• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
1 hour 15 minutes
4.5 from 82 votes
52 Comments

Lemon Orange Cake with Lemon Honey Glaze

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 426
by: Joanna Cismaru
11.28.21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Lemon Orange Cake with Lemon Honey Glaze is a delicious citrusy cake, easy to make and topped with an incredible lemon honey glaze for a little extra tang and sweetness!

a lemon bundt cake on a platter drizzled in glaze and topped with lemon zest

You all know I love my lemon desserts like Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake and Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf, it must be the citrus flavor I love so much! This cake packs a double whammy of citrus tang thanks to both lemon juice and lots of orange juice. What can I tell you about this cake, other than it’s moist, it’s citrusy and it’s so freaking good.

I’m making this cake completely from scratch today, no boxed cake on my counter. We’re going to achieve tons of moisture, flavor, and light airy cake crumb this way. Top all that fluffy citrus cake with a lemon honey glaze and you’ve got something special on your hands.

a slice of lemon cake on a plate with a fork

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card on the bottom of the page.

Lemon orange cake

  • Flour – All purpose flour works just fine for this recipe.
  • Leavening agents – Both baking powder and baking soda.
  • Salt – Salt is so important in any and all baked goods.
  • Citrus – We’re using both lemon and orange juice as well as the zest from both fruits.
  • Butter – Unsalted as we want to control the sodium in our dessert.
  • Sugar – Just plain old granulated white sugar for a nice clean flavor.
  • Milk – You can use any kind of milk you would like, regardless of fat content.
  • Eggs – We’re using 5 eggs today, quite a bit I know but believe me you’ll want them.

Lemon honey glaze

  • Sugar – We want powdered sugar for this glaze as granulated sugar will produce a grainy glaze. This will act as a thickened and binder for our glaze.
  • Honey – This will add some syrupy sweetness to our cake.
  • Lemon – We’re just using nice acidic lemon juice to carry that citrus taste through from our cake to our glaze.
lemon bundt cake on a platter drizzled with glaze and topped with lemon zest

How To Make Lemon Orange Cake

  1. Prepare the oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in the orange and lemon zest. Set aside.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar: In the bowl of your electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix the butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. Form the batter: To the bowl of your mixer add the lemon juice, orange juice, milk, the eggs and mix to combine. Begin adding the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix for a couple minutes until the batter is smooth and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
  5. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 min to an hour until done. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick and if it comes out clean it’s done.
  6. Prepare the glaze: To make the lemon honey glaze whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
  7. Finish the cake: Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Once cool, drizzle the cake with the lemon honey glaze and decorate with additional lemon or orange zest if preferred.

How Much Juice Is In Our Citrus Fruits?

This answer varies quite a bit depending on the size of your lemon or orange. A lemon holds about 3 tablespoons of juice while an orange holds about 4 tablespoons. Be sure your fruits are at room temperature and roll them firmly between your hand and the counter before juicing.

a slice of lemon bundt cake on a plate with a fork

Some Tips

  1. I’ve found that they key to ensuring this cake stays nice and moist is really giving it some time to cool down on your counter. Allow it to sit for as long as you can wait!
  2. If you can wait long enough I find that this cake is even better the next day.
  3. Sometimes where you place your loaf pan in the oven can make a difference, some swear by baking their loaves near the top of the oven whereas some prefer the middle. Here’s a handy guide explaining the science behind rack placement. So play around and see what works best with your oven!
  4. The best way to avoid a mess when glazing is to place the loaf on a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, clean up time will be cut in half!

Make Ahead?

Yes you can! If you’d like to make this just a few days in advance feel free to store this cake right on the counter for up to 3 days just be sure to cover it to prevent it from drying out. The glaze can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezer

If you’d prefer to store in the freezer, wrap the cake tightly in aluminum foil before placing in a large ziploc bag, be sure to press out as much of the air in the bag as possible before sealing. This method will keep your cake fresh for up to 4 months. To thaw you’ll want to keep it wrapped in foil as it thaws on your counter for up to 3 hours.

Don’t glaze your loaf before putting it in the freezer, the glaze can become runny while thawing.

Craving More Lemon? Try These Delicious Recipes:

  • Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
  • Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
  • Lemon Blueberry Scones
  • Lemon Yogurt Cake
  • Strawberry Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Bread With Lemon Icing
  • Lemon Bars

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

side view shot of a lemon orange bundt cake drizzled with honey lemon icing and garnished with lemon zest. Two slices are cut from the cake

Lemon Orange Cake with Lemon Honey Glaze

4.5 from 82 votes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 15 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 16
Print Pin Rate
This Lemon Orange Cake with Lemon Honey Glaze is a delicious citrusy cake, easy to make and topped with an incredible lemon honey glaze for a little extra tang and sweetness!

Equipment

  • Microplane Zester Grater
  • Nordic 12 Cup Bundt Pan

Ingredients

Lemon Orange Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon orange zest grated
  • 2 tablespoon lemon zest grated
  • 1 cup butter unsalted and softened
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar white
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 5 eggs

Lemon Honey Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in the orange and lemon zest. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of your electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to mix the butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • To the bowl of your mixer add the lemon juice, orange juice, milk, the eggs and mix to combine. Begin adding the flour mixture a little bit at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix for a couple minutes until the batter is smooth and all the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 min to an hour until done. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick and if it comes out clean it’s done.
  • To make the lemon honey glaze whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. 
  • Let cake cool on a wire rack. Once cool, drizzle the cake with the lemon honey glaze and decorate with additional lemon or orange zest if preferred.

Recipe Notes

If you don’t have a bundt pan, this recipe can be made in a loaf pan as well. This recipe will yield 2 loaves with a 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan. Cooking time and temperature will stay the same.
Yes you can! If you’d like to make this just a few days in advance feel free to store this cake right on the counter for up to 3 days just be sure to cover it to prevent it from drying out. The glaze can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
If you’d prefer to store in the freezer, wrap the cake tightly in aluminum foil before placing in a large ziploc bag, be sure to press out as much of the air in the bag as possible before sealing. This method will keep your cake fresh for up to 4 months. To thaw you’ll want to keep it wrapped in foil as it thaws on your counter for up to 3 hours.
Don’t glaze your loaf before putting it in the freezer, the glaze can become runny while thawing.
Please note that nutritional information can vary greatly based on products used.
Recipe originally shared March 2011.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 318kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 46g (15%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fat: 13g (20%)Saturated Fat: 8g (50%)Cholesterol: 83mg (28%)Sodium: 103mg (4%)Potassium: 133mg (4%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 27g (30%)Vitamin A: 465IU (9%)Vitamin C: 9.6mg (12%)Calcium: 51mg (5%)Iron: 1.4mg (8%)
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
Keyword:lemon orange cake
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 426
  • 1

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

overhead shot of air fryer chicken wings on a plate
Previous Post
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
side view shot of a pan full of garlic paprika chicken topped with fresh parsley
Next Post
Garlic and Paprika Chicken

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Betty a Rogers says

    July 16, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    Can you use a regular hand mixer since I don’t have paddle mixer

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      July 16, 2019 at 3:32 pm

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  2. Feli says

    July 12, 2019 at 11:16 pm

    Can I use cake flour

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      July 16, 2019 at 10:24 am

      Yes you can. Use 1 cup and 2 tbsp cake flour for every cup of AP flour called for in the recipe.

      Reply
  3. Lorraine seguin says

    July 8, 2019 at 10:04 am

    Is it ok to use salted butter?…..

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      July 8, 2019 at 12:45 pm

      Absolutely, just reduce the salt then.

      Reply
  4. Gilah says

    March 19, 2019 at 2:07 pm

    5 stars
    Everyone enjoyed it. I was very worried about how it would taste, because I used bitter/oranges instead of sweet oranges. It turned out GREAT!

    Reply
  5. Lori Weston says

    February 2, 2019 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    wonderful treat. Very refreshing and easy to make.

    Reply
  6. Battista Castiglione says

    January 21, 2019 at 5:32 pm

    5 stars
    Gotcha. Thanks

    Reply
  7. Denuta Dardane says

    January 8, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    Here’s a thought. Why not use self-rising flour for this recipe like the Brits do?
    Just sayin.

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      January 9, 2019 at 10:15 am

      For each cup of self rising flour, there is 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. For this recipe, that would be a total of 4 1/2 tsp of BP and 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Too much!

      Reply
  8. Nadia says

    November 26, 2018 at 4:10 pm

    5 stars
    Loved the cake! My daughter made it yesterday & it was a moist & delicious cake with a tangy flavor that the whole family loved. There was one snafu that happened & I want to avoid that for next time so need a tip regarding that. The liquid split when she blended the mixture. It did come together after adding the flour but was wondering if there was a technique to avoid having it curdled. Thanks

    Reply
    • Nicole Beaulieu says

      November 27, 2018 at 10:20 am

      Don’t worry about the splitting! That is common when using softened or melted butter with cold ingredients, like the orange juice for example. As long as everything comes together in the end, you’re all good.

      Reply
  9. Redder4 says

    November 25, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    5 stars
    Watching Eagles ando Giants, made the cake inot 9×13 inch pan didn’t hurt that citrus flavor at all! And the glaze, took it over the top. Will be making this again. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  10. Lola says

    June 7, 2018 at 2:15 pm

    5 stars
    Made this recipe and it is absolutely delicious 🙏🏽 Thanks for sharing! adding it to my recipe cookbook 💖💖

    Reply
  11. wings io says

    April 26, 2018 at 2:47 am

    5 stars
    My daughter loves cakes. Especially like the beautiful decorations like this. Me and my daughter will do it.

    Reply
  12. Yazmin says

    January 14, 2018 at 12:45 am

    5 stars
    Just tried the recipe and my children have been begging to eat the moment it came out of the oven… They love it so much. Easy, delicious recipe…

    Reply
  13. Heghineh says

    June 1, 2017 at 10:46 pm

    Thank you for this recipe,will definitely try it over the weekend.

    Reply
  14. Kelly says

    January 5, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    Where do I find the measurements for the lemon and orange juices?

    Reply
    • jo says

      January 5, 2014 at 7:26 pm

      I’m not sure what you mean Kelly, you need about 2 tbsp of the orange and lemon zest. Use a regular measuring tablespoon.

      Reply
      • Erica says

        April 25, 2014 at 4:20 am

        Step 2 and 4 are getting me a little confused. Do you sift the flour separately or do you add all the ingredients and sift together?
        Also, in step 4; did you mean the orange ZEST or do we need orange juice as well. If so you should probably update the ingredients too.
        Please and thank you!

      • jo says

        April 26, 2014 at 12:54 am

        I’ve updated the recipe. 🙂

      • Chris says

        June 24, 2017 at 5:27 pm

        I did not read anything about sifting.

  15. Lynn Jansson says

    April 22, 2011 at 4:00 am

    5 stars
    thanks! just the recipe I was trying to find 🙂 Looks delicisous!

    Reply
Newer Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
lemon chicken made in the air fryer in a blue bowl.

Asian

overhead shot of a spoon taking a bite of italian meatball soup

Italian

freshly made pozole rojo in a dutch oven.

Mexican

mititei on a plate with mustard and french fries.

Romanian

a stack of roti wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!