This fragrant, tender orange cake comes from my husband Saman's grandmother, Sidi Joon. It’s a well-loved family recipe that also served as one of the components of our saffron trifle in Episode 3 of Hallmark Channel's Baked with Love: Holiday! This cake has a bright zest, fresh orange juice, and a simple method, making it an anytime bake. 🧡
If you’re building the full trifle, you'll double this recipe to bake two 8-inch layers, cool completely, cut in half, and layer with saffron custard and other components.
- Saffron orange trifle
- Saffron phirni - This is like a custard. It uses flavors and aromas found commonly in Iranian desserts and dishes!
If you're a fan of citrus, you may also enjoy my mini lemon Bundt cakes, cranberry sour cream Bundt cake, or lemon and blueberry cookies!
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🍊Ingredient List for Sidi Joon's Orange Cake
This version makes one 8-inch round layer. Highlights from the ingredients are below; see the recipe card for exact quantities.
- Fresh orange zest & juice – zest first, then juice for tons of bright orange flavor and aroma!
- Unsalted butter and powdered sugar – Creamed together, these ingredients gave the cake layer a fine, tender crumb.
- Baking powder – This leavening agent helps give the cake rise and makes it a soft, even slice.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract gives some warmth that helps round out the citrus.
- Pinch of salt – Salt is key to use, even in sweet dishes and desserts. It helps balance and brighten flavor.
Best Results: Baking in Grams
If you’re not already, use a kitchen scale for accuracy in baking.
While I include cups and grams in my recipe cards, weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams ensures consistency.
I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.
📖 Step-by-Step Instructions for this Easy Orange Cake
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease and flour one 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.
Zest, then juice the orange(s). Set juice aside and reserve zest.
Cream butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add eggs on low, one at a time (use 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk), mixing just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Fold dry ingredients into the wet batter gently with a spatula.
Add orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla; fold gently until fully combined.
Pan & bake: scrape into the prepared pan and tap to release bubbles. Bake at 400°F for 7 minutes, then (without opening the oven) reduce to 375°F and bake 22-25 minutes more, or until a toothpick tests clean. Cool completely.
💡Flavor Variations
- Cardamom: Whisk ¼–½ teaspoon ground cardamom into the dry ingredients to add a cozy, spiced element.
- Orange syrup soak (optional): Brush warm cake with equal parts orange juice and sugar (by volume) for extra moisture and shine.
- Citrus swap: Try lemon and keep zest/juice amounts the same.
- Powdered sugar: Adding a dusting of powdered sugar to the top of this cake is a nice and simple way to dress it up!
📋 Cake Tools You'll Need
For reference, you'll need:
- An 8-inch round cake pan (parchment-lined)
- A microplane zester
- Mixing bowls and measuring spoons
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale for grams.
❄️ Storage and Serving
Room temp: store covered up to 2 days.
Refrigerate up to 4 days (bring to room temp before serving).
Freeze well-wrapped for up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator before letting to come to room temperature for serving.
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Orange Cake by Sidi Joon
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 8-inch cake layer 1x
Description
This fragrant, tender orange cake comes from my husband Saman's grandmother, Sidi Joon. It’s a well-loved family recipe that also served as one of the components of our winning saffron orange trifle in Episode 3 of Hallmark Channel's Baked with Love: Holiday!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 9 tablespoons (125 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon orange zest (from ~1 orange)
- 75 ml (⅓ cup) fresh orange juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease and flour one 8-inch round cake pan and/or line the bottom with parchment.
- Zest first, then juice the orange. Set juice aside and reserve zest.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs: beat in the 2 eggs and 1 yolk one at a time on low, just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Fold dry ingredients into the wet batter gently with a spatula.
- Add the orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla; fold gently until fully combined.
- Scrape batter into the prepared pan. Tap lightly on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake at 400°F for 7 minutes, then (without opening the oven) reduce to 375°F and bake 22-25 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out the cake layer to finish cooling on a wire rack.
- If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving!
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate based on standard ingredient values and preparation. Exact values may vary depending on specific brands, ingredients, or substitutions used.
- This cake yields approximately eight servings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 mintues
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Persian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 258 kcal
- Sugar: 28.48 g
- Sodium: 105.9 mg
- Fat: 14.22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.97 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.25 g
- Trans Fat: 0.04 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.48 g
- Fiber: 0.42 g
- Protein: 3.44 g
- Cholesterol: 91.72 mg
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