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Vegan Orange Cake Recipe
It is SO cliche to say this, but the holidays are unequivocally my favorite time of year! My tree goes up before Thanksgiving, for an extra festive flair. Holiday music is always on (though, the past couple of years, it's less Bing Crosby and more Alvin and the Chipmunks. Motherhood!)
I am so into it, guys. Give me ALL THE CHRISTMAS. The lights, the decorations, the joy...and perhaps most importantly - the baking!
Gingerbread, peppermint, and pumpkin are all classic holiday flavors. But I love thinking outside the box and going with flavors that are less traditional but still festive. One of my favorite desserts to make is the Vegan Orange Cake recipe I'm sharing with you today. It's topped with a heavenly vanilla coconut whip frosting and orange zest.
This is an orange cake that actually tastes like oranges - with the help of Nielsen-Massey Pure Orange Extract. I highly recommend buying the finest quality products with rich flavor profiles when holiday baking. It makes all the difference. Some orange extracts are made from artificial flavors, but this extract is made from real, high-quality oranges.
Orange pairs really well with vanilla, so I also added some Pure Vanilla Extract and topped my cake with Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar - both also by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas and both BURSTING with amazing vanilla flavor. (Side tip: Adding a teaspoon of vanilla sugar to chamomile tea is absolutely to die for.) Follow Nielsen-Massey Vanillas on social media for more incredible recipe ideas!
Vanilla Coconut Whip Frosting
I have used coconut whipped cream a ton on this blog (and in real life) - it's THAT good. It's 1) vegan 2) creamy and fluffy and 3) healthier than sugar-and-cream-filled frosting like buttercream. I mean, it's cake, so we aren't being TOO healthy here but this frosting also just tastes REALLY good.
To make the frosting, leave a couple cans of coconut cream in the fridge overnight. If you can't find straight up coconut cream, use 4 cans of coconut milk instead. About 30 minutes before preparing the frosting, place your mixing bowl in the fridge. Keeping the frosting cold will help it whip up.
Scoop out the coconut cream from the cans, leaving the liquid behind, and place it into the bowl. Add in your sweetener (maple syrup or agave both work wonderfully) and Pure Vanilla Extract. Whip on medium speed using a stand mixer or a hand mixer - a stand mixer works better, I've found, but either will produce a delicious frosting. Be careful not to over whip. The frosting should be fluffy and form peaks.
Frosting Tips:
- If your frosting comes out too liquid-y, try adding more coconut cream OR a couple tablespoons of organic powdered sugar.
- If you make this cake ahead of time, place it in the fridge so the frosting holds up. I've left it out at room temperature for 2 hours and it was fine but any longer that, you might be pushing your luck.
This Vegan Orange Cake is a wonderful holiday dessert that is sure to please your friends and family! You might want to print out a few extra copies of this recipe to bring with you to your holiday gatherings. (They'll be TOTALLY shocked to find out that this scrumptious cake recipe is vegan!)
Vegan Orange Cake with Vanilla Coconut Whip Frosting
Ingredients
Vegan Orange Cake
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup organic sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups orange juice
- ¼ cup grapeseed oil
- 2.5 tsp Nielsen-Massey Pure Orange Extract
- 1 tsp Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
Vanilla Coconut Whip Frosting
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 3-4 tbsp organic agave - or maple syrup
- 1 tsp Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
Toppings
- orange zest from one orange
- optional Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar
- optional cranberries
Instructions
Vegan Orange Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your cake pan(s) and sprinkle with flour.
- Whisk together all dry ingredients in one bowl (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) and wet ingredients another large bowl (orange juice, oil, orange extract, and vanilla extract.)
- Whisk about a cup of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then, stir in remaining dry ingredients.
- Pour cake batter evenly into two round cake pans or into one 9x13 pan.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes*. (Or until a toothpick comes out clean.)
Coconut Whip Frosting
- Prep: Refrigerate 2 cans of coconut cream or 4 cans of coconut milk overnight (I'd recommend buying an extra can just in case one is a dud). Refrigerate mixing bowl at least 30 minutes in advance of making frosting.
- Scoop out cold coconut cream from the cans and add into refrigerated bowl. Leave behind the excess liquid (you can store it in your fridge.)
- Add in agave or maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whip on medium speed for 2-4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip and check frequently. If the cream begins to separate, you have over-whipped.
- After cake cools, frost it** and top with orange zest. You can also top with vanilla sugar and cranberries for a super festive appearance!
Notes
Julie says
I was in charge of dessert for Christmas so I combined the cake from this recipe, filling it with homemade cranberry sauce and topping it off with coconut cream frosting that goes with your Carrot Cake Pancakes. Everybody loved it, even my 93-year old grandmother whose grandfather was a baker. Thank you for making our Christmas great!
cere says
Cake pans come in multiple sizes, and you really need to specify which size your recipe calls for. Even the small difference between 8- and 9-inch round cake pans can ruin a good recipe. I'm shocked that any food blogger posting cake recipes wouldn't know to do this already.
Karissa says
Thanks for being so helpful. You caught a recipe in my very early blogging days. We all had to start somewhere, right? This recipe used a 9-inch pan.
larissa says
should this recipe be made with store bought or freshly squeezed orange juice? i’d like to use whichever gives the best result 🙂
Karissa says
I just used store-bought.
Kayla says
Made this for sons birthday yesterday and it was a hit! Godson said my cake was one of thee best cakes he’s had. Sis-in-luv said it was bomb - others raved about how yummy it was. I didn’t make homemade frosting, but used vegan / coconut based store bought. I will for sure make this again. Thank you so much - will try your other recipes for sure!
Irma says
Hi, Karissa!
I can't believe I haven't thanked you for this recipe before. I made it once last year. It is SO simple to make and ridiculously delicious.
My 3-year old son and I made it again today for my mom's birthday and the house smells divine. Batter taste test confirms that flavour matches aroma 🙂
Coconut frosting is soooo easy to make too.
Thank you!!
I will top this cake off with some strawberries and mangoes today.
🙂
Irma.
Imogen Hobson says
Any chance of converting to ml, grams and centigrade? From a non-US reader. 😉
Kate says
This was a pretty great cake and super easy as far as sweet vegan treats go. I could not get stiff peaks with my coconut cream frosting for the life of me. I also have one question, how do you tell if a can of coconut cream is a dud? I tried searching google but it just kept sending me to links about coconut milk. Thanks!
Karissa says
Hey, Kate! Glad you enjoyed the cake but that's a bummer about the frosting! When putting it in the fridge overnight, the cream will harden and the liquid will settle on the bottom. A good can of coconut cream will be at least 2/3 full of cream. You'll want to discard the liquid part and use just the cream. The issue may be the brand - I typically only use Thai Kitchen or Trader Joe's coconut cream and don't have experience with other brands.
Judit Bartok says
Is it suitable for freezing?
Karissa says
Hi! I haven't tried freezing it, so I'm not sure!
Jackie says
Hi I don’t have pure orange extract, will it be okay without?
Charo Vargas says
I can't wait to make my first vegan cake. Do I need to grease the pans before pouring the batter? Thank you,
Karissa says
If you use good non-stick pans that aren't scratched up, greasing isn't usually necessary. But if you want to play it safe, definitely grease them up.
Lillian says
Should I use plain flour or self raising flour?
Karissa says
All-purpose flour.
Lizzy says
Made this fantastic recipe for my mother's 57th birthday. Didn't have enough ripe oranges yet to get 2 cups of juice, so subbed in the remaining amount with pineapple juice, plus added about .5 tbsp apple cider vinegar. It was soo fluffy and moist, almost like a sponge cake. Filled with whipped buttercream and topped with rich chocolate ganache, all vegan of course. Thank you for the recipe! Definitely staying in my repertoire.
Karissa says
So happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing.
Amanda says
Thank you Karissa for this delecious vegan cake.I tried it, it came out very nice but there is a color difference meaning as if the oil deposited at the bottom give it a darker color then the cake above.
Is there anyway to avoid this next time?
Definitely will do again❤❤
Karissa says
Hmmm... I'm really not sure! Could it be the cake pans?
Monika says
Can't wait to try this! Have you done a gluten-free version? I am making my neighbours son's birthday cake (has to be vegan and gluten-free) and he has requested orange.
Karissa says
No gluten-free version - I haven't done a ton of gluten-free baking yet but I am planning to!
Hannah says
Did you end up trying this as a gluten-free cake? I want to make it for my sister but she also cannot have gluten.
Kelly says
The cake doesn't need vinegar?
Karissa says
No. The orange juice is acidic enough.
Iliana says
This looks amazing! What if I don't have grapeseed oil? What can I use instead?
Thanks!
Iliana
Karissa says
Any neutral-tasting oil will work!
Nicole Dawson says
Not only does this look so pretty, it sounds pretty darn amazing too! I love the simplicity of coconut whip frosting with the hints of orange.
Katie | Delightful Vegans says
Karissa, this is seriously making me drool - it looks that good! Wish I could just eat a slice through the computer screen!