Dessert

Helen Goh’s favourite orange cake

Name: Helen Goh’s favourite orange cake recipe
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 (170g each) medium oranges (see recipe notes); 330g plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp bicarb soda; 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 330g caster sugar; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 170ml milk; 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 180g icing sugar; Finely grated zest of 1 orange; 20.00 ml milk; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Rate now

Jump to recipe

by Helen Goh

Sep 23, 2026

“I was embarrassingly guarded about this recipe during the years when I baked it daily for our cafe in Melbourne. It was, for me, the perfect cake – dense and moist with a bright citrus flavour from both peel and juice. The creamy icing on top gives the cake a lovely creamsicle touch. Next to our chocolate cake (dubbed ‘the world’s best chocolate cake’ by an over-enthusiastic journalist!), this was the most popular at the cafe. People would come in for lunch and take one of these cakes home to the family. It’s sturdy, easy to transport and perfect to bring along when visiting friends.” – Helen Goh.

You’ll need a 20cm round cake pan for this recipe.

This is an edited extract from Baking and the Meaning of Life by Helen Goh (Murdoch Books RRP $55.00). Photography by Laura Edwards.

2 (170g each) medium oranges (see recipe notes)
330g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
170ml milk

Icing

60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (180g) pure icing sugar, sifted
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tbs milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1.

Put the oranges in a small saucepan (for which you have a lid) and cover with cold water. Place the pan over medium-high heat and when it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and partially cover with the lid. Simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the oranges are completely soft. Use a small knife with a sharp point to check; it should penetrate the orange without resistance.
2.

With a slotted spoon, lift out the oranges (discard the water) and place on a plate. When cool enough to handle, cut the oranges into roughly 8 pieces and place in a food processor, along with any juice. Process to a fine puree, then measure out 250g and scrape into a small bowl. The remainder will not be used and can be frozen for another use (it is uncommonly good in a carrot cake, for example)
3.

Preheat oven to 195°C/175°C fan-forced. Grease the base and sides of a 20cm round cake pan and line with baking paper.
4.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb and ½ tsp fine salt into a medium bowl.
5.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until fully combined and pale but not quite fluffy. It won’t be entirely creamy, as there is proportionally more sugar than butter.
6.

Scrape down the side of the bowl, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the orange puree and mix on low speed just until combined, then add one-third of the flour mix, followed by half the milk. Keeping the mixer on low speed, mix for a few seconds, then repeat with another third of the flour mix and the remaining milk. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold through the remaining third of the flour mix with a rubber spatula.
7.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
8.

For the icing, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, icing sugar and orange zest on low speed for 30 seconds to combine, then increase to medium speed and beat for about 3 minutes. Return the speed to low, add the milk and vanilla, then increase the speed to high and beat for another 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
9.

Transfer the cooled cake to a serving plate, spread the icing thickly on top and serve.

Rate now

Recipe Notes

Choose oranges that are heavy for their size and with relatively thin skin – they’re less likely to be full of the white bitter pith. Boiling the whole oranges tempers the bitterness without diluting the flavour. They take about an hour to soften, but do so largely unattended.

The puree can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated until needed.