Bundt cake

Italian Orange Cake with Blueberries

July 24, 2021 by Marisa 17 Comments

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.

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Italian Orange Cake with Blueberries

An Italian orange cake recipe with blueberries. This Italian-style breakfast and rose shaped cake is incredibly moist and delicious. It makes a spectacular looking dessert for just about any occasion.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian Orange Cake with Blueberries

Servings:

Calories: 385kcal

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

Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

March 27, 2021 by Marisa 32 Comments

Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake is a traditional Italian ring shaped cake. It’s so incredibly light with an airy fluffy crumb and infused with both the juice and zest of lemons. It makes for one very simple yet elegant dessert recipe.

Italians are notoriously known for their dolci, or rather sweet treats. Especially those yummy morsels that we leisurely love to dip in a steaming cup of coffee, tea or even milk.

It’s customary for us to break our morning fast with a biscotto, cornetto (little horn) which is not unlike a French croissant or even a brioche.

After all, aren’t mornings made for this?.

And, have I mentioned how much we love our sweets?

What is a Ciambella?

Ciambella is essentially referred to any round ring shaped cake, doughnut or even tiny ring cookies such as these lemon glazed Ciambelle Cookies. And also these rope shaped Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies.

But some would also call this type of Italian cake, a Ciambellone which references its larger shape.

In terms of simplicity, it probably doesn’t get much easier than this to make.

It’s all with ingredients you most likely already have on hand and you can whip up at a moments notice.

Shall we get started!

How To Make A Traditional Italian Lemon Cake

Step One: In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and then set this aside.

Step Two: In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar on medium high speed for about 2 minutes. The egg and sugar mixture should be pale yellow in colour.

Step Three: Mix in the oil, water, vanilla, lemon zest and juice to the egg mixture.

Step Four: Mix in the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat till smooth. Make sure to stop and scrape down the bowl if using a stand mixer.

Step Five: Pour the cake batter into a greased bundt pan.

Step Six: Bake the Italian lemon cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F., for about 45 minutes.

When ready the top of the cake will have a golden brown colour and will feel firm to the touch.

You can also check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer on top of the ciambella cake. If it comes out dry then the cake is ready!

Allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes. Take a butter knife or offset spatula and run it around the inside edges of the pan to loosen the cake.

Do take care not to scratch the non stick finish of your bundt pan. You don’t want to ruin a beautiful decorative bundt pan!

When you’re ready to serve this simple lemon cake, all it needs is a dusting of powdered or confectioner’s sugar.

You can enjoy this Italian breakfast cake accompanied with your morning cup of coffee or tea. Or simply a cold glass of milk if you so wish!

This Italian cake would also be great as an anytime dessert when you’re craving an easy to make lemon sponge cake.

How to prepare a bundt pan for a Ciambella Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

Decorative cake pans can elevate a simple sponge cake to one of pretty elegance that would grace any table quite beautifully.

However, with all their intricate patterns and nooks and crevices, it can be quite a chore to release the cake with its pretty shape all intact.

I love, love decorative Bundt pans but although they have a non stick finish I always grease them.

One product I always use is Cake Release from Wilton. This is not a sponsored post and I’m not compensated in any way.

It has the consistency of softened butter and a little goes a long way.

I use a pastry brush so that all the sides and crevices are properly coated. You’ll want to brush the centre cone as well.
Hold up the pan near a light source just to make sure you don’t miss a spot. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way.
With the Cake Release product I don’t need to flour my pan.
If your choice of coating is melted butter, then consider using a pastry brush just the same for even distribution and then lightly dust with flour.
Make sure to tap any excess flour out over your kitchen sink. You don’t want any sticky flour residue over your cake.

Having said that, if you have another foolproof method that works for you, then use that and maybe share it in the comments below.

I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Baking!

Other Italian cake recipes you’ll love:

This recipe was originally published Sept. 13 2019 and republished March 27 2021 with new photos and content.

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4.32 from 16 votes

Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

A Ciambella is an Italian cake that is baked in a round cake tin. It's a typical Italian lemon breakfast cake that's light and spongy and so incredibly easy to make.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake

Servings:

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Bundt Pan

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
lemon zest from 2 lemons
1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
powdered sugar for dusting over the cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat together the eggs with the sugar on medium high for about 2 minutes or until creamy and pale in colour.
Add in the oil, water, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and mix till combined.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until smooth and the batter falls into a ribbon like flow when the beaters are lifted.
Make sure to scrape down the bowl if using a stand mixer.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour and firm to the touch.
Alternately, you can insert a toothpick to check for doneness.
If the wooden toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, you'll know the cake is done.
Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes.
Loosen the edges with an offset spatula or butter knife. Take care not to scratch the non stick finish of your bundt pan.
Gently invert onto a wire rack to release the cake and allow to cool completely.
When ready to serve dust with confectioners sugar, slice and enjoy!

Nutrition

Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake

September 28, 2019 by Marisa 40 Comments

This simple and deliciously moist Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake is a fall inspired dessert that is just perfect for any day of the week.

The earthy flavour of rosemary lends itself well in combination with the sweet pears and honey. There is just a small amount of this woodsy herb…enough to awaken your taste buds to its subtle fragrance.

This Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake Recipe was originally published September 21, 2016 and republished September 28, 2019 with updated photos and content.

Papa’s pear tree stands proudly in his garden and continues to thrive.

Since his passing, one of the things I miss the most besides his absence…is his garden.

The rows upon rows of plump red juicy tomatoes, sweet bell peppers and glossy purple eggplants.

There were also fig trees with their luscious sweet fruits and a wonderful variety of lettuces and fine herbs.

It was a wonderfully tended garden!

So when my sister gave me loads of these ripe pears from my papa’s tree, I immediately realized that I had more then we could possible consume in a week.

I then came across this Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake from the Bake from scratch magazine. I was immediately intrigued as I had never baked with rosemary before.

We start with a buttery pear compote infused with the chopped rosemary.

The lovely aromatic compote is then cooled and stirred into the cake batter and baked till golden brown in colour.

A Fabulous Fall Dessert

This bundt cake is simple and pretty with a slightly dense texture. And…oh…so moist!

You’ll find that it actually tastes better the next day which makes it a perfect make ahead cake.

That’s so worth considering when planning a large family gathering as this frees up much needed oven space.

And then all that’s needed before serving is a light or generous dusting of powdered sugar for a little extra love and you’ll have a fabulous Fall dessert!

How to make a pear and rosemary compote

In a medium sized sauce pot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add in the chopped pear, rosemary and cook for a few minutes until the pears are soft, while stirring occasionally.
Remove the pear and rosemary mixture from the heat and let it cool completely.
It’s so simple yet so flavourful!

How to Remove a Bundt Cake From Its Pan

As a good practice always grease and flour your bundt pans and I’ve got some great tips on how to prep your Bundt pans for baking on my Ciambella, Italian Lemon Sponge Cake recipe.
Once your cake is baked, allow it to cool in its pan while resting on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. If you let it sit too long in the pan, it will start to stick from the dampness as its cooling off.
Before inverting the cake, loosen the edges with a butter knife or thin rubber spatula if needed.
Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and gently tap around the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the cake further.
Lift the pan off the cake and allow the cake to cool completely before dusting with the powdered sugar.

If you love herbs in sweet baked goods then this Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake is definitely for you!

Other Fabulous Fall Inspired Desserts You’ll Love:

Happy baking everyone!

This Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake Recipe was originally published September 21, 2016 and republished September 28, 2019 with updated photos and content.

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Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake

A deliciously moist pear Bundt cake, scented with honey and rosemary.

Course: Bundt Cake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pear Honey Rosemary Bundt Cake

Servings:

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and divided
2 cups peeled and chopped pear
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt I used fine sea salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup honey
Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 10 cup Bundt pan and set aside.
In a medium sized sauce pot, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add in the chopped pear, rosemary and cook for a few minutes till the pears are soft, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pear and rosemary mixture from the heat and let it cool completely.
In a large bowl using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat the remaining 1 cup of butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed till fluffy. About 4 minutes.
Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and the salt.
In another smaller bowl combine the milk and honey together and whisk well.
Slowly add in the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk mixture. Start and end with flour mixture, beating just until combined.
Stir in the pear and rosemary mixture.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake for about 1 hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Slightly loosen the cake around the edges with a knife or offset spatula and invert onto a wire rack.
Let the cake cool completely and dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Bake from scratch Magazine