These small cakes have sour cream that makes them wonderfully moist and a gorgeous pink glaze from blood oranges. You can use regular oranges too, but you won't get that eye-catching finish! This is a stunning and easy recipe that freezes well.
Sometimes we just need small sweet cakes
They're perfect for afternoon tea, bridal showers, potlucks and picnics.
The pink color comes from blood oranges. It makes for a whimsical glaze, don't you think? I always like using natural foods to create colors in my baking. It just makes sense.
This recipe works just as well with regular oranges. And it's worth making it even if the glaze is not so dazzling. But, well, blood oranges are just so gorgeous when you cut them and expose those fiery shades of orange and yellow, no two alike.
This particular cake is one of my favorites, a take on the lemon-lime pound cake, one of the best recipes of its kind, hands down.
Moist, sweet, gorgeous, tight crumb, easy to make and a good base for letting your imagination fly with other citrus, spices or nuts.
I just had to use these blood oranges in a simple sour cream cake to bring out their flavor and make use of that gorgeous red juice in the glaze. Who can blame me?
Blood oranges vs regular ones
The difference is subtle.
Here the blood variety is pretty much the same in shape as the regular ones (image below) we use for juice, but the inside is bursting with dark oranges and yellows and maybe reds with an ochre base, very like a ball of burning flames.
They are quite sweet, and though many say sweeter than regular ones, I find them to have a slight acid berry undertone. Really great oranges, I just love them. The color alone makes them taste better or what? haha.
Anyway, they are wonderful and worth buying and trying.
Sour cream in cakes
Sour cream makes for a denser cake with a tighter, richer crumb.
It cuts wonderfully and I personally like them for loaf cakes, since they remain moist for a few days and can be toasted easily (this is best done with a day old cake).
It also gives it a golden crust and in some cases cuts through some of the sweetness, due to the acid in it. It really is cream with acidic content, a by-product from the days when fresh milk had its own layer of cream, and all of it was used for different purposes.
Use an electric mixer for the cake batter. You need to incorporate air to create a light, airy crumb.
Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack before glazing, or it will not cover them well.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Oranges: though we used blood oranges, this is a great orange cake recipe to make year-round. The color of the blood oranges gives the batter and glaze a unique and fantastic hue.
- Pans: I used a small mini bundt cake pan. It makes very small cakes. You can make regular mini bundts (as in the Coffee Chocolate Bundts) and the recipe will yield about 12 cakes. Or make a good old large bundt like our vanilla poppy seed bundt.
- Storing: the unglazed cakes freeze wonderfully, well wrapped.
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Orange Mini Cakes (blood orange glaze)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 9 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, 8 ounces, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, from about ½ orange
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, or cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup orange juice, blood oranges or regular
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Butter or spray 24 mini bundt pans. For other pan sizes, see Notes below.
- With an electric mixer beat soft 9 ounces unsalted butter and 1 cup sour cream until smooth in a large bowl, about 1 minute.
- Add 1 tablespoon orange zest and mix.
- Add 3 cups sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes more.
- Add 6 eggs, one at a time, incorporating well each one before adding the next.
- Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ cup orange juice.
- Sift 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour with ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt and add it to the butter mixture in 2 additions, beating at low speed only until well mixed. Don't overbeat. You can sift them before or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture (my choice).
- Pour into the pans, dividing evenly. Use small spoons for this as the molds are small.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. The time will depend on the pans you use.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, and then unmold.
- Let cool completely on the cooling rack before glazing.
For the glaze:
- Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice until smooth. Pour slowly over the cooled cakes letting it slide to the sides.
Debbie says
These Mini bundt cakes are just adorable and sound delectable. The blood oranges make such a beautiful glaze , I can't wait to try these.
Jess says
Good grief does this recipe look and sound so so good! I am loving the flavors and creaminess of this dish! I want way to many bites of this sweet treat! YUM!
Tara says
I am loving the glaze color, it really makes the treat pop. Just in time for Valentine's Day too! I bet my mom will love these.
Sophie says
This looks so soft and decadent. Love those pink glaze on these tiny little cakes. Thanks for the recipe.
Kita says
Perfectly tart - and not too sweet! I absolutely love these! Skipping the glaze because we aren't into too sweet and I think these are positively fantastic without it.
Claire | The Simple says
What a perfect time of year for some bright, citrus-y cakes! These sound deliciously fresh and perfectly moist. Can't wait to give this recipe a try!
Kushigalu says
Such pretty bundt cakes. Love the color and flavor. A must try !
Anna says
These little bundts look so delicious and so pretty! I have a box full of blood oranges in my kitchen and was looking for some ideas what to make with them, and now I know! I love the colour of that pink glaze!
Analida says
My family loves to eat personal little mini cakes like these and they loved the flavors. Thanks so much we all love this dessert.
Lora says
Just love these mini cakes and it's the perfect recipe to enjoy blood oranges when they're in season. Great recipe, Paula!