Orange Pudding Cake
Orange pudding cake is a moist, citrus-forward dessert built in two parts: a silky homemade orange curd folded into a soft, orange-scented cake batter, then baked until the top is set and golden. The result sits somewhere between a tender cake and a spoonable pudding, with a bright hit of fresh orange in every bite. It is a refreshing dessert for warm days, and it comes together with real oranges, a handful of pantry staples, and a little patience at the stove.
Why I Keep Coming Back to This Cake
I was delighted by the strong orange color of this cake, and I wanted it to be very clearly visible in the pictures, so I did not decorate it at all. That deep, sunny hue comes entirely from fresh orange juice and zest, and it feels like a little bit of summer on the plate. If you love citrus desserts as much as I do, this one hits the sweet, refreshing note I am always chasing when it is hot outside.
The Ingredients That Make It Work
There are two components here, and each one uses oranges in a slightly different way. The orange curd is made from egg yolks, one whole egg, cornstarch, fresh orange juice, sugar, a pinch of salt, and cubes of unsalted butter for gloss. The cake batter uses butter at room temperature, light brown sugar, eggs, baking powder, all-purpose flour, orange zest, and a little more fresh orange juice.
- Fresh orange juice and zest. Freshly squeezed juice carries far more aroma than bottled, and the zest packs in the fragrant oils that make the cake smell like oranges the moment it comes out of the oven.
- Egg yolks plus a whole egg. The yolks give the curd its rich, custardy body, while the extra whole egg helps it set as it cooks.
- Cornstarch. This is what thickens the curd into a spoonable sauce without needing to cook it for a long time.
- Butter. Cold cubes whisked into the finished curd add shine and a smooth finish, and softened butter gives the cake its tender crumb.
- Light brown sugar. It brings a gentle warmth to the batter that plays nicely against the tart citrus.
Prefer a gluten-free version? Swap the white all-purpose flour for a good gluten-free all-purpose baking blend, such as Schar’s Mix C Patisserie, and the cake works just as well. If you are new to baking without wheat, my gluten-free diet plan guide is a helpful place to start.
How to Get the Orange Curd Just Right
The curd is the part that rewards a little care, and the bain-marie (double-boiler) method is what keeps it smooth. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, so the gentle steam cooks the eggs slowly instead of scrambling them.
- Whisk before you heat. Beat the yolks, whole egg, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. Starting from a smooth base helps you avoid lumps later.
- Add the juice slowly. Pour the orange juice in gradually while mixing continuously, so the eggs warm up evenly.
- Watch for the change. After about 10 minutes the mixture stops looking foamy and begins to thicken. Switch to a spatula and stop as soon as the curd is thick enough to coat and hold on the spatula.
- Finish with butter off the heat. Add the butter cubes one at a time, mixing well between each, then chill the curd before folding it into the batter.
For the cake, whisk the softened butter, then blend in the orange juice, sugar, eggs, baking powder, flour, and zest until you have a soft, homogeneous cream. Fold in the chilled curd with a spatula, transfer to the tray, and refrigerate for an hour before baking. That rest firms up the batter so it bakes evenly. Bake at 180 C (356 F) for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean, and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serving and Storing
This cake is at its most refreshing once it has cooled, so it is a lovely make-ahead dessert for a warm afternoon. Serve it plain to let that bright orange color shine, or add a light dusting of powdered sugar and a few fresh orange segments on the side. Because it is built on an egg-and-butter curd, keep any leftovers covered in the fridge and enjoy them within a few days — they taste wonderful straight from the cold.
More Citrus Desserts to Try
If this recipe scratches your citrus itch, there are a few others on the blog worth bookmarking. My citrus upside-down cake shows off whole slices of fruit baked right into the top, while the Greek-inspired portokalopita orange phyllo cake is soaked in syrup for a completely different texture. And if you are fascinated by the way this pudding cake sets into soft layers, you will enjoy the clever chemistry behind my chocolate magic custard cake.
I hope you find inspiration here to create a truly special dessert. If you bake this orange pudding cake, please leave a star rating and drop a comment below to tell me how bright and citrusy yours turned out, and whether you served it chilled or barely warm.
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Orange Curd Pudding
Ingredients
Orange curd:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 250 ml fresh orange juice
- 100 g sugar
- 50 g unsalted butter cubed
- a pinch of salt
Pudding cake ingredients:
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 300 g white all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 100 ml fresh orange juice
- 150 g butter at room temperature
Instructions
- Prepare the orange curd.
- You will need to cook this using the double-broiler / bain-marie method. Add some water into a sauce pan and a heatproof bowl in it. The hot water shouldn't touch the top of the bowl.
- In the top bowl, add the egg yolks, whole egg, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Whisk vigorously until fluffy and the sugar is almost melted. Now you can add it in the heated saucepan with water. Turn on the stove on medium heat and place the heatproof bowl inside the saucepan. Add the orange juice slowly, while mixing continuously. The mixture will start cooking slowly from the steam.
- After 10 minutes, you will notice the eggs are no longer foamy and the sauce thickens. Now you can use a spatula to mix slowly. You can stop as soon as you notice the sauce is thick enough to stay on the spatula (a couple of minutes).
- Remove from heat and add the butter cubes, one at a time. Mix well and set aside in the fridge.
- Continue with the pudding cake.
- Spray the baking dish with a little bit of olive oil.
- In a bowl, with the help of a hand mixer, whisk the butter and add orange juice, sugar, eggs, baking powder, flour and the orange zest, until you get a homogeneous and soft cream. Add the orange curd and mix in with a spatula.
- Transfer it to the pudding tray. Put the tray in the fridge for an hour.
- Heat the oven to 180 C (356F).
- Put the pudding in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. This orange pudding cake uses egg yolks, whole eggs, and butter in both the curd and the batter, which makes it a vegetarian dessert rather than a vegan one. The eggs are structural, so there is no simple one-for-one swap to make it vegan without rebuilding the recipe.
Yes. Replace the white all-purpose flour with a good gluten-free all-purpose baking blend, such as Schar’s Mix C Patisserie, and the rest of the recipe stays the same. The curd is already gluten-free, since it is thickened with cornstarch rather than flour.
Cook the curd using the bain-marie method, with a heatproof bowl set over simmering water that does not touch the bottom of the bowl, so the gentle steam heats the eggs slowly. Whisk the eggs, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until fluffy first, add the orange juice gradually while mixing, and stop cooking once the curd is thick enough to hold on the spatula, usually after about 10 minutes.
It is a refreshing summer dessert, so it is lovely once it has cooled, and many people enjoy it chilled straight from the fridge. Always let it rest for at least 10 minutes after baking before slicing so it holds together.
Fresh orange juice is strongly recommended, because it gives the cake its vivid color and bright aroma that bottled juice tends to lack. Do not skip the orange zest either, since the fragrant oils in the peel add much of the citrus character.
Because it is made with an egg-and-butter curd, keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator and enjoy them within a few days. Serving it cold actually suits this cake well, so refrigerated slices taste great as they are.
