Last updated on March 1st, 2024.
This Orange Cream Cheese Cake is my new favorite treat!. This cake is tender, soft, moist, and loaded with a creamy orange flavor.
If you are an orange cake lover, check out my Sicilian Whole Orange Cake and this Italian Hang Over Cake.
I am so excited about this cake. There is something about the smell of fresh orange zest that just brings me joy. In addition, this cake has a pretty nice amount of cream cheese which adds an amazing texture and creaminess to the tangy orange flavor.
Ingredients used in this Orange Cream Cheese Cake recipe:
- Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- Full fat cream cheese, one 8 oz pkg. At room temperature. The Cream cheese has many rules in this recipe. Firstly, it adds a creamy flavor to the tangy oranges. Secondly, full-fat cream cheese is 55% water and 45% fat which means it tenderizes and moisturizes the cake.
- Sugar
- Orange zest from 1 1/2 medium-sized oranges.
- Orange Juice, from 1 medium orange
- Eggs
- AP flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Potato starch helps reduce the formation of gluten and as a result, we have a tender and crumbly cake. However, if you do not have any in hand, just skip it.
How to make this Cake?
This cake is a pound cake. When baking a pound cake the first step is to beat the fat (butter and cream cheese) with the sugar until light and fluffy. Please note that the mixture will be more on the smooth size due to the addition of the cream cheese.
With this recipe, I found that the best way to infuse the orange flavor is by mixing the orange zest with the sugar using a fork until you have a light orange sugar. (A little trick I learned from Brown Eyed Baker)
Next step would be to add the eggs, one at a time, waiting for each to fully incorporate before adding the next.
Lastly, we add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and potato starch) in three additions alternating with the liquids, the orange juice. Starting and finishing with the dry mixture.
Adding the dry ingredients in three additions is very important. It is the best way to ensure the flour mixture will be fully and evenly incorporated into the batter. Otherwise, we might have pockets of unblended flour.
Baking the cake
When testing this recipe, I baked it in a round 8″ pan, a 9″ bunt pan, and small individual mini bunt pans.
When using bunt pans, it is pretty straight forward. Make sure you grease the pan with soft butter and sprinkle flour on top.
When using round pans, it is very important not to fill the pan over 2/3. I baked it in an 8″x4″ pan which is pretty high. But I still had to take about 1/2 cup out and bake 2 individual mini bundts.
If your round pan is not so high, cut parchment paper into 5″ – 6″ stripes and line them around the sides of the pans (from the inside).
Storing the cake
The cake can be stored at room temperature covered for up to 3 days or wrapped in a plastic bag then bagged in a freezable bag and frozen for up to 2 months.
Few more important notes about this Cream Cheese Orange Cake:
- Use high-quality cream cheese, off-brand might have a higher volume of water.
- Lemon flavor is another option, simply replace the orange zest and juice with lemon zest (zest from 3 lemons) and juice.
- When adding the dry ingredients, make sure not to over mix the batter, the whole process should take 15-20 seconds. I like to turn the mixer off right after adding the last portion of the flour mix and blend using a rubber spatula. Over mixing the batter might result in a tough, dense cake.
- You can glaze the cake with some icing but this cake doesn’t really need anything.
HAPPY BAKING!!!
Video by: Marie Sugar Salt Magic
Here are some more Honey Recipes you might enjoy:
Also, one more thing…
Don’t forget to tag @OneSarcasticBaker on Instagram if you bake this recipe. Would love to see your creations!
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Orange Cream Cheese Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted butter, room temperature (6 oz / 170 g )
- 1 pkg Full fat cream cheese (8 oz / 226 g)
- 1 1/2 Cups Sugar (11 oz / 300 g )
- Zest of 1 1/2 medium-sized oranges
- 4 large Eggs
- 2 1/3 Cups AP flour (9 oz / 280 g)
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1 TBS Potato Starch
- 1/3 Cup Fresh orange juice (a juice from 1 medium orange) (3 oz / 80 ml)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325F, grease the pan and dust with flour (for bundt pan). Or use parchment paper if needed. (for 9" round pan)
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In a bowl of a standing mixer, place butter and cream cheese, beat on low for about 1 minute.
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Place the sugar in a medium bowl and add the orange zest. Using a fork, blend the orange zest into the sugar until well distributed.
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Add the zesty sugar into the butter and cream cheese mixture, increase speed to medium-high and mix until smooth and light about 3-4 minutes. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl.
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Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time, waiting for each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next.
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Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl.
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In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and potato starch mix to incorporate then add it to the eggs and butter mixture in three additions alternating with the orange juice, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
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As soon as you add the last portion of flour, turn mixture off and use a rubber spatula to fully incorporate the ingredients.
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Pour batter into the greased pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
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Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool before removing from the pan about 10-15 minutes.
Such a stunning cake, Dee! I can’t stop looking at it! I’ve never baked with cream cheese in the batter, I’ll have to try it! 🙂
thank you so much Ana! I was surprised myself, but it’s a keeper!
Love the fresh orange taste of this cake, most fun part mixing the sugar and orange zest together. Thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear you liked it!
Baked this orange cake and I must say it tastes amazing. The cream cheese just did it for me. thanks so much for the recipe.
So glad to hear that! Thank you for the feedback !
Made this before lunch, not sure if it’ll last for dessert after dinner. Super flavorful and moist, great cake! Thanks for sharing!
So happy to read that! thank you so much for the feedback!
I’m about to make this. Does it freeze well?
Yes. Wrap it well with aluminum foil then in a plastic bag. Make sure you unwrap it when ready to defrost and eat at room temperature.
This cake looks beautiful and Id love to try it but I can’t eat gluten. Do you think I could sub the ap flour with gf ap flour and get a similar result? Any recommendations to make a gf version?
Hi Julie, I do not know much when it comes to GF baking. According to King Arthur and Bob’s Mill their 1:1 GF flour can be used in any recipe.
This is a nice orange essence cake. Moist, light with a slightly dense texture. However, I found that the baking time is much longer than 45 min. The cake was done after baking it for almost an hour.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your kind words. I am so happy you enjoyed the cake!
Since every oven is different, the cake might need less or more time depending on the oven. 45 minutes is an average time but like the instructions call the cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
The best cake I’ve ever baked. So moisty and it tastes amaziiiing!!! Thank you for your accurate recipe.
I am SO HAPPY to hear that! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Pretty good. Kinda dense but it’s for neighbors so I don’t really care. I made a cream cheese earl gray icing and it’s pretty dope.
You have some lucky neighbors! great icing flavor! If the cake came out dense there is the possibility you may have over mix the batter.
Can I substitute the cream cheese with mascarpone instead?
I am not familiar with mascarpone components so it is hard for me to say, this recipe was created based on cream cheese.
I am not familiar with mascarpone components so it is hard for me to say. This recipe was created for the use of anf flavor of cream cheese.
This cake is divine. The texture is firm but soft all at once and the flavour is amazing. Will definitely be making this again.
Music to my ear, thank you, Marie!
I don’t have potato starch. If I omit it will that be a problem?
You can just skip it.
Hi! I’m about to try and bake this really-good looking cake 🙂 There’s my question – 325 F means 165 Celsius?
160-165 is just right.
Baked this over the weekend and absolutely in love with it. Do you have a mango pound cake recipe ?
Thank you so much, Ramya!
I actually do have a mango cake recipe here is the link:https://www.onesarcasticbaker.com/mango-puree-pound-cake/.
I am going to add and say that the mango flavor is not so strong in this cake but it is a wonderfully delicious cake.
Made this today and the family looooooved it! Thanks so much
So happy to hear that! thank you for sharing!
This has become our regular teatime cake . Is there an option to make it eggless ?
So happy to hear that. I am not aware of any eggs substitutions.
I made this cake twice. The first time I baked it in my cake pan and it rose over the sides of the pan. That was disappointing. The taste was great but I had to clean the oven. And the cake stuck to the sides. The second time I used a Bundt pan. Much better. I rated this 5 stars because the cake it amazing even though my older 9inch pan didn’t have high enough sides.
So sorry to hear about the first experience, but I am glad you tried it again and enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time and writing this.
Hi! This seems really good! Did you try using alternative sugars – like coconut sugar and gluten free option? Do you think it could work? I can’t have gluten and white sugar ? Thanks!
Hi!
I am afraid I do not have much experience baking with alternative sugars. If you can eat raw white sugar I recommend Florida Crystal.
If I use lemon juice, it wouldd be 1/3 cup?
Yes. You can replace the orange with lemon zest and juice and follow the recipe as is. If you don’t want it to be too “lemony” use half the amount of the zest.
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to make this for my mom! Any idea if limes can be substituted in, like how lemons can be?
I never tried it with lemon, but I see no reason why you can not use it! Enjoy!
I would like to try this recipe. But I have never heard of potato starch available here. Can I use Cornstarch or what is the suggested substitute?
Hi Michelle, I never tried using cornstarch, it might be too dense. I would use 1 teaspoon of cornstarch or better yet,if possible, use bleached all-purpose flour and skip the starch.
Hi there, this looks amazing! Could you use this cake for a 3 layer cake? And if so, could I just triple the recipe or best to just do the whole recipe over 3 times?
Thank you!
Hi Rachel,
This is a pound cake and might be a bit dense for a layer cake. I would do a test run using 5-inch or 6-inch round pans. If you decide to go with it, I think doubling the recipe and diving it between 4 or 5 8-inch pans will be a good fit. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Hi Dee,
I’ve been meaning to try this cake for quite a while! I finally made it yesterday and it is excellent. Tender crumb, lovely orange flavor, and not difficult to make.
I used a 10” springform pan and it is perfect!
Have a great day.
NP
Thank you so much Nancy; glad you enjoyed it.
I’m wondering your thoughts on making it in a loaf pan? Best to do in 2 loaf pans? I’ve made it several times in a bundt and it’s fabulous.
Yes, two 8, or 9 inch loaf pans should be just fine. Make sure not to fill the pans more than 2/3 full, and pay attention to the baking time, it may need less time.