A slice of orange bread is the perfect treat for breakfast or coffee break. Delicious on its own but addictive with a generous layer of butter and your favorite jam!
This orange bread is a yeast-free loaf which means there is no kneading nor proofing required. So if you are looking for a hassle-free citrusy sweet bread recipe, this is it.
My other favorite citrus bread recipe is Lemon Lavender Loaf. If you top it with candied lemon slices it would make a great gift for the Holidays.
Other tasty quick bread recipes include Honey Cranberry Bread or Poppy Seed Banana Bread. They too have easy preparation with no kneading required.
How to make Orange Bread
Get a large bowl and beat the eggs with sugar until pale. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Once done, add in zest from one orange, orange juice and butter.
Give it a quick mix. Use a spatula at this stage as using an electric mixer would turn messy. It only needs a quick stir.
When done, add flour and baking powder. Now it’s important that these two have been sifted and mixed together beforehand.
Now give everything a mix with the electric mixer until all ingredients are well combined and form thick-ish batter.
Pour this into a loaf tin that you have lined with baking parchment.
Baking this orange loaf cake takes about 1 hour. To make sure this orange bread is ready just insert a wooden skewer or toothpick inside and when it comes out clean you can take it out.
Extra tips
- If you want to gift this orange bread to your loved ones, go the extra step and garnish the top with candied orange slices. Dipped in chocolate or sugar they are the perfect topping for this tasty bread.
- To check for doneness always insert the wooden skewer/toothpick in the middle of the loaf as it can be done around the edges while still raw in the middle.
- Note that the baking time may slightly vary depending on the type of oven you have.
- Because you are using zest from the orange I recommend buying organic oranges.
- Try adding finely chopped candied orange peel to the batter for the extra citrusy flavor and different texture.
This orange bread recipe is based on a recipe from an old cook book called Bread, Cakes & Biscuits by Mary Norwak. I made some changes to the original recipe. Reducing the amount of sugar was one of them as the original orange bread was way too sweet to my liking.
My version has just the right amount of sugar in it. I think it’s better adding more sweetness by spreading it with honey or jam rather than having a loaf that is way too sweet on its own.
This is an old post that has been updated with new photos and more detailed instructions and tips as well as recipe card with measurements in cups and grams.
Want to see how to make Orange Bread? Watch the video!
Orange Bread
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs (small-medium)
- 1½ cup Granulated Sugar (5.3 ounces/150 grams)
- Orange Zest (from 1 orange)
- 3 Medium Oranges , juice only (See note 2)
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter , softened (2.8 ounces/110 grams)
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (10.6 ounces/300 grams)
- 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the eggs with sugar until smooth and pale.
- Add orange zest, freshly squeezed orange juice and softened butter. Mix with the electric mixer.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder (mix these two ingredients beforehand) and mix well with the mixer. Pour the batter into a loaf tin (10×4 inch/25×10 cm) lined with baking paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F/190°C for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- When ready, take out from the oven pour some more orange juice over the loaf. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before transferring onto a wired rack. Let cool completely.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour (US) = Plain flour (UK).
- You will need to get ½ cup (120 ml) of orange juice for the batter + about ¼ cup (60 ml) for pouring over the baked bread. 3 medium oranges (150 grams each) should be plenty but if you have oranges that are rather dry on the inside you might need one extra.
- The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
- For more tips I recommend reading also the text above recipe card.
Carly says
Mine sank in the middle too, but the taste is absolutely amazing! So delicious! I will make this again this weekend.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your feedback, Carly! I am not sure what the problem can be: The most common reasons for cakes to sink in the middle are: an over-filled cake tin, over-mixing the batter or high oven temperature. Try reduce the oven temp slightly and use a large loaf tin if you have one. Hope this helps!
Jenni says
I’ve made this bread now twice. It is absolutely delicious. Mine doesn’t split at the top but still wonderful. I used blood oranges the first time and navel oranges today. When cooled I’m slicing and taking plates to friends. I made 2 loaves today.
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Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Jenni, I am so happy to hear that. Happy baking! :)
Tammy says
Thanks . It is yummy but I’ll try what you recommend.
Tanya says
Hi Julia,
I very rarely leave comments on recipes that I try. But your orange bread is so delicious, I could not leave it unsaid. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I am making it again today – but 2 loaves instead of one. One is gobbled up too quickly :)
Best,
Tanya
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much for finding time to leave a comment, Tanya. It means a lot! Happy baking :)
Wern says
I just made this orange cake. I used 1 cup All-Purpose-Flour and 1 cup Whole Wheat Bread Flour. For the topping, I mixed the juice with some butter and pour it onto the cake. The cake is moist and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you for your feedback, Wern. And thanks for letting us know that your substitutions worked well!
Mary A Zeldenrust says
You forgot to let us know when to add the butter.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Mary. Please see step 3 in the recipe card. You can also watch the video that is above the recipe card or check process photos, if you are not sure about something. Happy Baking!
Diane says
Why zest a whole orange and then only use half?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Diane. Thanks for pointing that out! It was an error in the recipe card that has already been fixed.
Dolly C. says
It’s amazing, super delicious ! A favorite from
Now on!
Bruce Thompson says
This is a wonderful recipe as written. On my second bread loaf, I wanted to bump up the fiber content so added:
2 TB (20 grams) ground flaxseed
2 TB (20 grams) chia seeds
3 TB (30 grams) sunflower seeds.
That second loaf also turned out great.
Highly recommend the original version, or my own adjustments should you desire more fiber.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Bruce. Thank you for your feedback and also for finding time to leave your version of this recipe! Other readers will definitely find useful! Happy Baking :)
Maria F. says
I made this yesterday and EVERYONE at home LOVED IT! It is SO GOOD!!!! Thank you so much for sharing it.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
That’s great to hear, Maria F. Thanks so much for finding time to leave feedback!
Kristen says
Amazing!!! I did half whole wheat and half white flour and also did 1 cup of sugar and added chocolate chips. Turned out to be a perfect loaf and the OJ absorbed nicely after baking! A++
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much for your feedback, Kristen. I am so happy to hear your substitutions worked well and you enjoyed this orange bread.
Mike Ryan says
I made three loaves yesterday and OMG delicious
Joni C says
I made the bread yesterday and added the orange citrus. The bread was good but topping it with the orange juice was a mess and I don’t think it added anything to the bread except to make it a bit soggy.
Next time I’ll just sprinkle it with some sugar as I do with my banana bread.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Joni. The juice intensifies the orange flavor and when poured over a hot loaf, it will soak up the juice. It should not be soggy. However, you can omit this step if you prefer a lighter flavor.
Nina Soifer says
Hello! I’ve made this recipe 5-6 times because it’s become my husband’s favorite snack. The first time I baked it, it came out of the oven with a beautifully rounded top like your photo. Since then, for some reason, every time I make it, the top sinks. It still tastes delicious, but it doesn’t look as lovely as the first time I made it. Might you have any insight into why this is happening?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Nina, do you remember changing something in the recipe or in the process? There are a few things that can cause this. Here are a few: opening the oven doors during baking, over-beating the batter, batter sitting too long before cooking, old baking powder… Baking is a science and sometimes even the slightest change (that we don’t even notice) can cause our baked products turn out differently. Hope this helps a bit and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Rosie says
I added chopped nuts on top before baking and frosted the top with cream cheese frosting….mmm good will be making more
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Mmm…that sounds delicious, Rosie! :)
Patricia says
Do you pour orange juice on the baked loaf? Wouldn’t that make it soggy?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Patricia. Yes, you do. It has to be poured over right after you take the loaf out of the oven so it is still hot enough. It should not be soggy. If not sure, you can use slightly less juicy but it does give the orange loaf a ton of flavor.
malou says
Why do you call it “bread”? … it’s “cake”…!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Some call it a loaf, bread, others cake. I’d say it depends where you live, Malou :).
Krisztina says
Was wondering if this recipe would work with mandarins instead of oranges?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not! Happy Baking!
Beckie says
This recipe sounded wonderful.. I followed it exactly as written. But like others commented it fell after I set it out to cool. And I know my ingredients are fresh, I just replenished them. At least all the fresh oranges I squeezed made the kitchen smell good.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Beckie. I am sorry to hear that. I would like to help you troubleshoot but would need more details. Did you use cup measurements or grams? Was your oven preheated? What pan did you use for baking? Was it the same as stated in the recipe or different? There are many things that can affect the baking process. Hope this will not discourage you from trying more. Happy Baking!
Lucia says
I made this recipe exactly as provided with the exception of using bottled orange juice instead of freshly squeezed. The cake has a wonderful flavor which is definitely enhanced by spreading butter on it. The only change I would incorporate the next time I make it is to decrease the sugar even futher due to personal preference.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your feedback, Lucia! Happy Baking!
Tammy says
Why did my loaf fall in center about 5 min before done in oven. I did not open door to oven prior. I followed recipe. I have no idea why. I have not ever had this happen with any bread loaves like banana bread etc.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Tammy. Sorry to hear that. I am not sure why that happened. Did you use the right size of tin? Maybe you overmixed the batter?
Tami Bryson says
Has anyone tried making this same recipe in the form of cupcakes. I would love to try it.
Alessandra says
This loaf tastes like one my Nonna would make. My dad almost cried when he tried it (it’d been about 8 years since she passed). I’ve made it several times. The only issue I have is with the butter! I can never get it to mix in when it’s only softened, so I usually stick it in the microwave until it’s almost melted. I also use 2 large eggs, because I’ve never seen small or medium in any store. Either way, great loaf!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Alessandra. Thanks so much for your feedback. In my corner of the world they sell eggs of all sizes and I sometimes prefer the smaller ones in baking to avoid eggy flavor. However, if the large ones work for you then great! Happy Baking!
Gayle says
There’s a pic showing poured orange juice over the top after baking? I don’t see anything about that in the directions?
Looks delicious!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Gayle, it is written under step 6 and also mentioned in note 2.
Lori Ann says
Delicious! As another person commented the butter did not incorporate well. Because the butter was added with liquids it seemed to form small balls. Is there a technique I should know about?
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks for your feedback, Lori Ann. I have not have such problem but this can be due to the butter still not soft enough. You can soften it more in the microwave but don’t over-do it. If worried, you can also use an electric whisk (instead of the spatula) at this stage for a lump-free outcome. Hope this helps!