Indulge in the exquisite delight of our irresistible, extremely soft, and moist orange teacake to awaken your taste buds. Immerse yourself in the heavenly aroma and the zesty flavors of freshly grated oranges. Although this cake is made of 100% whole wheat flour, it is extremely soft and moist with a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. Whether paired with your evening cup of coffee or savored on its own, this teacake will win your heart in a way that you would want to make it again and again.
Slather it with some frosting and it can make a pretty good birthday cake too. 🙂 That’s what I did on my husband’s birthday. I used the same recipe, made it circular because that gives a more “birthday” feel, and topped it up with some lemon cream cheese frosting and some berries on top. Perfect!
Story Time
Out birthday cake baking tradition – we both started baking birthday cakes for each other during COVID-19. Jatin wants me to write that he was the one who started this! It is true. He is the one who sowed the seeds of this sweet and fun tradition of ours. He baked a chocolate cake for me on my birthday when it was Covid. And when it was his birthday, I also decided to bake a cake for him. And then we continued to do it every year for the last 3 years and I just hope that we continue it forever. Let’s see!
Every year Jatin bakes professional-looking cakes and sets such a high bar for me that I am always under pressure when I have to bake a cake for him. And I always try and experiment with cakes on his birthday and end up screwing up something or the other. But we still eat them with pleasure. This year I decided to stick to the basics and create something that I can create well. Although I never baked an orange teacake but this cake is a modification of my lemon teacake recipe and that is why I was confident enough that I won’t screw up this time. I did some modifications and made some last-minute changes, and the cake turned out just perfect. And then comes the frosting part in which I am very bad. But this time I managed it somehow and reached the level of Jatin. 😀
Tips to bake it right
- Room Temperature: Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature. It is very important in baking. Take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you start baking.
- Measure Accurately: Correctly measuring the ingredients is very important. Adding extra flour is one common mistake. Fill your measuring cup with the flour using a spoon and then level it off with a knife. For better results, always use a kitchen scale.
- Sifting: Sift the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. This ensures that there are no lumps in the batter. Sometimes the flour or the sugar looks just fine until you sift them.
- Over-mixing: This is something that happens accidentally. Over-mixing crushes all the air bubbles and you end with a dense cake. To ensure that the cake is light, mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until they are just combined. That means you don’t see any dry ingredients left in the bowl.
- Leavening Agent: Baking Powder & baking soda help the cake rise. Double-check to make sure they are not expired.
- Baking Time: Baking time depends on a lot of factors. Every oven bakes at a different time even at the same temperature setting. So be careful with that. After around 40 minutes, insert a toothpick at the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven. If the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, let it bake further for a few minutes. Also, the time of baking depends on the baking tray size. If the baking tray is deep, it will take more time to bake.
How to keep the whole wheat cake extra soft and moist after baking?
Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven. Let it rest for 5 minutes and then take it out of the baking tray and keep it on the cooling rack. Cover the cake with a towel on top. This traps the moisture inside and makes the cake even softer.
For this orange cake, I drizzled some orange juice on top once the cake was baked. This not only enhances the flavors and makes it more decadent but also makes the whole wheat cake extra soft and moist but tender.
Why does my cake become soggy after baking?
If you let the cake rest in the baking tray, condensation happens and forms water droplets inside the tray. This makes the cake moist and soggy from the bottom and the edges. That is why remove the cake from the baking tray, place it on a cooling rack, and let it cool down completely.
Can I make it in the Microwave?
Yes. Of course. If your microwave has a convection mode, you can easily bake this cake in it.
To bake this cake in the microwave, you just need to preheat the microwave to 180°C for around 10 minutes or as mentioned in your instruction manual. Once preheated, bake the cake just like I baked it in the oven.
How to store orange teacake?
You can store it in an air-tight container. Leave it at room temperature on your kitchen counter for two days (depending on the temperature at your place). You can easily refrigerate it for a week.
The best part of this cake is that it remains soft even on refrigeration. This is because it has no butter in it.
Can we freeze this orange teacake?
I never froze any cake but my friend does. You can surely freeze this orange teacake. Just slice them up and put them in an air-tight container or zip-lock bag. Put it in the freezer. Whenever you want to enjoy it, just take it out and heat it in your microwave. You can freeze it for up to a month.
Is this recipe vegan?
Yes. It is a 100% vegan and plant-based recipe. I used applesauce instead of eggs, olive oil instead of butter, and oat milk instead of dairy milk. All the ingredients used in this recipe are plant-based.
Cake Frosting
This step is optional. You can enjoy this cake with no frosting at all with your tea or coffee. But if you want to make this cake for a birthday party, then you can make this simple cake recipe fancier with some lemon cream cheese frosting on top. Without saying, fresh fruits and berries make anything look extra gorgeous. Isn’t it?
Honestly, I am not very good with frosting as of now, which is why I decided to make a simple one without fussing more about the stiffness or consistency. I did not want to make a decorative cake because I knew that I might screw up my frosting. That’s why, I made the frosting as per my taste – not very sweet – and then slathered it on top and further decorated my cake with some fresh berries and orange.
Ingredients List
Cooking Method
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Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this tempting and healthier orange teacake at home. It is eggless, made with 100% whole wheat flour, and has no sugar in it which makes this cake healthier. Moreover, homemade cakes are always better than store-bought ones because they have no chemicals and preservatives and have the best quality ingredients.
If you try this recipe & like it too, please share the photo of your creation on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.
Happy Baking. 🙂
Love,
Richa
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