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A bundt cake with a missing slice with orange slices arranged on top on a cake plate.

Why you’ll love this Orange Cake Recipe!

  • Simple Ingredients. It doesn’t get much simpler than a boxed cake mix, instant pudding, and an easy sugar and rum glaze.
  • Fresh Orange Flavor. This moist orange cake with a tender crumb is made with fresh oranges for an authentic citrus flavor.
  • Perfect for Special Occasions. This homemade orange cake is excellent for various occasions. Its bright citrus flavor fits spring holidays, like Easter, and summer get-togethers. But it’s also a classic choice for winter occasions. Plus, it’s the best cake for an orange lover’s birthday!
Ingredients for orange cake on a table.

Ingredient notes

  • Cake mix | Make this cake recipe easy with a box of your favorite yellow cake mix.
  • Instant pudding | Bring density and moisture to the take while enhancing the citrus flavor with an instant lemon pudding mix.
  • Oranges | Fresh orange juice squeezed from about two medium Navel oranges makes the best orange cake! Squeeze some fresh juice from about half an orange to give the homemade glaze a natural orange flavor, too.
  • Oil | Add vegetable oil to make a perfectly moist cake.
  • Eggs | Toss in four large eggs at room temperature for a fluffy orange cake.
  • Citrus extract | Make the citrus flavor shine with lemon or orange extract.
  • White sugar | Sweeten the simple glaze with standard granulated sugar.
  • Butter | Give the glaze a creaminess with butter.
  • Rum | Add dark rum for sweet and subtle yet rich notes.
  • Powdered sugar | Have some confectioners’ sugar handy for sprinkling on top of the cake.

How to make this Easy Rum Orange Cake recipe

Today’s easy orange cake uses boxed cake mix to give you a head start. Even without being made entirely from scratch, the cake has authentic flavor because of the fresh oranges and attention to detail!

STEP 1 | Preheat and prep

Get started by preheating the oven to 325 F  and greasing a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.

Process steps for mixing together ingredients for orange cake batter; pouring cake batter into a bundt pan.

STEP 2 | Combine the cake batter ingredients

Next, stir together the dry cake mix and pudding mix in a large bowl, adding the orange juice, oil, eggs, and lemon extract.

Then, beat the ingredients on low speed until they are well blended. Scrape the bowl, and beat for another 4 minutes on medium speed, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bundt cake on a wire rack on a table.

STEP 3 | Bake and cool

Now, bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Next, let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Drizzling glaze over a bundt cake on a wire rack.

Step 4 | Make Orange Rum Glaze, drizzle, and enjoy!

As the cake cools, make the rum glaze. Start with a saucepan over medium heat and gently boil the orange juice, sugar, butter, and rum for two minutes.

Next, drizzle all over the cooled cake and sprinkle with confectioner sugar. Then, slice and serve your delicious rum cake!

tips

  •  When I have an extra minute, I like to use cake goop, a homemade cake release recipe that lets your baked cake beautifully slip out of the pan to cool and ice. It only requires three staple kitchen ingredients– Vegetable shortening, vegetable oil, and flour!
  • Combine the batter ingredients using a hand-held electric mixer or stand mixer. If you don’t have these helpful kitchen tools, thoroughly mix the batter by hand with a wooden spoon.
  •  Avoid splinters and cut down on waste with a metal cake tester that eliminates the need for toothpicks when checking the doneness of a cake and reaches much further for more accuracy.
  • To avoid a mess and get the perfect drizzle, transfer the finished glaze to a container with a pour lip, like a measuring cup.

Check out my favorite cakes made with fresh fruit, like this Cherry Cake with Buttercream Frosting, Apple Walnut Bundt Cake, and my refreshing Lemon Ricotta Cake.

Orange Cake garnished with orange slices and raspberries on a cake stand.

Variations and substitutions

  • More Delicious Toppings. Add to the glaze or swap it out with more tasty topping ideas, like homemade whipped cream, decorative orange peel spirals, fresh orange slices, or tangy orange zest.
  • Orange Rum Cupcakes. Adjust the baking temperature and time to make mini orange rum cakes with a cupcake tin.
  • If preferred, use another mild oil for this recipe, like canola oil.

Storage tips

  • Make this recipe in advance, or store yummy leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to three days on the countertop away from sunlight at room temperature. After three days, make sure you move it to the refrigerator.
  • You can also freeze orange rum cake by wrapping the cake in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. When you’re ready to serve it again, let the cake thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours.
A slice of cake on a plate on a table with a cake stand in the background.

Frequently asked questions

How do you pour a glaze over a Bundt cake?

First, make sure the icing is ready to drizzle. If it’s not fluid enough, you may want to add more rum or a small amount of water. Then, use a lipped container to easily pour the sauce over the cake in a zig-zag pattern or coat it entirely. After you let the glaze set for a few minutes, it’s ready to be served!

Does the rum in rum cake cook off?

The cake is baked, cooking off most of the alcohol from the rum. You may be left with a tiny amount, but it’s not enough to take effect on anyone unless they are severely allergic to alcohol. The icing is also boiled and will result with little to no alcohol.

What is the best rum to use for baking?

A popular choice is Bacardi Oakheart because it has excellent flavor and is affordable.

Is light or dark rum better for rum cake?

Dark rum is best for baking because of the richness it brings. However, some people don’t taste much of a difference between dark and light rum in their baked goods.

What to serve with Orange Cake

Enjoy your perfect orange cake with a refreshing beverage, like this Strawberry Mojito Mocktail or my Fruit Tea.

And, there’s nothing better than serving a slice of tender cake with a cold scoop of homemade ice cream! Try my Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe or this No-Churn Blueberry Ice Cream!

Looking for more Tasty Fresh Orange Recipes?

Fresh oranges are delicious in desserts, like this Cranberry and Orange Bread. They’re also perfect for pairing with savory dishes, like my Orange Marmalade Pork Chops. And the possibilities don’t end there — serve fresh oranges for breakfast with this Stuffed French Toast!

A slice of orange cake on a plate with a fork on a table.

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A bundt cake with a missing slice with orange slices arranged on top on a cake plate.

Easy Rum Orange Cake

Easy Rum Orange Cake. This almost-made-from-scratch cake starts with a box of yellow cake mix, a package of lemon pudding, and fresh-squeezed orange juice
4.41 from 20 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Cakes
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 431 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 1 18.25 oz. pkg. yellow cake mix
  • 1 3 oz. pkg. instant lemon pudding mix
  • ¾ cup fresh orange juice about 2 medium oranges
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract

Glaze

  • cup fresh orange juice about 1/2 orange
  • cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 3-4 tablespoons dark rum
  • Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 F . Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray or cake goop.
  • In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry cake mix and pudding mix. Add the orange juice, oil, eggs, and lemon extract. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat for another 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Glaze

  • In a saucepan over medium heat, gently boil the orange juice, sugar, butter, and rum for two minutes. Drizzle all over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with confectioner sugar just before serving.

Notes

From Chef-Menus.com
    • Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to three days on the countertop away from sunlight at room temperature. After three days, make sure you move it to the refrigerator.
    • You can also freeze orange rum cake by wrapping the cake in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. When you’re ready to serve it again, let the cake thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 431kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 405mgFiber: 1gSugar: 45g

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword cake, orange, orange juice, rum
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was.
Sheila Thigpen, blogger

About Sheila Thigpen

Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer

Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.

4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Worked very well and was delicious. There is a lot of glaze and it’s very liquid. I pricked the cake all over with a fork and poured the glaze on very slowly in 3-4 “layers” to get it to soak into the cake. Made it once for dinner at home and twice as a gift. Was very popular each time. I like the idea of using Grand Marnier and might try that. I also froze slices and the cake was perfect after defrosting at room temp for 30 mins.

  2. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe – proportions of ingredients work well, even if you want to adjust the recipe. I used Grand Marnier instead of rum for extra orange flavor but this recipe works well both ways. For a variation, consider adding 1 3/4 tspns of ground/powdered green cardamom seeds (only the black seeds inside the pods) and 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon. Spice cake with a gentle kick from the rum.

  3. looks and sounds delicious! definitely craving a slice.. rum and orange go so perfectly together!

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