Orange Buttermilk Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Super light and super delicious! Bursting with orange flavor! Super easy to make with a box of cake mix. Cake mix, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Frost the cake with a light and fluffy cream cheese and cool whip frosting. I could not stop eating this cake! Great for parties and potlucks!
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease & flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
Using a mixer, beat together cake mix, buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs for 3 minutes. Stir in orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
Using a mixer, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, juice of half an orange, and the zest of a whole orange at medium speed until creamy. Carefully fold in cool whip. Spread frosting on top of cooled cake.
Notes:
Line the cake pan with parchment paper to easily lift the cake out of the pan.
To make homemade buttermilk, combine 1 cup of milk with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the milk starts to curdle.
Can bake the cake in any pan that you prefer - round cake pans, loaf pans, or bundt pan. You will need to adjust the baking time.
You can omit the frosting and make a quick orange glaze or pour some warm orange marmalade over the cake.
I prefer to use fresh orange juice in this cake. You can substitute bottled orange juice if you prefer.
Store the cake tightly covered in the refrigerator.