orange juice – Brownie Mischief

Honey Butter Pumpkin Cake

Posted on October 2, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

This subtly sweet, perfectly spiced, soft pumpkin cake, with a touch of honey, is perfect for those autumn pumpkin-spice cravings. The delicious honey butter glaze gives this cake the perfect balance and helps to keep it moist for days. The recipe is easy enough to make as a breakfast cake, but elegant enough for afternoon tea. I decorated my cake, fairy-style, with edible flowers and roasted, salted pumpkin seeds. It’s also delicious served with dollops of whipped cream.

Honey Butter Pumpkin Cake

Subtly sweet and perfectly spiced soft, moist single layer pumpkin cake topped with honey butter glaze

Print Recipe

Course Brunch, Dessert

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cake

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
⅔ cup (132g) granulated sugar
⅔ cup (150ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 tablespoons (42g) honey
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (227g) canned pure pumpkin purée not pie filling

Honey Butter Glaze

¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
2 tablespoons (42g) honey
½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste

Instructions

Pumpkin Cake

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, honey, eggs and vanilla, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and well blended, Beat in the pumpkin purée. Stir in the flour mixture by hand, just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 33-40 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool the cake in the pan for 10-12 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.

Honey Butter Glaze

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the orange juice, powdered sugar and salt until smooth and well blended. Add additional salt to taste if desired. Brush the glaze generously over the warm cake.

Keyword cake, honey butter, pumpkin

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

Posted on April 8, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

If you search loaf cakes on the internet, you’ll find an abundance of “copycat” recipes. For some reason, everyone is trying to copy a loaf cake from a popular coffee shop. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not a fan of the rubbery neon slice. I’d rather have a slice of soft, fluffy cake with a burst of fresh citrus flavor and buttery frosting. If that sounds good to you too, you’ll love this recipe. I used the reverse creaming method to make this cake, which produces a soft, velvety crumb. Brushing the cake with orange simple syrup keeps it moist and flavorful. This recipe is for an orange-vanilla bean cake but it can also be made into a lemon version. See the notes below.

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

Soft, fluffy vanilla bean and orange scented loaf cake topped with silky vanilla cream cheese frosting by Brownie Mischief

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 8

Ingredients

Orange Simple Syrup

2 tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

1 ⅓ cups (170g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (175g) granulated sugar
Zest of 2 medium oranges
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
¼ cup (57g) sour cream, room temperature
¼ cup (59ml) whole milk, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon pure orange extract

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons (28g) cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups (180g) powered sugar, sifted
1 pinch fine sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1-3 tablespoons (15-45ml) whole milk or half & half, room temperature

Instructions

Orange Simple Syrup

Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Orange Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest, with an electric mixer or by hand, until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and beat until well combined. On low speed, beat in the butter until the mixture looks like sand.
In a separate medium-size bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla bean paste and orange extract together until smooth and well combined. On low speed, gradually beat this mixture into the sugar mixture until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not over mix.
Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack. Brush the warm cake all over with orange simple syrup. Let the cake cool completely, then frost with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

In a medium-size bowl, stir the cream cheese with a spatula until smooth. Add the butter and beat, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of milk and beat until smooth. Add additional milk, if needed, until the desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.

Notes

To find an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, click here

To make a lemon version of this cake, replace the orange zest with lemon zest. Replace the vanilla bean paste with 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and replace the orange extract with 1 teaspoon of pure lemon extract. For the simple syrup, replace the orange juice with lemon juice.

Keyword cake, orange

Sunshine Picnic Cake

Posted on February 27, 2025February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Out here in Southern California we have picnic weather in the middle of winter. Even if it’s snowing where you live, you might be craving something deliciously bright, like this Sunshine Picnic Cake made with fresh orange juice and orange zest. The soft, moist cake is topped with a subtly tart citrus icing. It’s perfect for a spring or summer picnic, a tea party, weekend brunch or even an anytime snack. This recipe is so versatile that you can easily switch it up to make it a lemon cake if you wish.*

Sunshine Picnic Cake

Soft, plush, moist orange scented cake with citrus icing

Print Recipe

Course Brunch, Dessert

Servings 9

Ingredients

Cake

1 ½ cups (192g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
½ cup (111ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 large eggs room temperature
¼ cup (59ml) orange juice
1 teaspoon pure orange extract**
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (170g) sour cream room temperature

Icing

1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) orange juice
1 dash fine sea salt

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, orange zest, and oil, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and creamy. Add the orange juice and the extracts and beat until blended. With the mixer on low speed or by hand, beat in the flour mixture in two additions followed by half of the sour cream after each addition. Mix just until smooth and combined.
Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Bake until the top looks golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack. Alternately, if you want to transport the cake in the pan, you can let it cool in the pan.

Icing

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon (15ml) of orange juice and the salt until well blended. Add additional orange juice as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Spread the icing on the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Notes

*To make a lemon version of this cake, replace the orange juice with lemon juice. Replace the orange zest with the lemon zest of two medium lemons. Replace the orange extract with pure lemon extract. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon.

**To find pure orange extract, click here.

Keyword cake, orange

Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies

Posted on November 13, 2024February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

When you combine cranberry orange crumb cake with white chocolate chip cookies, you get these delicious, unique cookies that are perfect for the holiday season. They make a festive addition to your holiday cookie platter. I came up with these delightful cookies when I was looking for a way to use up leftover cranberry sauce. If your family is like mine, it’s rare for us to have leftover cranberry sauce because we love it so much. Click here to view my Cranberry Sauce recipe. Don’t worry, you can certainly use store bought whole berry cranberry sauce for this recipe and the cookies will be just as delicious.

Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies

Orange scented vanilla cookies with white chocolate chips, topped with cranberry sauce, crumb topping and orange icing

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

¾ cup (96g) all purpose flour
¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ½ tablespoons (64g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cookies

2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 medium orange
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanila extract
¾ cup (128g) white chocolate chips
½ cup (113g) whole berry cranberry sauce, purchased or homemade

Icing

⅔ cup (80g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 pinch fine sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1-2 ½ tablespoons (15-38ml) orange juice

Instructions

Crumb Topping

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt until well combined. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks sandy with no large pieces of butter. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the cookie dough.

Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookies sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and orange zest, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolk in two separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter, just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
Form the cookie dough into sixteen 2-tablespoon size balls. Place them about 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Press a 1-inch wide indentation into each cookie using your thumb or a pastry tamper. Fill each indentation with a generous teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Top each one generously with the crumb topping. Gently press the topping into the cookies.
Bake until the topping and the edges start to turn light golden, about 11-13 minutes. (Be careful not to over bake to avoid drying out your cookies.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Icing

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of orange juice until well combined. Add additional orange juice as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

Keyword cookies, cranberry orange

Mini Orange Olive Oil Cakes

Posted on March 30, 2022February 14, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Ever since a certain celebrity cut a hole from the middle of her favorite olive oil cake back in 2020, the internet has been obsessed with olive oil cakes. I must confess that I was a fan of olive oil cakes long before that. I first tasted one at a restaurant years ago and fell in love. The flavor and texture was so delightful, that all it needed was a dusting of powdered sugar on top. Now that the dust has settled, I’m sharing my favorite orange olive oil cake recipe. Not because it’s trendy, but because it’s a really delicious recipe that tastes like spring.

I made cute little orange scented, personal cakes that are really just elegant cupcakes. The recipe is easily adapted to your tastes. You can switch up the orange flavor and substitute with lemon or any citrus of your choice. Even if you don’t like olive oil, you’ll still like these little cakes. I used light olive oil, rather than extra virgin olive oil, for a more subtle olive oil flavor. It’s also able to withstand higher temperatures. Feel free to use your favorite olive oil or replace it with the oil you prefer. Grape seed, avocado, canola and vegetable oil are some examples of oils you can use as a replacement.

This recipe contains almond flour. It helps with texture and flavor, so it’s a necessary ingredient. Almond flour can be pricey, but it’s good to have on hand. Adding it to your baked goods will make them more moist and tender. To find almond flour click here,

Mini Orange Olive Oil Cakes

Mari Vasseur

Soft, tender mini orange cakes brushed with orange syrup & dusted with powdered sugar

Print Recipe

Course Dessert

Servings 12 mini cakes

Ingredients

Mini Orange Olive Oil Cakes

1 cup (113g) cake flour, sifted
¼ cup (28g) almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅔ cup (133g) sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (115ml) light olive oil
¼ cup (59ml) whole milk
¼ cup (59ml orange juice

Orange Simple Syrup

¼ cup (50g) sugar
2 tablespoons (30ml) orange juice
2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
Powdered sugar for dusting the tops

Instructions

Mini Orange Olive Oil Cakes

Heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour a 12 serving muffin pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, orange zest and vanilla extract together until smooth. Gradually mix in the olive oil and beat until creamy and well blended.
Stir in the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the milk and orange juice. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix.
Fill the prepared muffin pan cups 2/3 full with batter. Do not overfill or cakes will be more difficult to remove.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops look light golden, but still moist and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. They bake very quickly, so check them a few minutes early to avoid over baking.
Cool the cakes in pan for 5 minutes. Remove them from pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Brush the warm cakes with orange simple syrup and allow to cool completely. When the cakes have cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

Orange Simple Syrup

In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, and orange zest. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Keyword cake, olive oil, orange

Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes

Posted on March 12, 2021February 18, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

During citrus season, in the heart of winter, my backyard orange tree is brimming over with fresh oranges. So I love bringing some fresh-picked sunshine to my family with these fluffy Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes from my childhood. When I was a child, my parents used to love taking our family to a smorgasbord. The owner would always come out from the kitchen and say hello to my parents. He made delicious fried donut holes that my brother and I looked forward to at the end of our meal. At home we duplicated the donut holes using a recipe from an old cookbook. Unfortunately the cookbook is lost, but this recipe is pretty close to the original. Tossing the little donuts in vanilla sugar makes them even more fragrant and delicious. The vanilla sugar can be used immediately, but for the best flavor, make it in advance.

The original recipe had vanilla and nutmeg in it, which are classic cake donut flavors. The addition of fresh orange zest and juice makes them vibrant and flavorful. I love making different flavors of these donut holes. To view Blueberry Donut Holes, click here.

Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes

by Mari Vasseur

Orange & vanilla donut holes, fluffy & fragrant on the inside, crisp & sugary on the outside

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 24 donut holes

Ingredients

Donut Holes

2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
½ cup (100g) sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
2 tablespoons (28g) melted butter
½ cup (118ml) orange juice
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
½ cup (100g) vanilla sugar Recipe below
Oil for frying

Vanilla Sugar

½ split vanilla bean
½ cup (100g) sugar

Instructions

Donut Holes

In a large, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, orange zest, melted butter, orange juice and vanilla bean paste until creamy and well combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. A few small lumps are okay.
In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 340ºF (170ºC). Place the vanilla sugar in a medium-sized bowl.
Drop tablespoon-sized portions of batter into the hot oil. (I used a #60 portion scoop**) Don't over crowd the pan.
Fry the donut holes until golden brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. If the donut holes cook too quickly on the outside, turn heat down a bit.
Briefly drain the donut holes on paper towels, then toss them in vanilla sugar. Serve warm.

Vanilla Sugar

With the dull side of a knife, scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean.
In a small bowl, whisk the vanilla seeds together with sugar, breaking up any clumps. Use immediately or make in advance and let the flavor develop 1-2 weeks in a covered container.

Notes

**To find vanilla beans, click here.

*To find the scoop I used, click here.

Keyword donuts, orange vanilla

Cranberry Sauce

Posted on November 14, 2017February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Homemade cranberry sauce is easier to make than you might think, and it takes your turkey dinner to another level. And don’t get me started on how delicious it is on Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches (which I happen to love more than the dinner itself.) This cranberry sauce is also delicious used in dessert recipes, like bars and cookies, such as my Cranberry Orange Crumb Cake Cookies.

Cranberry Sauce

Print Recipe

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

12 ounces (340g) cranberries, fresh or frozen, picked over, stems removed and rinsed (about 1 3/4 cups)
⅔ cup (132g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
½ cup (118ml) orange juice
½ cup (118ml) water
Zest of 1 medium orange
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer until the cranberries soften and the mixture thickens to a jam consistency, about 18-25 minutes. Stir in the honey and salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools.

Keyword condiments, cranberry sauce