What if one cake could make your whole kitchen smell like sunshine? Sunday, November 15, is National Bundt Cake Day, and it’s the perfect excuse to bake something special. So, let’s get out the Bundt tin, soften the butter, and fill the kitchen with the sweet, fresh smell of oranges.

For me, a Bundt cake is more than just a cake. It brings back memories of slow Sundays, a warm cup of coffee, and lovely conversations that last for hours. And, of course, there’s that little moment of worry when you turn the tin upside down and hope your beautiful cake comes out in one perfect piece! Because sometimes, the best moments are made with a little butter, a little sugar, and a lot of love.

This recipe started with a simple wish: to make an orange cake that tastes fresh, bright, and full of flavour. I wanted it to be soft, moist, and never dry. The secret is in two easy steps. First, rub the orange zest into the sugar using your fingers or a blender. This helps bring out all that lovely orange flavour. Then, pour fresh orange syrup over the cake while it is still warm. The cake soaks up the syrup, making every bite soft, juicy, and full of orange goodness.

The smell alone is wonderful! This orange Bundt cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or afternoon tea. One thing is certain: you’ll want to make it again and again.

WHERE DOES THE BUNDT CAKE COME FROM?

The Bundt Cake (Kugelhopf, Gugelhopf) has many homelands. Bakers in Alsace, southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have made it for generations, each region with its own recipe and its own name. It’s also a close cousin of Gugelhupf. Nobody knows for sure where the name comes from. Some people link it to the “Gugel,” a medieval hood that looks like the shape of the pan. Others tell a story about the Three Kings, who stopped at a potter’s home in Alsace. The potter was so grateful, the story goes, that he baked them a cake in his clay mold.

The classic Gugelhupf is a yeast cake with raisins and almonds. My orange version is its modern sister. It needs no yeast and no long rise. You can bake it whenever a cake craving hits.

WHY THIS ORANGE BUNDT CAKE WORKS EVERY TIME

Here’s what each ingredient does:

• Orange zest and sugar: I always rub the zest into the sugar first. This releases the natural oils and makes the orange flavor much stronger. The sugar turns a little orange and smells amazing.
• Greek yogurt or sour cream: Either one keeps the cake soft and adds a gentle richness without making it heavy.
• Orange juice: It adds freshness and moisture. I don’t rely on juice alone, though. The zest and the syrup do the rest.
• Cornstarch: A small amount gives the crumb a extra tender texture.
• Orange syrup: This step matters more than it looks. The syrup soaks into the cake and keeps it from drying out.

TIPS FOR A PERFECT BUNDT CAKE

These small things make the biggest difference:

• Rub the zest into the sugar. Don’t skip this step.
• Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears.
• Bake the cake just until it’s done. Overbaking dries it out fast.
• Use room-temperature eggs, milk, yogurt, and butter. They make the batter smoother.

ORANGE BUNDT CAKE FAQ

Can I make this cake ahead?

Yes. I like it even better the next day, when the syrup has fully settled in.

Why do I need the syrup?

The syrup keeps the cake moist and boosts the orange flavor. You can skip it if you prefer a less sweet cake. Without it, the crumb turns a little drier and firmer.

Can I use a different pan?

Yes. I used a regular Gugelhupf or Bundt pan with a 22 cm (9-inch) diameter and about 2.4 liters (10 cups) of volume. The batter also fits a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13-inch) baking pan, two loaf pans (about 22 cm / 9 inches each), or two round 23 cm (9-inch) cake pans. In a mini Bundt pan, the batter makes about 12 cakes, depending on the size of your pan. Shallower pans bake faster, so check the cake early.

Why did my cake turn out dense?

Often, you mixed the batter too long after adding the flour.

Can I make a cream cheese glaze instead?

Yes. Beat 75 g (⅓ cup) cream cheese until smooth. Add 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons orange juice, and mix until creamy. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a splash of orange juice.

MORE RECIPES WITH ORANGE

If you love citrus, stay a little longer. More recipes on the blog are waiting to take you on a small journey. Will you come along?

More orange recipes you’ll love:

• Khoresht-e Porteghal – Persian orange chicken thighs
• Beet salad with goat cheese and oranges
• Pistachio kipferl (crescent cookies) with orange-cardamom sugar
• Cardamom yeast rolls with blood orange frosting
• Shirini Sadafi – pistachio-orange madeleines for afternoon tea
• Morabay-e Havij – carrot and orange jam with cardamom and rosewater

BLOG EVENT – GUGELHUPF – NATIONAL BUNDT CAKE DAY

Some holidays hardly anyone knows, and they’re still the loveliest ones. National Bundt Cake Day is one of them. Again this year, we celebrate this wonderful cake with its crown and its hole in the middle. I love picturing all the kitchens where butter softens, zest perfumes the air, and pans get greased on this day.

Tina from the blog foodundco has invited us to the Gugelhupf Day blog event, as she does every year. This isn’t my first time joining in. Over the years, I’ve shared a few Gugelhupf recipes with you:

• Cinnamon swirl Bundt cake
• Pomegranate Bundt cake
• Middle Eastern Style Bundt cake
• Chocolate cocoa Bundt cake with ruby
• Lemon yogurt Bundt cake with pistachios
• Persian Love Bundt Cake

This year, my contribution to this sweet table is an orange Bundt Cake. Several fellow bloggers have joined in and share their own Bundt Cak with you. I find it beautiful when one cake becomes a shared story, and everyone brings a different ingredient and a different scent. Go visit Tina and the others. You’ll surely find your new favorite Bundt Cake, and maybe you’ll bake one this Sunday. All recipes in German.

foodundco.de Elisenlebkuchen-Gugelhupf ohne Mehl

Linal’s Backhimmel Birnen-Marzipan-Gugelhupf

FEL!X KITCHEN Marmeladen-Gugelhupf

1x umrühren bitte aka kochtopf Gugelhupf mit selbst gemachtem Baileys

Küchenmomente Zimtschnecken-Gugelhupf

ninamanie Tiramisu-Gugelhupf

Backmaedchen 1967 Birnen-Honig-Gugelhupf

homemade & baked Quitten Gugelhupf mit Haselnüssen

Küchentraum & Purzelbaum Spekulatius-Gugelhupf mit Mandeln

Barbaras Spielwiese Birnen-Haselnuss-Gugelhupf

zimtkringel Altwiener Apfelgugelhupf

Bistroglobal Ein italienischer Gugelhupf – Ciambellone

INGREDIENTS FOR ORANGE BUNDT CAKE

250 g (1¼ cups) granulated sugar

2–3 tbsp orange zest (from about 2 organic oranges)

325 g (2⅔ cups) Instant flour

25 g (3 tbsp) cornstarch (cornflour)

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

200 g (14 tbsp) soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing, at room temperature

4 large eggs, at room temperature

100 g (scant ½ cup) full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature

120 ml (½ cup) orange juice, at room temperature

40–60 ml (3–4 tbsp) milk, at room temperature

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ORANGE SYRUP

120 ml (½ cup) orange juice

100 g (½ cup) sugar

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GLAZE

250 g (2 cups) powdered sugar (icing sugar)

4–5 tbsp orange juice (or orange liqueur)

2 tbsp orange zest, for decorating

You need about 4–5 medium oranges in total. Choose organic, unwaxed oranges, because the zest goes into the cake.

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE PAN

Grease a 22 cm (9-inch), 2.4-liter (10-cup) Gugelhupf or Bundt pan well with soft butter, including every groove. Dust it with flour, tilt the pan to coat it, and tap out the excess.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F) conventional. For a fan oven, use 160 °C (320 °F).

MAKE THE ORANGE SUGAR

Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar smells fragrant and feels slightly moist.

MIX THE BATTER

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together. Set the mixture aside.

Beat the soft butter until creamy. Add the orange sugar and beat for 5 minutes, until the mixture turns pale and fluffy and the sugar dissolves completely.

Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then mix in the yogurt and orange juice.

Stir in half of the flour mixture. Add the milk a little at a time. (My instant flour needed only 40 ml, so start with less and add more only if the batter feels too stiff.) Then add the rest of the flour mixture.

Fold with a spatula just until everything comes together. Overmixing makes the cake dry or dense.

BAKE

Pour the batter into the pan*.

Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Test with a wooden skewer. When it comes out clean, the cake is done. Mine took 50 minutes.

MAKE THE ORANGE SYRUP

Simmer the orange juice and sugar briefly. Turn off the heat as soon as the sugar dissolves.

If you like, replace the juice (or half of it) with orange liqueur. It adds more depth.

SOAK THE CAKE

Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes.

Turn the cake out onto a wire rack set over a large plate. Poke the top several times with a fork or, like me, with a wooden skewer.

Pour the warm syrup evenly over the cake. Catch the syrup that runs down and pour it over again and again.

Let the cake cool completely

GLAZE AND ENJOY

Stir the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth.

Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with fresh orange zest. Your orange Bundt Cake is ready.

STORAGE

Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Take it out 20 to 30 minutes before serving, so it comes to room temperature and the crumb turns soft again.

Nooshe Jan, نوش جان! Enjoy your meal!

Susan

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Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe and use the hashtag#labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.

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