What's big, orange, and full of delicious citrus flavor? This Vegan Orange Bundt Cake, studded with raisins and finished with a sweet Orange Cream Glaze! This colossal cake elicits oohs and ahs when set out for serving, but the proof is in the tasting — and this cake goes to the head of its class. It tastes fabulous on its own, but you can also serve it with dairy-free ice cream or a fresh fruit salad.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Orange zest and juice. Both go into the batter for maximum citrus flavor — seek out organic, unwaxed oranges since you're using the peel, and be sure to zest only the bright orange layer, not the bitter white pith underneath.
- Raisins. Folded into the batter right before it goes into the pan, they add little pockets of sweetness throughout the cake and a bit of chew against the tender crumb.
- Whole wheat pastry flour and unbleached white flour. The combination keeps the cake tender while adding a little more substance than an all-white-flour cake.
- Dark whole cane sugar. Sucanat or Rapadura both work well here, and add a subtle molasses note alongside the organic sugar.
- Silken tofu. The base of the Orange Cream Glaze — it blends completely smooth and gives the glaze a rich, creamy texture without any dairy.
Variations
- Extra orange. To make your cake extra orange, both in color and flavor, simply eliminate the soymilk and use 2 cups of orange juice instead. This is also a great option for those with nut or soy allergies, or who prefer not to use plant-based milks.
- Extra sweet. If you want to make your cake extra sweet, or you just prefer organic, swap the dark whole cane sugar for organic sugar. This will give you a total of 1 ¼ cups organic sugar in your cake, making it slightly sweeter.
- Extra sauce. After pouring the Orange Cream Glaze over your cake, make a yummy sauce with the leftovers. Stir some dried cranberries into the remaining glaze and serve alongside the cake.
- Extra chocolate. Instead of the Orange Cream Glaze, use a chocolate ganache. Simply pour the ganache over the cooled cake in place of the glaze. The flavor combination of orange and chocolate is one of our favorites, and you can really emphasize it by using orange-flavored chocolate.
- Swap the mix-ins. Dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots both work well in place of raisins. Toasted chopped walnuts or pecans folded in alongside the raisins add a nice crunch.
- Add spice. A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom in the dry ingredients adds a warm background note that pairs nicely with the orange.
Tips for the Best Orange Bundt Cake
- Don't overfill the pan. To ensure the finest crumb and texture, vegan cake batter shouldn't fill the baking pan more than a scant half full. Measure carefully using the proper measuring tools for dry and liquid ingredients, and use an oven thermometer if you have one.
- Toss the raisins in a little flour first. A light coating of flour before folding them into the batter helps keep the raisins suspended throughout the cake instead of all sinking to the bottom.
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing. You'll need to allow at least 40 minutes for this big cake to cool — glazing it too early will just melt the glaze right off.
- Having trouble de-panning your cake? If the cake sticks to the pan even when inverted, wet a kitchen towel in hot water, wring it out, and place it over the inverted pan for a few minutes. Then shake the pan gently to release the cake.
Make Ahead & Storage
This cake keeps well at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week once glazed. It also freezes beautifully unglazed — wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw and glaze just before serving. The Orange Cream Glaze itself keeps in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
How to Serve
Serve on its own with a cup of tea or coffee, or dress it up with dairy-free ice cream or a fresh fruit salad for dessert. Leftover glaze is delicious spooned over fruit salads, other cakes, or baked desserts like cobblers and pies.
Recipe
Vegan Orange Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ cups unbleached white flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 cup organic sugar
- ¼ cup organic dark whole cane sugar such as Sucanat or Rapadura, finely ground
- ⅔ cup organic canola oil or a mild extra virgin olive oil such as arbequina
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup soymilk or another non dairy milk
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 organic oranges zested and finely grated
- ¾ cup raisins
Orange Cream Glaze
- 1 box firm organic silken tofu 12.3 oz, drained
- 5 tablespoon organic cane sugar or to taste
- 5 tablespoon organic orange juice concentrate thawed
- 1 tablespoon organic canola oil or another neutral oil
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon orange extract or ⅛ teaspoon pure orange oil
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or another orange flavored liquor; optional
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Oil a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan thoroughly.
- Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl.
- Add the pastry flour, white flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and both of the sugars to the strainer and sift the ingredients into the bowl.
- Stir with a wire whisk to distribute and aerate the ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine oil, orange juice, soymilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Whisk until thoroughly emulsified.
- Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth.
- Gently fold the raisins into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Rotate the pan to level the batter, and tap it lightly on the counter to eliminate some of the air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the cake is golden and firm at the center when very lightly touched. A toothpick inserted in a few spots near the center of the cake should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the bundt from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
- Place another wire rack on top of the cake and turn the pan upside down. Tap the pan gently and the cake should release. Make sure cake is completely cool before glazing or serving. You’ll need to allow at least 40 minutes for this big cake to cool.
Orange Cream Glaze
- Combine all the ingredients for the cream in a blender or food processor, and process 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly mixed and creamy.
- Taste the cream and add more sugar if you want a sweeter whip.
- Pour orange cream over your cake. The cream will soak into the cake a bit, so only pour enough cream to flavor, not drench, your cake.
- Spoon the leftover cream into a container. Refrigerate for up to two days.
Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)
Vegan Orange Bundt Cake FAQs
Can I make this as a layer or sheet cake instead?
You can easily make this orange cake into a layer or sheet cake instead of a bundt cake. For a layer cake, you'll need two 9x3-inch round pans, and for a sheet cake, one 9x13-inch pan. Reduce the baking time to 25–35 minutes, checking regularly for doneness.
How can I use my leftover Orange Cream Glaze?
Use your leftover glaze to transform simple fruit salads into special treats, dress up plain cakes, or complement other baked desserts like cobblers and pies. Simply serve your favorite treats with a dollop of glaze.
Sweet tooth still craving? Here are more Vegan Baking and Sweets. Also worth trying: our vegan chocolate orange cake.
From More Great Good Dairy Free Desserts Naturally* by Fran Costigan. For more about Fran's amazing pastries, visit FranCostigan.com.
*This post contains affiliate links. If the product is purchased by linking through this review, VegKitchen receives a modest commission, which helps maintain our site and helps it to continue growing!
Ronni says
Just made this cake. It's delicious, with a perfect crumb. I added fresh cranberries to the batter.