I was just talking to one of my best childhood friends, Steffi, from 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 (Mueller Milch), including 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. (German buttermilk tastes significantly different than what you buy over here in the U.S.. It’s much milder for one thing.) 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.?
Before we get started, let me also add that you can make three alternative versions of this cake: Lemon, Lime, and Grapefruit. Simply substitute the zest, juice, and marmalade accordingly. Isn’t this fun?
Okay, here’s how it goes:
Combine the sugar and eggs. Â Whisk until combined. Â Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
Zest an entire orange. Â Add the zest and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and whisk until combined. Â And the buttermilk and whisk to combine. Â Add the melted butter 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.
I use the hand-forged aluminum pan from Magic Line, made in the USA. Â Love it!
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. Â Spread 1/4 of the cream cheese over the marmalade. Â Invert the top layer and place it over the bottom layer. Â Carefully transfer the cake to a cake saver and frost it with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
Enjoy!
Orange Buttermilk Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 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
- 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.
- Sift the flour, baking powder 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 whisk to combine. Add the flour and carefully whisk until just combined, being careful not to over-whisk.
- Prepare a 9x2 inch round baking pan (I use Magic Line), line the bottom with parchment paper or foil and butter the top of the lining and the sides of the pan.
- 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 30 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
Paula says
Could I use a sugar substitute in place of the regular sugar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Paula, you bet. There are sugar substitutes like Swerve that you can substitute 1:1.
Tabby says
I prepared this as cupcakes for Christmas eve. The cupcakes and frosting were delicious. I believe the key is not to over mix and over bake.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Tabby, thank you!
Nina says
Hi. Why there is no baking soda in it.
Roz says
I baked this cake. I was disappointed because I was so careful to combine ingredients and not over whisk and still it turned out dense. Tasted good, just didn’t like the dense texture.
Sanhati says
One of the most delicious cakes ever and so very refreshing ! Excellent recipe ! I have however tweaked the recipe a little bit for my convenience and taste !
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sanhati, thank you!
Glor says
I just made this cake for tasting before I make it for my friends birthday in two weeks but sorry to say that this is not the one. Like other reviews it was dense. I don’t know what did I do wrong but I am pretty sure I did not overmix it. but taste good though.
Anonymous says
If I wanted to make this for two pans, can i just double the recipe?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes, simply double everything.
Connie says
I must have over beat the cake as it was very dense and hard. Nice flavor though. I think I will play around with this recipe. Frosting was delicious.
Gabbie says
This was a Delicious cake! I was thinking of trying it with some other fruits, too. Do you have any suggestions for a strawberry version?
Mark says
I made this today for my daughter’s birthday party. It turned out pretty well, although the cake was quite dense and the texture was not quite what I was hoping for. I think next time I’d try beating in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, like a traditional cake recipe. The batter was still quite lumpy when I put it in the oven, but I didn’t stir any further for fear of overmixing. I made a triple recipe in two pans so the cakes would be higher, and that worked well although next time I’d reduce the heat, since the edges were VERY well done by the time the centre was finished. But overall it was very tasty!
Mia says
Could you have used baking soda instead of baking powder? I did this once and the cake tasted horrible. No one could eat and it was Easter and my son’s birthday, to boot!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mia, since there’s an acid in the recipe (buttermilk) which is needed to activate baking soda, technically either can be used. But baking soda can sometimes leave an unpleasant soapy taste so that’s one of the reasons I recommend baking powder here.
laura says
Please could you provide the measurements in grams as the cup weight differs in each country or recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Laura, I just ran this recipe through some new software and the metric measurements are now available. If you look at the recipe box below the list of ingredients you’ll see in blue text the option to choose UC customary or metric. Happy baking!
laura says
Hi Kimberly, you are brilliant.. Thank you so much for this :)
Sharon Meadows says
Do you have to line the pan and why do you have to line,can you not line the pan?
Sharon
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sharon, it just helps ensure that the cake doesn’t stick to the pan.
Samantha says
I don’t know what I did wrong, but it came out dense and awful tasting. I dont think I iover mixed, but I must have overdone it. I’m so upset. It was for my dads birthday and he was so excited. Haha. The icing was delicious! I hope I can get it right next time!! I’m a good cook, but definitely not a baker.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Samantha, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out for you. I’m not sure what went wrong either – texture is one thing (overmixing is likely, yes) but if it tasted awful something must have been off with one of the ingredients.
Celeste says
I haven’t made this yet, and I know you posted it several years ago, but I just wanted to say that your format for this post is about the best I’ve ever found for a recipe, so Thank You!!! It’s so nice not to have to sift thru all the elegies and clever stories to see clearly the steps involved! Orange and lemon are my favorite flavors so it’s a belated birthday cake for myself :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Celeste, and I hope you enjoy this once you try it!
Alaria says
Hi 😊
Is it ok to use sunflower 🌻 oil instead of the butter?
Was considering to add to the cake batter some diced candied orange peel, not sure though if it might ruin the recipe…also some orange extract/flavouring? Would you recommend? Thx
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Alaria, yes you can use sunflower oil and you can absolutely add some candied orange peel, great idea!