Easy Orange Liqueur Cake

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 01/28/23
Orange Bundt Cake

manyakotic / Getty Images

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 1 cake

A store-bought cake mix is a great base for creating a variety of flavored, interesting cakes. This recipe transforms a yellow cake mix by adding fresh orange zest and juice, chopped pecans, and some orange liqueur. A simple orange glaze finishes off this Bundt cake, creating another layer of flavor.

This cake is perfect to make when you're short on time, or need one more dessert for the holiday buffet and want something simple to prepare. The pecans are placed inside the cake pan, then the remaining cake ingredients are mixed together and poured on top. As the cake cools, the glaze quickly boils on the stovetop and then is poured over the Bundt.

Serve this orange liqueur cake in the wintertime when oranges are in season; make it part of a Christmas sweet table or as dessert for New Year's Day brunch. Do keep in mind this orange cake and glaze recipe includes curaçao or triple sec, so it should be served to adults only.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 cup chopped pecans

  • 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix with pudding

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup curaçao, or triple sec

  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

  • 1/4 cup orange juice

  • 1/4 cup water

For the Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup orange juice

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1 teaspoon orange zest

  • 1/2 cup curaçao, or triple sec

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 F and grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt cake pan.

  2. Sprinkle the pecans over the bottom of the greased and floured Bundt pan.

  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the remaining cake ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds at low speed, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.

  4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and cool in the pan for 10 minutes; remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely.

  5. Pierce the cake all over with a fork, skewer, or wooden pick.

Make the Glaze

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the orange juice and sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

  3. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest and liqueur.

Glaze the Cake

  1. Spoon the glaze slowly over the cake, letting it sink in.

  2. Serve and enjoy.

How to Store

You can keep this orange liqueur cake at room temperature, covered, for up to three days, or well-wrapped in the freezer for one month. If freezing, hold off on adding the glaze until you plan on serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
368 Calories
20g Fat
42g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 368
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 5g 27%
Cholesterol 50mg 17%
Sodium 298mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 5mg 23%
Calcium 83mg 6%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 75mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)