A soft, moist orange loaf cake made without refined white sugar and using both the zest and the flesh of the oranges. It’s incredibly delicious and bursting with aroma and flavor, the kind of cake the whole family will love. Enjoy!
Orange is one of my favorite ingredients when it comes to baking. It adds incredible flavor and aroma to biscuits, cakes, and muffins, and it pairs beautifully with chocolate or other fruits.
Instead of using refined white sugar, I sweetened this orange loaf cake with a small amount of maple syrup. I often use bananas or dates to sweeten muffins and cakes, but this time I wanted something that wouldn’t overpower the fresh orange flavor. You can also use honey in place of maple syrup—just keep in mind that honey isn’t suitable if you plan to share the cake with a little one under 12 months old.
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👩🏻🍳 Why you should try my recipe
- Don't require any special baking skills.
- Made without refined white sugar.
- Great for the whole family to enjoy as a little treat.
- Can be made in loaf pan, individual loaf tins or even as muffins.
- Freezable for busy days.
🥘 Ingredients
To make this orange loaf cake, we are going to use eggs, oil, oranges, all-purpose flour, baking powder and maple syrup.
- Oranges: I'm the zest and flesh of 2 oranges.
- Oil: You could use a good quality vegetable oil of your choice, or light olive oil or melted unsalted butter if you prefer.
- Maple syrup: I'm using maple syrup to add some sweetness to the orange loaf cake. You could substitute it with honey but NOT for babies under 12 months.
For full quantities and to print the recipe, see the recipe card below.
🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
So get your ingredients ready and let's get started!
01. To start, I take the zest from two oranges and add it to a big bowl where I'm going to prepare the batter.
02. Next, I peel the oranges and add the flesh to a food processor along with the eggs. I pulse everything until well combined and the orange flesh is fully broken down.
03. I empty the orange mixture to the bowl with the zest and add the oil and maple syrup. With a whisk, I combine all the wet ingredients.
04. Next, I add the dry ingredients, flour and baking powder. I mix everything until the flour is incorporated. Our batter is now ready.
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Buy On Amazon05. I like to use some parchment paper to line the loaf pan so it's easier to get the cake out later. You could also brush it with some butter or oil if you prefer. I add the batter to the loaf pan and place it in a well preheated oven.
06. It takes about 45 minutes for the cake to be ready and have a nice golden brown color at the top. If you are unsure, you could stick a toothpick or a knife in the middle and check if it comes out clean.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Although the orange loaf cake is made without any white processed sugar, it is still a sweet treat (since it has maple syrup in it) and should be given to little ones as a treat and not regularly.
We love having it with some fruits on the side in the morning or afternoon. It can also be served after their meal as a dessert.
🧰 Storage
If you have any leftovers of the orange loaf cake, you could store it in an airtight container on the kitchen counter and consume it within 3–4 days.
It’s also freezer-friendly for up to 2 months. I like to slice it first and place a piece of parchment paper between each slice. Then, I transfer the slices to a freezer-safe bag and freeze them. This way, you can easily take out individual slices to thaw overnight or warm them up in the microwave.
❓ FAQ
Yes, you could use an 8-inch round cake pan instead of a loaf pan.
If you tried my kid-friendly orange loaf cake or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📋 Recipe
Orange Loaf Cake (no refined sugar)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 oranges
- ¾ cup oil (light olive oil or vegetable oil)
- ¾ cup maple syrup (230gr)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375gr)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Add the zest from the oranges to a big bowl.
- Peel the oranges and add the flesh to a food processor along with the 3 eggs. Blend until smooth.
- Empty the content of the food processor to the bowl with the zest. Add the oil and maple syrup. Mix with a whisk to combine.
- Add the flour and baking powder. Mix until the flour is incorporated.
- Add the batter to a loaf pan lined with parchment paper or brushed with oil.
- Bake for 55 minutes in a preheated oven to 350℉ / 180℃.
Video
Notes
- I recommend sharing the orange loaf cake with children over 12 months old, but the ingredients are suitable for babies from 6 months old.
- You could substitute the maple syrup for honey, but NOT for babies under 12 months old.
Nutrition
🥣 More to try
If you liked my no refined sugar orange loaf cake, you should try some of these recipes too:
Julia Droulia
My kids love this orange loaf cake! It's so aromatic, moist and just enough sweet. If you tried it and like it as much as we do, leave me a comment and a rating here.