This old fashioned Orange Cake is just what you remember! The combination of orange + cream cheese frosting + coconut is irresistible.
Orange and coconut. It’s not the most common combination, but WOW is it good!
This old fashioned Orange Cake recipe is made using orange juice AND orange zest for lots of orange flavor. Thanks to the boxed cake mix, it’s easy to make, too!
The idea for this cake came from my grandma. She made it in the 80s and 90s using an orange boxed cake mix and orange juice. Sadly, orange cake mix is quite difficult to find now. So, I improvised by using both orange juice and orange zest to add lots of citrus flavor to both the cake and the cream cheese frosting.
The end result is a nostalgic treat that’s a must-try for orange lovers. Coconut fans will be thrilled, too (and don’t miss this Coconut Poke Cake if you’re a coconut fan!).
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Cake ingredients
- You’ll be following the directions on the back of a package of white cake mix for this recipe. Yellow cake mix works, too.
- The cake mix that I used called for 3 eggs, ½ cup of oil, and 1 cup of water. I replaced the water with ½ cup fresh orange juice and ½ cup water.
- The zest of one orange really amps up the orange flavor!
Frosting ingredients
- Cream cheese and butter make the base of the frosting
- The zest of two oranges and a splash of orange juice lends lots of citrus flavor
- Powdered sugar whips it into a sweet, fluffy frosting
- Sweetened coconut flakes are pressed over the top of the frosted cake
How to make an old fashioned orange Juice cake
Start with a box of white cake mix, and prepare it according to package directions, with two exceptions:
- Instead of water, use half orange juice and half water.
- Add the zest of one orange to the batter. I used a microplane for zesting the orange.
Pour the cake batter into two greased 9-inch cake pans, and bake according to package directions, and let cool.
If desired, run a serrated knife over the top of each cake to create a flat surface. If you don’t care that your cakes are perfectly flat before frosting, just skip this step!
The cream cheese frosting
Cream cheese frosting takes this orange juice cake from delicious to over-the-top-delicious.
The key to light and fluffy cream cheese frosting is to soften the butter and the cream cheese first. Leave both the butter and cream cheese at room temperature for two hours, or check out this tip for softening butter quickly (it works for cream cheese, too!).
You’ll mix the cream cheese and butter together, then add the orange zest, orange juice, and powdered sugar.
The frosting should be light and fluffy.
Assembling the cake
Place one of the cooled cake layers on a plate or serving platter. Place ¾ cup of the frosting on top, and spread until it’s in an even layer. I like using an offset spatula to make this easier.
Place the other layer of cake on top, and frost the tops and sides with the remaining icing.
To add the coconut, scoop a handful into your hand, and gently press it over the sides of the cake, repeating the process as you rotate the cake. Sprinkle coconut over the top of the cake, too.
How to make an orange garnish
To make an orange garnish, place a navel orange on its side on a cutting board. Cut the orange into thin (⅛ inch) slices.
Cut a slit halfway through each orange slice. Pick up the slice and twist it gently into a swirl.
Place the garnish on top of the cake, and serve!
Tips for serving
You’ll get at least 12 slices from this old fashioned Orange Cake.
Use a sharp knife to cut the cake gently, and avoid smashing the cake as you cut it (it’s a very tender cake).
I love serving it with coffee and tea for a post-dinner treat.
📖 Recipe
Easy Old Fashioned Orange Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 package white cake mix, prepared according to package directions (see instructions and notes for adding orange juice)
- ½ cup orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
For the cream cheese frosting & coconut topping:
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
For the cake:
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions with TWO changes: 1) add the zest of one orange to the batter before mixing AND 2) replace half of the water with orange juice. For example, if the directions call for 1 cup of water, use ½ cup of orange juice and ½ cup of water in place of 1 cup of water.
- Bake the cakes according to package directions for two 9-inch cake pans and let cool. Run a knife along the edges of the pans, and remove the cakes from the pans.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Place the softened cream cheese and softened butter in a large bowl. Mix on medium with a hand mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Mix in the orange zest and orange juice.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, mix until combined, and repeat with the remaining powdered sugar.
- Place one cooled cake layer on a cake plate or serving platter. Top with approximately three-quarters cup of frosting and spread evenly across the cake.
- Place the other cooled cake layer on top, and cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
- Sprinkle the coconut over the top and sides of the cake, using your palm to help the coconut adhere to the sides of the cake.
- Cut cake into slices with a sharp knife or serrated knife (it is a very tender cake). Serve. Refrigerate any remaining cake in a covered container.
Notes
Nutrition
More old fashioned cakes
If you love old fashioned cakes, don’t miss these—they are all topped with cream cheese frosting, too!
Made this for a birthday cake. Combined this recipe with one found in comments above and created a flavorful and moist cake. Added my own twist with chocolate frosting–reminiscent of orange cream chocolates received at Christmas since birthday girl doesn’t like coconut. Have to try it with coconut cream cheese frosting soon.
Sounds lovely—thanks for sharing!
If I want to eliminate the coconut flakes, but still have the flavor, what can I do? I hate the texture of coconut.
Thank you!
You could try adding one-quarter teaspoon of coconut extract to the cream cheese frosting. Taste it before frosting the cake, and if you’d like more coconut flavor, add another splash of the extract. Hope that helps!
I’ve used a yellow Duncan Hines cake mix, small box orange jello, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup oil. 1 &1/2 cup water for a wonderful orange flavor dense moist cake. 325° till fondue pick just comes clean.
I’ve seen that recipe but haven’t tried it myself. It sounds like it would make a very tasty cake!
Can you use a can of cream icing and add orangen juice to it?
You can definitely use a can of cream cheese icing. However, I wouldn’t add the orange juice since I think it would make it too runny. But you could add the orange zest and that would create a nice orange flavor.