There’s nothing like a few blood oranges and a shot of liquor to spruce up an otherwise ordinary bowl of flour and eggs- am I right? Ingredients like these take cakes from average to amazing, so I’m thrilled the share a treat like this blood orange bundt cake with you today!
Living in a fairly rural area of lower Alabama, I often have a hard time finding exotic ingredients at my grocery store. Just to be clear: I’m using the term ‘exotic” loosely here. I’m not talking ostrich eggs or black truffles or even something as basic as a tub of mascarpone cheese. In these parts, it’s a stretch some days to even get my hands on a gallon of organic milk or a bag pine nuts, okay? We’re a one grocery store town (two if you count Wal-Mart, three if you count that guy who sells watermelons and sweet potatoes out of the tailgate of his truck), so while I am a far cry from being a pioneer woman, I still have to get kinda creative with my ingredients sometimes.
Last fall, our grocery store randomly got in a shipment of leeks and I remember feeling like it was Christmas morning. Holding back tears of joy, I called a few girlfriends exclaiming, “They (sniff, sob)… have (gasp for air, more sobs)… LEEKS!” I’m pretty sure I bought three bunches of those little beauties, and Brett and I ate potato leek soup for like two weeks. Unfortunately, our plumbing hasn’t been the same since the leak incident of 2016. RIP.
Then there was the day they started carrying my favorite brand of kettle corn. When I spotted that beautiful lavender colored bag on the bottom shelf, you would’ve thought Charlie had found Mr.Wonka’s golden ticket. I dropped whatever off-brand bag of potato chips I had been considering and raced to the popcorn shelf for a closer inspection. I can’t remember, but I think I cried real tears and then bought up the shelf of popcorn like I was stocking a bomb shelter. Don’t you dare judge me for it.
Our little grocery store is small and humble, and to be honest, it can be really frustrating to not have immediate access to a lot of the ingredients that bigger stores probably carry (#firstworldproblems). But let me say this: the ladies at the checkout line know my children by name. My daughter is so obsessed with our store’s butcher that sometimes she will request a trip to the store just so “Aimee go see Willie, please mama?” I can walk to my grocery store in less than 15 minutes, drive there in less than 3, and even though it’s not much, I’d take my little hometown store situation over just about anything.
Recently while shopping, I spied some blood oranges in the produce department. I sang the “Hallelujah Chorus” and promptly tossed a bag in my cart. I must have kept those oranges in my fridge for nearly a week before I decided what was worthy of its fancy juice and zest, and I’m happy to say that this blood orange bundt cake is the product of those efforts in the kitchen.
A fluffy butter and egg filled batter, scented with vanilla bean and citrusy zest, this blood orange bundt cake is the best case scenario for any bit of prized produce hanging out in your fridge. This cake takes the juice and zest of quite a few blood oranges, so it is perfect for using up all of that wintertime citrus. To make the blood orange bundt cake, we start by combining a number of basic dry ingredients- flour, sugar, baking soda… you know the drill. Once well combined, we toss in a few chunks of butter and allow that to incorporate until it’s pea-sized crumbles. The blood orange juice, eggs, and zest are combined with a bit of orange liquor, and that wet mixture is added to the cake. Once whipped to a smooth and fluffy finish, the batter is poured into a large bundt cake pan and baked in the oven until golden and fragrant.
I decided to top this blood orange bundt cake with a simple glaze made of blood orange juice and powdered sugar. The blood oranges lend a rosy hue to the glaze, and while a bright pink frosted cake is rarely an elegant treat, I can promise that this cake is one all the grown-ups will write home about. It has a tender and moist crumb, an understated citrus kick, and just the right amount of sugar to make this cake perfect for breakfast or dessert. BONUS: If you, like me, live in a slightly rural area with limited access to special fruits like this, take heart! I have tried this cake with navel and mandarin oranges and I can vouch for both as substitutes.
This blood orange bundt cake is a seasonal way to spruce up your baking game and I hope you’ll give it a try. Experimenting with new flavors, even ones that maybe aren’t so “exotic” like the citrus in this cake is an incredibly fun way to spend time in the kitchen. If you happen to spot a bag of blood oranges at the store this week, you should grab one and give this cake a try. Oh, and if you happen to be shopping at my local grocery store, you better get there quick before I buy up their stock of blood oranges.
Blood Orange Bundt Cake
This blood orange bundt cake is a sweet and citrus cake that is perfect to share with a crowd! Serve for breakfast or dessert.
- Author: Kate Wood
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 80
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Category: Cakes
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2–1/2 tablespoons blood orange zest
- 1 cup blood orange juice (about 5 blood oranges, but will vary)
- 2–1/2 teaspoons orange liquor
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 3 cups flour
- 2–1/2 cups sugar
- 1–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1–1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2–3/4 sticks of butter (11 ounces/22 tablespoons), room temperature
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons blood orange juice (more, if desired)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To prepare the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and liberally grease and flour a large 15 cup bundt cake pan.
- Stir together the eggs, vanilla, blood orange juice, zest, and liquor in a bowl or measuring cup and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Keeping the mixer on low, add the butter one tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until the mixture is uniform and in peas-sized crumbles.
- Increase the speed to medium (about 4 on a stand mixer) and slowly pour in the egg and juice mixture. Continue to beat until the batter is uniformly moistened, smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for about an hour and then carefully invert on the rack to continue cooling completely.
To prepare the glaze
- Combine all three ingredients until no lumps of sugar remain. Add more sugar to thicken glaze slightly and add small amounts of juice, milk, or water, to thin the glaze out. I prefer to keep mine rather thick so that it will thickly coat the sides of my cake. Once the cake is cooled completely, pour the glaze over top and allow it to drizzle down the sides. Store at room temperature for up to three days.
Notes
- This recipe is intended to be prepared in a large, 15 cup bundt cake pan. Do not fill the pan more than 3/4 of the way full or it will overflow! Pour extra batter in a cupcake pan and bake little blood orange muffins.
- Test the viscosity of your glaze this way: run a spatula or your whisk through the glaze. It should be just thick enough that the line you dragged through the glaze nearly disappears after about 10 counted seconds. Add more powdered sugar to thicken, or more juice to thin.
Recipe Adapted From: Jeff Mauro
25 thoughts on “Blood Orange Bundt Cake”
Hello! This looks fantastic. I was wondering, do you think I could substitute 5 flax eggs for regular eggs, as well as earth balance for butter to make this for a vegan friend?
Thank you!
I made this cake for my granddaughter’s 17th birthday. It turned out to be very delicious and everyone loved it. However the color of the cake was unusual. It was bright green! Any thoughts as to why it would turn out like that? The picture does not look green so it was a bit of a surprise when cutting in to it!
★★★★★
I find that certain kinds of blood orange peel does this!!
Could I substitute a cake mix?
possibly, although I’ve never tried it so it’s hard to say!
Hi Kate!
I’m super excited to try this out for Valentine’s Day! My heart shaped Bundt pan has a capacity of 10 cups. I imagine I should bake the extra goodness in a muffin tin for less time than the cake. Do you have an estimate so I know when to check that?
Thank you!
Hi there! Oh yikes, I don’t. For a bundt I would bake at least 45 minutes and peek at it. It will likely still be goopy and require close to an hour but I wouldn’t want you to overbake!
You don’t have the eggs listed in the ingredients
hi Charlotte! there are 5 eggs in this recipe. lmk if you’re having trouble viewing the recipe on your end. happy baking! 🙂
This cake came out amazing. Great dessert for Valentine’s Weekend 2021. Thanks!
Hooray! I’m thrilled to hear it!
Made this for mothers day and it was a hit! Love love love this recipe!!
★★★★★
oh i’m just thrilled! thank you for sharing. 🙂
Your description says “scented with vanilla bean and citrusy zest” but there is no vanilla bean in the recipe….just vanilla in the glaze.
you’re totally right! thank you for catching that. I’ve corrected for it now. 🙂
I am the queen of blood oranges lately!
I will try this bundt today with the last of my precious citrus!
I just discovered your lovely blog via instagram (feedfeed).
Have a great weekend!
Stacey
Hooray! I’m so glad you stopped by. Aren’t blood oranges the best? They someone seem, exactly as you put it, precious and valuable. Enjoy and lmk how it turns out!
I also found some blood oranges at the market (finally!) and left them sitting for some time haha this bundt is super pretty kate! xo
Use ’em up, girl!!!! 🙂
these**
I spied this little beauties too – and bought them last week! I am definitely going to make this cake 🙂
ha! now you know what to do with them! pop by if you need cointreau…. we have it coming out of our ears! #margaritaproblems
The next question is – how many bags do I need to buy?? I don’t think one bag will cut it.
i’ve lived in fairly urban areas, but i still get excited about unique ingredients and gush about them to whoever (and these people typically know to just nod and let me prance around screaming about these things). when french toast crunch cereal re-emerged, my mom bought me a box, and i couldn’t stop thanking her or talking about it for at least a weekend.
WAIT. FRENCH TOAST CRUNCH IS BACK??!!?? **cancels all plans, drives to store**