This Orange-Vanilla Cake is a winner! It’s buttery (obviously), medium dense, not-to-sweet, and loaded with orange flavor.

Leo requested an orange cake for his 7th birthday, and of course I had to invent my own recipe! It was a huge hit, and since I had assembled it the previous afternoon, the moment he woke he was asking if we could have cake for breakfast. Well, YEAH! You only turn 7 once, amiright?

Note: The printable recipe and full ingredients and instructions are at the bottom of this page.

We sliced up the oranges I had zested, a pretty garnish for the top, and I sliced them paper thin and patted them between paper towels for a few moments, so they wouldn’t be to juicy to stick to the top. I popped on some slippers and a robe and took my sewing scissors out to the fir tree in the front yard, and voila! A quick little rustic garnish. It works, don’t you think?

Awesome recipe for a buttery, not-to-sweet orange layer cake that is loaded with flavor. I paired it with a simple whipped cream for icing, and orange marmalade for filling. A true delight and perfect for a wedding cake to, so elegant!

The pajama-wearing group of critics, helping me get the best shot. I photograph most everything on our dining room table, so it’s very hard to wait while I’m snapping pictures.

When you live with a bunch of kids who love to watch The Great British Baking Show, there’s always a breath-holding dramatic moment when the first slice is cut and you see the layers revealed. Well, I had chilled the cake overnight, so I passed the test and they all came out perfectly!

For the filling between the layers, I went with orange marmalade and whipped cream, just ever so sweet. It was perfect! The cake is quite moist, but the marmalade just added that tiny edge of bitterness, it was perfection! I sweetened the whipped cream with honey, and I wouldn’t go for much more icing on this cake. The cake itself is the true star, and the flavor so warm and delicate, I wouldn’t over-power it with a buttercream or whipped ganache. The lightness of the whipped cream was juuuuuuust right.

It was certainly of the best birthday breakfasts I’ve had in a while. On my birthday you can count on an Eggs Benedict, but I suppose when one is turning 7, a lemony hollandaise doesn’t hold a candle to a six layer cake! We sang, we feasted in our pajamas, we celebrated our fine boy.

Let me know if this cake becomes a favorite, I’m already getting requests for a repeat! I always use raw sugar when I bake, so if you are using regular white sugar, your cake may be a little sweeter than ours, still delightful! Happy Baking, and Happy Birthday Leo.