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Home » Ingredients » Fruits

Coconut Orange Loaf Cake

Published: Apr 11, 2021 · Modified: Dec 10, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Recipe

This orange loaf cake is a soft sweet orange bread perfect for an Italian breakfast. Before you make your fresh orange juice, grate the zests and use them for this cake, and nothing gets wasted. The sweet and crunchy coconut balances the citrusy aroma of the orange. The flavor is already intense; you do not need any frosting. It is easy to make, and the plain square cake slices are practical to pack for a lunch or picnic.

Orange cake loaf on a cutting board with two slices. Oranges on the side

A special breakfast or a snack requires freshly squeezed orange juice.

So before you cut the oranges into two, grate the zest and make this cake. It is easy to make, and you can prepare it the night before.

Loaf cakes, crostata, or homemade jams are part of a classic Italian breakfast. They include all the nutrition you need for a good start to the day, fruits, eggs, and carbs.

They last 3 to 4 days, so you don't have to bake them fresh in the morning.

No one has time for that!

For more cake recipes to make for a classic Italian breakfast, you can read carrot cake loaf with walnuts, Italian apple cake with plenty of apples, Italian ricotta cake no butter, crostata with homemade jam, homemade brioche.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • How to serve and store it
  • Equipment
  • Variation and substitution
  • Top tips
  • 📋Coconut Orange Loaf Cake

Ingredients

The ingredients you need for this orange cake loaf are:

  • Shredded coconut
  • Orange zest
  • Milk
  • Butter at room temperature
  • Caster sugar
  • Fresh eggs
  • Flour
  • Baking powder

The quantities are in the recipe card below.

image of ingredients with names

Instructions

  1. Before making this cake, soak the shredded coconut and the orange zest in milk overnight or at room temperature for one hour.
coconut and orange zest soaking in the milk

Making the batter

Sifting flour with the baking powder
  1. Sift the flour with the baking powder
Butter whipped with sugar
  1. With an electrical blender, whip the butter (room temperature) with the sugar until it becomes creamy.
Butter and sugar with the eggs combined
  1. Add the two eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is combined before you add the next one
Batter once the flour is combined
  1. Gradually combine the flour
Adding the milk to the batter
  1. Last, add the milk and the coconut
Finishing mixing the batter
  1. The batter will be very fluid
Loaf pan coated with butter and flour
  1. Coat with butter and flour a loaf baking pan
Batter poured inside the loaf pan
  1. Pour in the cake batter
Orange cake baked still in the pan
  1. Bake in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 1 hour
Baked orange cake removed from the pan over a cutting board
  1. Wait 10 minutes before removing it from the pan

How to serve and store it

This cake can be served by itself without any frosting. The coconut and the orange give it already a nice aroma.

You can serve it with jams or fruit, but this cake is convenient because you can eat it without a plate. A perfect option for a packed lunch, a picnic, or breakfast on the go if you are running late.

The cake will keep for four days stored in an airtight container. No need to refrigerate.

Orange cake over a cutting board two slices cut and sprinkled with coconut

Equipment

This cake is so easy to make you do not need any special equipment.

I use my KitchenAid mixer to make the batter, but you can use a regular hand whisk.

Ensure the butter is at room temperature, making it easy to whip.

Whip with batter

Variation and substitution

As I don't like to waste food, I use the orange zest leftover from the Orange liqueur for this recipe.

The orange zest has been soaking in pure alcohol for a month, and they have an alcoholic aroma.

The flavor is mild and not overwhelming, but I do not use them when serving it to children.

Besides orange zest, you can also use freshly grated lemon zest or the lemon zest leftover from the limoncello.

You can also substitute the coconut with shredded almonds.

lemon and orange zests

Top tips

  • What makes this cake nicely moist and fluffy is the whipping of the butter with the sugar. Make sure it is nice and foaming before you add the eggs.
  • Add one egg at a time to make sure they are well combined
  • Once you add the flour sifted with the baking powder, you need to bake the cake right after otherwise, you risk compromising the rising of the baking powder.
  • Do not remove it from the pan immediately otherwise; it will break. Although, remove it from the pan to cool down completely so the steam is released and the loaf forms a nice crunchy crust.
Orange loaf cake on a cutting board two slices cut and the pool in the background

If you are making this Coconut Orange Loaf Cake, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.

Coconut Orange Loaf Cake

📋Coconut Orange Loaf Cake

This orange loaf cake is a soft sweet orange bread perfect for an Italian breakfast. Before you make your fresh orange juice, grate the zests and use them for this cake, and nothing gets wasted. The sweet and crunchy coconut balances the citrusy aroma of the orange. The flavor is already intense; you do not need any frosting. It is easy to make, and the plain square cake slices are practical to pack for a lunch or picnic.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Soaking time 1 hour
⏲️Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Print Rate SaveSaved!
Author: Laura Tobin

Ingredients
 
 

  • ½ cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • ½ cup butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 2 fresh eggs
  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
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Equipment

  • KitchenAid Mixer
  • Measuring mugs
  • Mini Measuring Set
  • Baking Utensil Set
  • Loaf Bread Baking Pan
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Instructions

  • Before making this cake, soak the shredded coconut and the orange zest in milk overnight or at room temperature for one hour.
    ½ cup shredded coconut, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • Sift the flour with the baking powder
    1 ¾ cup flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • With an electrical blender, whip the butter (room temperature) with the sugar until it becomes creamy.
    ½ cup butter at room temperature, 1 cup caster sugar
  • Add the two eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is combined before you add the next one
    2 fresh eggs
  • Gradually combine the flour
  • Last, add the milk and the coconut
  • The batter will be very fluid
  • Coat with butter and flour a loaf baking pan
  • Pour in the cake batter
  • Bake in a hot oven at 355 F - 180 C for 1 hour
  • Wait 10 minutes before removing it from the pan
  • Serve it for breakfast or as a snack

Video

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Notes

  • What makes this cake nicely moist and fluffy is the whipping of the butter with the sugar. Make sure it is nice and foaming before you add the eggs.
  • Add one egg at a time to make sure they are well combined
  • Once you add the flour sifted with the baking powder, you need to bake the cake right after otherwise, you risk compromising the rising of the baking powder.
  • Do not remove it from the pan immediately otherwise; it will break. Although, remove it from the pan to cool down completely so the steam is released and the loaf forms a nice crunchy crust.

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 311IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg
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Laura Giunta Tobin

Hi, I’m Laura. Welcome to my Blog! Here is where you’ll find an authentic Italian perspective on Italian cooking. Won’t you join me?

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