Refreshing orange juice cake features a moist, citrus-infused crumb topped with a sweet and citrusy orange glaze. Perfect for any occasion, this delightful cake combines bright flavors and a tender texture in every bite!

A slice of glazed orange juice cake with a smooth white icing glaze sits on a white plate. The background shows halved oranges, a glass of orange juice, and the rest of the orange bundt cake.

This delightful orange cake recipe is made with white cake mix, a bundt pan, and loads of fresh orange flavor!

There’s something about orange desserts like an orange fluff salad, orange loaf cake, or a no-bake orange lush that screams warm weather and sunshine. Like any citrus flavor, it lends a zesty, tangy, and tart balance to sweet desserts.

This orange bundt cake is both tangy and sweet, moist, and soft, with just the right density. The 2-ingredient orange glaze on top makes a simple cake look elegant, and because we’re using a white cake mix, the orange color really pops!

An overhead view of a full orange juice bundt cake topped with white icing. A slice is being removed with a cake server, and orange slices, a glass of juice, and utensils are visible around the plate.

This is one of my favorite summer desserts that doubles as an anytime snack — with or without the glaze!

Why you’ll love this recipe

It’s a one-bowl recipe for minimal cleanup.
Made with a handful of simple baking staples with just 15 minutes of prep.
The fresh orange juice and zest flavor is incredible.
Easy to keep simple for a snack or jazz up for dessert.

Ingredients for Orange Juice Cake with Cake Mix

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Flat lay of labeled ingredients for orange juice cake on a white surface, including a bag of white cake mix, three oranges, three eggs, confectioners sugar, a stick of butter, and sour cream.

Box white cake mix – White cake mix works best in this recipe; however, yellow cake mix or butter cake mix can also work.
Orange zest – Fresh orange zest intensifies the orange flavor for the best-tasting cake!
Large eggs – Bring them out to room temperature about 30 minutes before.
Orange juice – I recommend fresh-squeezed orange juice for this recipe. About 3 large oranges should give you the right amount.
Salted butter – Unsalted butter with a pinch of salt also works. Melt and let it cool slightly.
Sour cream – Bring this out to room temperature too.
For the glaze – Confectioner’s sugar (aka powdered sugar) and orange juice.

Equipment

Bundt pan
Hand or stand mixer
Mixing bowls
Wire cooling rack

How to Make Orange Juice Cake

This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cake mix and orange zest on low speed using an electric mixer or a stand mixer until the zest releases its oils and starts to become fragrant.

Bowl of dry ingredients with orange zest on top.

Step 2: Add the eggs, orange juice, melted butter, and sour cream to the dry ingredients and mix until the smooth and combined.

Side-by-side images showing a bowl of mixed batter and one of ingredients before mixing.

Step 3: Pour the batter into a prepared bundt pan and even out the top with a spoon or spatula.

scalloped-edge Bundt cake pan is filled with light orange batter, ready to bake. The batter is smooth and evenly spread.

Pro Tip:

Be sure to grease your bundt pan well, even if it’s nonstick. Otherwise, it’ll stick and ruin that pretty bundt design.

Step 4: Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.

Step 5: Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Then, drizzle with the glaze and let it set for 10 minutes before slicing.

An orange bundt cake with white icing on a plate.

Storage

Room temperature: Keep leftover cake covered in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator: For longer storage wrap tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Freezer: Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

A slice of orange juice cake being lifted from glazed orange bundt cake.

Recipe Tips

Bake the cake in advance if needed: glaze it 30 minutes or so before serving.
Use room temperature ingredients. This will ensure an even, smooth batter and will help you avoid overmixing the cake which can lead to a dense, heavy cake.
Let the cake cool for exactly 10 minutes before turning it out from the bundt pan. This seems to be a magical number for bundt cakes because if it is turned out sooner it tends to tear and if it is turned out later it may stick to the pan.

Variations

Swap the cake mix. Chocolate cake mix makes a delicious chocolate orange cake.
Greek yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt works well as a substitute for sour cream.
Bottled OJ. Fresh-squeezed orange juice is best, but store-bought juice works in a pinch.
No orange zest? Substitute with a few drops of orange extract if necessary.

A close-up of a slice of moist orange juice cake topped with a layer of smooth white icing, served on a white plate with fresh orange slices. A fork holds a small bite of the cake.

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A slice of orange juice cake with a smooth white icing glaze sits on a white plate. The background shows fresh oranges.

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