Italian Orange Cake with blueberries, is a wonderfully dense and moist cake baked in a rose shaped Bundt pan for a lovely sculpted look.
This Italian-style breakfast cake uses the juice and zest of fresh oranges with folded blueberries in the mix. It’s then brushed with an orange glaze and crowned with more sweet blueberries for a spectacular looking dessert!
You’ll find it perfect for Sunday brunches, potlucks and yet elegant enough for special occasions.
I happen to have a love affair with beautiful intricate shaped baking pans as seen in my previous recipe of this flavorful lemon-thyme cake baked in a loaf pan.
Regardless of how simple a cake recipe is, when baked in decorative pans, the end result is just so pleasing to the eye!
It needs nothing more than a light syrup or glaze. Or even at times unadorned, with a final dusting of powdered sugar to enhance the look of the cake.
In fact whenever I bake my lemon Ciambella or our family’s much sought after apple cake, that’s all it needs indeed!
However, at times it can be challenging to effortlessly release the cake from the intricately designed mould. So do ensure you have a good cake release product.
Here I used a baking spray from Wilton (not sponsored) which allowed me to release the cake effortlessly.
But know that there is a difference between cooking spray and baking spray. You’ll want a baking spray because these such sprays contain flour and adds that extra release protection we need in baking.
Another good alternative is to brush the inside of your pan with softened vegetable shortening or butter and then dust with flour. Use a kitchen brush if you have one, as this lets you get into those narrow crevices and hard to reach places.
So prep your Bundt pan and lets get baking!
Ingredients for a Bundt Cake with Blueberries
- flour
- sugar
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- fresh orange juice and zest
- milk
- baking powder
- salt
- blueberries
How to Make an Italian Orange Cake
Here are a few things I prep ahead before mixing the wet ingredients!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 10 inch (3 litre) Bundt pan or an angel food pan and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set this aside.
- In a measuring cup, stir together the freshly squeezed orange juice and milk. And set aside.
Now we’re ready for the wet ingredients. You can use the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer.
Step 1: First beat together the oil and sugar until well combined.
Step 2: Next, beat in the eggs one at a time and stir in the orange zest.
Switch your mixer on stir mode or low speed for the next step.
Step 4: Using your stand mixer or hand held mixer, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the juice and milk mixture. Make 3 additions of flour and 2 of juice and milk mixture.
Step 5: Fold in the 2 cups of blueberries.
TIP: Toss the blueberries with a bit flour while shaking off any excess. This helps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the bowl.
6- Use a ladle to spoon the cake batter evenly around the prepared pan. Evenly spooning the cake batter into the pan will allow better distribution of the blueberries. Then smooth out the top and give the pan a light tap on your counter to release any air pockets.
7- Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees F (180C) for approximately 50-55 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack.
Let cool for 20 minutes then loosen the edges of the cake and invert onto a serving platter.
And now you’re ready to glaze this pretty and delicious Italian orange cake. But first we have to make the glaze!
Simple Orange Glaze
Citrusy glazes are one of the easiest ways to enhance a cakes flavor. They’re quick, easy and ready in mere minutes!
Just follow the simple steps below.
Orange Glaze: Combine 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup of orange juice in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil a minute or so while stirring often.
You can also just as easily use the microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t boil over. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and allow the glaze to cool a little.
Finally, brush the top and sides of the cake with the orange glaze.
TIP: Use a pastry brush to get into the crevices of the rose shaped bundt cake.
When you’re ready to serve the cake, fill the centre with the remaining 2 cups of blueberries and top with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
You’ll find it easy to make, eye catching gorgeous and so delicious!
And if blueberries are not your jam then you might just enjoy a Pear and Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake. It’s exquisitely moist, made with a pear and rosemary compote.
Happy Baking!
This post was originally published on June 25, 2015 and republished July 24, 2021 with new photos and content.
Italian Orange Cake with Blueberries
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I used fine sea salt)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 cups blueberries
Orange Glaze
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
Garnish
- 2 cups blueberries
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
For The Cake
- Grease and flour a 10 inch (3 litre) Bundt pan or an angel food pan and set aside
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
- Stir together the milk and orange juice. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the oil and sugar until well combined.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time till fully combined.
- Stir in the orange zest.
- With the mixer on stir mode, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the milk and juice mixture, making 3 additions of flour and 2 of liquids.
- Toss 2 cups of blueberries with some flour while shaking off any excess. (this helps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan.)
- Fold in the floured blueberries into the cake batter.
- Use a ladle to pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan in an even circular fashion. This will allow the blueberries to be evenly distributed.
- Smooth out the top and give the pan a light tap on your counter to release any air pockets.
- Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 50 to 55 minutes.
- Test for doneness with a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean then it's ready.
- When ready, remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
Orange Glaze
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining 1/3 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup of orange juice.
- Heat in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes while taking care it does not boil over and stir at 15 seconds intervals.
- Loosen the cake around the edges of the pan and invert onto a serving platter.
- Brush the cake with the orange glaze and allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled, fill the centre of the orange cake with the remaining 2 cups of blueberries and dust with powdered sugar.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
lapetitepaniere says
This is a very delicious cake! 🙂
Marisa says
Thank-you, very much enjoyed by everyone?
Snapshotsincursive says
It’s art in the kitchen! ?
Marisa says
It is delicious art…lol 🙂
Snapshotsincursive says
I can’t wait to see more! ?
dulce says
delicious !!!!melts in the mouth!!
Marisa says
It is certainly a wonderful recipe to have in your repertoire 🙂
stephysweetbakes says
Oh I’ve been wanting the rose bundt pan lol. I just got the heart one. I want to collect them all lol. Btw, looks delicious lol,yummmmmm
Marisa says
Thank-you Steph, and I would love to have a heart shaped bundt pan. Lol…..I’ve never seen one before!
skd says
This cake looks delicious and moist. I would love to get hold of the rose shape pan. I know that feeling when a part of the cake sticks to the pan and doesn’t unmold properly ???Thats exasperating. But I admire your spirit to make it all over again. I guess it must have been really very tasty to do that.
Marisa says
It most certainly was worth it, if only to see the beautiful rose shape and oh so delicious ?
jmalene says
Yum – love the recipe for the Blueberry Bundt cake – I have seen those pans but was never sure how they would really look. And, I have experienced (many times!) the stick-to-the-pan bundt cake. I will look for the Wilton product – I have used the flour/oil spray, but with sugary cakes, it doesn’t work well. I love your blog….
Marisa says
Thank-you so much ?
jmalene says
Have been out of town but am sitting here with my daughter looking at your blog – it makes us want to get cooking!!
Marisa's Italian Kitchen says
I just adore mother, daughter time in the kitchen and am happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes. Have a wonderful weekend?
juliemason5 says
I love the shape of this bunt pan! It looks like a flower!
Marisa says
A rose actually and yes so pretty 🙂
Mary Jane says
“With the mixer on stir mode, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the milk and juice mixture, making 3 additions of flour and 2 of liquids.”
WHAT???
I made this recipe.
I got to step 8 and was blown away by how incomplete the steps were.
Am I adding the flour mixture and the milk/OJ mixture to the egg mixture? Because it doesn’t say that.
Do I add more flour than 2.5 cups the recipe called for, or do I divide the flour into three and add slowly?
This recipe is confusing. It leaves alot up to interpretation and experience, and unfortunately, makes tĥis a difficult, time-consuming recipe to follow.
I ended up adding 1 extra cup of flour to the mixture and an extra cup of sugar and dusted the top with brown sugar before baking. It took about 60 minutes for it to bake, and the middle did not finish baking. So I cut the middle out and baked it for another 17 minutes on its own.
It still wasn’t sweet enough until I added the orange glaze over it and the powdered sugar.
It’s more muffin texture than a smooth cake and not sweet enough to be a cake.
But I think for a semi-sweet bread-like orange baked good, it will go well with coffee in the morning.
I would give this recipe a 4/10 on incoherent steps, and the cake itself a 7 out of 10.
Marisa says
Mary Jane, the recipe is a step-by-step guide on first whisking the dry ingredients and combining the wet ingredients in separate bowls then setting both bowls aside while you mix the oil and sugar followed by beating in the eggs.
Then you’ll stir in the zest.
Then in step 8, it’s a continuous flow in the same mixing bowl. But, on the stir mode if using a stand mixer or on low speed if using a handheld mixer.
There is no need to divide the flour…I just eyeballed it.
“Adding flour alternately with wet ingredients” is a term used in baking so one does not over-mix the batter and end up with a tougher cake.
You’re essentially taking the specified amount of the flour mixture and alternating between adding a portion of flour and wet ingredients. So you begin with some flour, then wet ingredients, more flour, the remaining wet ingredients, and finish with the remaining flour.
So it’s 3 dry and 2 wet.
Hope this helps.