This Lithuanian Orange Loaf Cake recipe is sunshine in a loaf pan—soft, moist, with a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. It’s an easy cake topped with a simple glaze, perfect with a cup of tea or as a sweet little treat anytime, but we particularly like it over Easter! Happy baking —this one’s a keeper!
Easter Cakes In Lithuania
No Easter celebration in Lithuania is complete without a dessert table groaning under the weight of cakes, pastries, cookies, and other sweet delights.
While classics like Medaus Tortas (Lithuanian Honey Cake), Sodzius (Lithuanian Honey Sponge Cake), Fruity Yogurt Cake, Kuršėnų Vyniotinis, and Draugystės Pyragas steal the spotlight, they’re often saved for big baking projects.
In my family, simplicity won every time—and this delicious orange loaf cake (alongside a traditional Lithuanian Easter Bundt Cake) was our go-to from Easter to Christmas, letting the citrus season linger sweetly all year long.
Ingredient Notes
Here are all the simple ingredients you'll need for this Lithuanian-style orange cake:
- eggs: large.
- sugar: granulated sugar,
- vegetable oil (canola oil): we would highly recommend using neutral oil, like vegetable or sunflower oil (not olive oil).
- oranges: you will need both the orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice. You may also use blood oranges.
- vanilla bean paste: or vanilla extract.
- flour: all-purpose flour, also known as plain flour.
- baking powder.
- salt.
- powdered sugar: also known as icing sugar or confectioners' sugar.
- DECORATING: use candied orange peels, dried cranberries, pistachio nuts, extra orange zest, or get creative with easter decorations.
Find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
1. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease a 2-lb loaf tin (9x5 inches) and line it with parchment paper, creating a parchment sling for easy removal.
2. In a large bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until thick, fluffy, and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the oil and beat again until fully incorporated.
4. Stir in the fresh orange juice, vanilla bean paste and the zest of the orange.
5. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula, just until no flour streaks remain—be careful not to overmix the cake batter.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth out the top of the cake.
8. Bake for 45–50 minutes in the preheated oven or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Note, if your cake tin is of a different size (we used a 9x5-inch loaf pan), you may need to adjust the baking time.
9. Let the cake cool in the tin. Run a blunt knife around the sides of the pan, then lift it out using the parchment paper sling.
10. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar with 3–4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice to make an easy orange glaze.
11. Once you have a cooled cake, drizzle the orange icing glaze over the top of the cake.
12. Garnish with chopped nuts, dried fruit, or more zest of the orange, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Infuse the oil for extra flavor – If you have time, add the zest of the orange to the oil and gently warm it until it's bathwater-hot. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes (or ideally overnight) to infuse. This step adds heaps of natural orange flavor to your orange loaf cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients – For a smooth, evenly mixed cake batter, make sure your eggs and fresh orange juice are at room temperature before you begin.
- Don’t overmix – After adding the dry ingredients, fold gently just until no flour pockets remain. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of light with a tender crumb.
- Test doneness properly – Insert a wooden skewer into the middle of the cake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s ready. Don’t rely solely on baking time, as ovens can vary.
Storage
To store your orange loaf cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If you’d like to freeze it, skip the glaze and wrap the cooled cake well in plastic wrap and foil—it’ll keep beautifully for up to 2 months.
More Lithuanian Baking Recipes
Next time, try some of these traditional Lithuanian recipes:
Moist Orange Loaf Cake (Lithuanian Orange Pound Cake)
Equipment
- Microplane Grater or Zester
- Electric Hand Mixer
- 2 lb Loaf Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 4 eggs large
- 250 g (1¼ cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 120 g (½ cup) canola oil a.k.a vegetable oil
- 125 ml (½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 280 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For The Glaze
- 150 g (1⅓ cups) icing sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease and line a 2 lb loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture is thick and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the oil and beat again until fully combined.
- Stir in the freshly squeezed orange juice, zest and vanilla bean paste.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and gently fold with a spatula just until combined—don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the tin. Run a butter knife around the edges, then lift it out using the parchment sling.
- To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with 3–4 tablespoons of orange juice until smooth and pourable.
- Once the cake is fully cooled, spoon the glaze over the top.
- Decorate with dried fruit, chopped nuts, or extra orange zest if you like.
Video
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