spread 1/4 of the cream cheese frosting on top of the marmalade. Invert the top half of the cake and place it on top of the bottom layer. Frost the cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet January 26, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
This looks great! How do I cut this cake in half without destroying it? I have a knife specifically for bread from Prepology, could I use this?
Thanks, Laura! Yes, any good serrated knife will do the job.
Hi,
It is okay if I completely omit the orange marmalade altogether?:( I don’t really like the store bought orange marmalade, so I never have any in the pantry really! I love orange in anything and I would really want to try this recipe soon! :) Thanks
Yes, you can omit it, but you’ll need to adjust the ratio of moisture to the sugar – and of course it won’t taste anywhere near as good!
This is truly beautiful! And I love orange, hmmm!
Thanks so much, Del! I know, I can’t resist orange either!
Does this work with traditional buttermilk, the liquid left over from making butter? That may be the difference you taste. US Commercial buttermilk is made from adding a bacterium to the milk.
Hi David! The purpose of using buttermilk here is for the fresh flavor and also because the acid content in the buttermilk makes the cake crumb more moist and tender. The “buttermilk” that’s leftover from making butter is a different thing. All butter fat has been removed from it and what you’re left with is essentially skim milk. It isn’t cultured like regular buttermilk so it lacks the acidity and it just tastes like skim milk. In Germany where I grew up you could buy the kind you’re talking about (called “Molke” there) as well as the regular cultured buttermilk. You can find regular buttermilk practically everywhere, though it goes by different names and in some countries, like Nordic countries for example, it’s much thicker but can still be used and just watered down a bit. You can certainly use the skim milk leftover from making butter in this recipe, but the results won’t be the same.
Hi sweetie,
Lydia Rose reporting.
Made the African meatloaf yesterday, it was fun putting it together, looked mysterious and smelled heavenly. Was an absolute success. Everyone enjoyed it and would you believe, my daughter-in-law even asked for the recipe!!
And now my next endeavor is the Orange Buttermilk cake. I too love citrus with orange and lemon fighting for first place.
A quick question if I may. I am assuming (and you know what they say about “assuming”) I could follow the same recipe using lemons and/or grapefruit, am I correct?
But what would I do for the marmalade?
Take care and God bless.
Lydia Rose (New Mexico)
Wow, that was quick! I’m so happy to hear it was a success! We all really enjoyed it, too – definitely one of those “make again” recipes. The Orange Buttermilk Cake…yes, you could definitely substitute citrus fruits. For the frosting you could simply omit the orange marmalade and add a couple of teaspoons of fresh lemon zest instead (and of course use lemon juice instead of orange, and lemon extract, etc). If the frosting is too stiff, just add a little milk; if it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar. A Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting sounds HEAVENLY! However you decide to do it, let me know how it goes!
instead of marmalede i wuld use lemon curd :)
I just made this cake! Waiting on it to cool. Smells delicious!!!
How well does the frosting set?
Hi Renee! I’m so exciting that you’re making this!! The frosting sets well – it’s a very soft frosting, but it’s not runny. If you prefer the frosting to be stiffer, you can add some extra powdered sugar. Let me know what you think once you’ve tried it!
The Family loved it! My husband is already asking when I will make it again!
That’s so wonderful to hear! Thank you for making this and for your feedback!
I made this last year, at my father in law’s request for an “orange cake..” it was amazing! I would like to make it for Easter brunch. I am wondering if I could make it the day before? Or if not, at least the cake the day before and frost it the morning of. Thank you!
Hi Ryann, yes, you can do it either way. Happy Easter!
Kim, it looks sooooo good! I’m proud, that I’ve been your inspiration…. but otherwise I’m thinking about all the fat on my hips….*chewing the last piece of you Deception-Cake* :-)
Danke, Steffi. Du bist jetzt Weltberühmt!
Never mind the fat – eat cake! :)
…and mail me some Müller Milch!
Did you use your handy dandy cake slicer for this one?? Now I know why you wanted it!!
Oh, I sooooo wanted an excuse to finally put it to use, but alas, this was not the cake for it. Since this is only a two-layer cake, a simple knife did the job. The other gadget is for multiple layers. But yes, I’m still hankering for an opportunity to use it!