Fresh Orange Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

An orange cake with cream cheese frosting sits elegantly on a white plate, placed on a marble surface. A striped cloth is in the background.

4.67 from 6 votes

Fresh Orange Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Fresh Orange Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is super simple to make. The fresh squeezed orange juice and orange zest add a delicious flavor to an otherwise plain white cake mix.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Keri

Equipment

Hand Mixer

Ingredients

For the cake

1 White Cake Mix
3 Eggs
½ cup Canola Oil
1 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice to replace water
2 teaspoons Orange Zest

For the frosting

8 ounces Cream Cheese softened
2 tablespoons Margarine or Butter softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Orange Zest
½ teaspoon Vanilla
¼ teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Orange Juice or milk if needed.

Instructions

For the cake

Pre-heat the oven based on package directions.
Place the cake mix in a mixing bowl. Follow the package directions by adding the eggs, oil, and replacing the water with fresh orange juice. Add the grated orange zest.
Mix the cake as directed and pour into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake according to directions on the package. Cool completely.

For the frosting

Using an electric hand mixer, blend the cream cheese and the butter or margarine.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and orange zest. Blend and add orange juice or milk as needed to get the right consistency.
Frost the cake when it has cooled. Since this is a cream cheese-based frosting I store the leftover cake in the refrigerator.

Notes

White boxed cake mixes usually give you the option of using 3 whole eggs or 4 egg whites. I use 3 whole eggs for this recipe.

Most all cake mixes call for eggs, oil, and water. For this recipe, I replace the water with fresh orange juice. Plus, for added orange flavor, I add a bit of orange zest.

I have used orange juice from the carton if I do not have enough fresh orange juice. Just be careful of the type you use, some of them contain a lot of sugar and may cause the cake to burn around the edges.

Nutrition