Made with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and orange zest, this orange spice cake recipe is a rich and flavorful holiday dessert you won’t be able to get enough of!
It’s the holiday season! And this Orange Spiced Christmas Cake is the perfect dessert to make for your holiday celebrations!
If you love recipes with oranges, you’ll love this Red Velvet Blood Orange Bundt Cake, Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, Orange Cranberry Pecan Wreath Bread, and these Orange Glazed Cinnamon Rolls.
What are some of the ingredients used in this Orange Spiced Christmas Cake?
Flour- all purpose flour is used for the cake. It doesn’t have to be a delicate crumb, so cake flour isn’t necessary.
Sugar- granulated sugar adds just the right amount of sweetness for the cake and for the pear compote.
Vanilla- fresh vanilla beans give the cake an extra vanilla taste.
Oil- vegetable or canola oil is used to make the cake soft and moist.
Butter- a small amount of butter is used to help to give the cake a buttery taste.
Eggs- whole large eggs are best in the recipe.
Sour cream- sour cream aids with the soft and moist texture.
Buttermilk- buttermilk also adds to the moistness of the cake.
Orange- orange zest is used to give the cake a slight orange flavor
Spices- Cinnamon, Ground cloves, Nutmeg and Allspice give the cake a hint of spice for warm holiday flavors.
What products did I use to make the Orange Spiced Christmas Cake?
This holiday cake was made using beautiful products from MacKenzie-Childs. From bakeware to kitchen utensils, flatware and decor, MacKenzie-Childs has many seasonal and holiday products to make your baking amazing. They have a distinctive design that combines vibrant colors and pattern on pattern surface decorations to create an original aesthetic that is described as ”tradition with a twist.”
It’s so simple to elevate and refresh your indoor and outdoor spaces with MacKenzie-Childs holiday products. They can fit into all home aesthetics whether its for Christmas tree decor, tablescapes, mantel decor, or baking
Build on your MacKenzie-Childs collection or give it as gifts to your loved ones this year!
How is the Orange Spiced Christmas Cake put together?
To put the cake together, For the cake, beat the eggs with granulated sugar and orange zest for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is fluffy. Beating them for awhile adds air and helps with the cake rising.
Add the butter, oil, sour cream and buttermilk and mix. The oil, sour cream and buttermilk makes the cake texture soft and moist. The butter is added for flavor.
Add the dry ingredients including the spices and mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.
How is the Orange Spiced Christmas Cake decorated?
I decorated the sheet cake with a Christmas wreath design. Tent vanilla frosting with forest green food gel. Use a piping bag with a large star tip to pipe a double circle for the wreath. This tip would be larger than your standard piping tip. But, if you only have the regular sized tip, pipe more than 2 circles to get the wreath wide.
Pipe a small line for the branches. Pipe another small line against the inside of the circle. Repeat until you make several branches all around the wreath. The wreath should take up most of the surface of the cake. Add sugared rosemary and sugared cranberries to the wreath for decoration.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can this cake be frozen?
To freeze, wrap the cake in the pan in plastic wrap twice until it’s fully sealed. Place in the freezer and freeze up to 3 months. To serve, place the cake on the counter until thawed.
How do you store the cake?
Seal the sheet cake in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can l substitute butter for the oil?
Butter can be substituted for the oil, but the cake will not be as soft or moist. The oil adds moistness. If you want to use butter, you can also try uses half butter and half oil.
Does the rosemary and the cranberries have to be sugared?
No, covering the rosemary and cranberries in sugar just gives them a Christmas/wintery look. You can add them both to the cake without the sugar coating.
Here are other great Christmas cake recipes:
Orange Spiced Christmas Cake
Made with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and orange zest, this orange spice cake recipe is a rich and flavorful holiday dessert you won't be able to get enough of!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, large
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
Vanilla Frosting
- 2 cups butter, room temperature (4 sticks)
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Forest green food gel
- Leaf green food gel (optional)
- Black food gel (optional)
Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 5-6 fresh rosemary sprigs
Chocolate Pine Cones
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup chocolate candy melts
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with baking spray.In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and orange zest on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and lighter in color. Add the butter, oil, and vanilla, and beat the mixture for about 30 seconds. Add in the sour cream and buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg and allspice then add the flour 1 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. After adding the last portion of flour, beat the batter just until combined.Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Allow the cake to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, until it’s smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the heavy cream, then beat on medium speed until whipped and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
For the Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary:
- In a small saucepan add 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the water. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.Set aside a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add the cranberries to the sugar syrup and mix until each is coated. With a slotted spoon, remove the cranberries, drain as much of the syrup as possible and place on the baking sheet. Dip the rosemary in the syrup as place them on the baking sheet with the cranberries.Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the cranberries and rosemary and toss to coat. Let them dry for at least an hour or overnight.
For the Chocolate Pine Cones:
- Combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk, butter, and vanilla extract in a large heat-proof bowl, and set it over a small pot of boiling water. Stir well until all of the chocolate and butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.Cover the mixture with plastic wrap. Place the bowl into the refrigerator and allow it to firm up enough to roll, about 45 minutes. Do not leave it in the refrigerator overnight and let the mixture get too cold. It should be at room temperature and a fudge-like consistency.Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the pinecone mixture onto the parchment and roll it into an oval shape. Repeat to make additional ovals.Add the chocolate candy melts to a microwave safe bowl and microwave, for about 50 seconds. The chocolate will not look melted after removing, but stir until smooth. Dip the bottom of a sliced almond in the melted candy melts, and press it at the bottom of one of the oval fudge pieces, using the melted chocolate as a “glue.” Dip a second sliced almond, then place it next to the first one, overlapping it a bit. Continue to add the dipped sliced almonds working from bottom to top, until all of the fudge ovals are covered with almonds. Refrigerate to allow them to set, about 30 minutes.
Assembly
- Spread 1-2 cups of the vanilla frosting on top of the cake. Set aside.Add a few drops of forest green food coloring to the rest of the frosting and stir. To get a Christmas wreath color add a drop of black and a couple of drops of the leaf green if necessary.Add the green frosting to a piping bag with a large star piping tip. Pipe a large circle with the green frosting. Pipe a second circle on the outside of the first circle, so that you make one thick circle. Place the star tip against the outside of the circle and pipe a small line for the branches. Pipe another small line against the inside of the circle. Repeat until you make several branches all around the wreath.Add the sugared rosemary around the wreath. Then add the sugar cranberries also around the top of the wreath and serve.
