Orange Almond Sheet Cake

Orange Almond Sheet Cake is a moist, buttery sheet cake flavored with orange zest and covered in an almond-flavored icing. Easy to make in a 15×10-inch pan, it’s the perfect dessert for a potluck, Easter, Mother’s Day, summer get-togethers, or any occasion that calls for a light, refreshing cake.

The Best Almond Citrus Cake

The cake batter is buttery and supremely moist with lots of orange flavor from orange zest and orange extract. A little almond extract gives the cake a hint of almond flavoring and then there’s more almond flavor in the icing. Plus toasted sliced almonds on top for a little crunch. There are so many things to love about this cake!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe 🍊

• Bright, fresh orange flavor
• Soft, buttery crumb
• Baked in a sheet pan- no layers
• Perfect make-ahead dessert
• Great for summer entertaining
• Stays moist for days

A little vegetable oil in the batter is what keeps this cake so moist. There’s also a little buttermilk which always makes baked goods taste divine.

Lisa Said:

Delicious! It has a nice citrus flavor, which is perfect for the hot weather. Light and moist. I converted it to gluten-free with my own GF flour blend. Turned out perfectly.

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How To Make

(More detailed instructions and video in recipe card below.)

1. Melt an half a cup of batter and then add sugar, water, vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, orange zest, orange extract, and almond extract. Use a hand-held electric mixer to mix together.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and beat on LOW speed just until combined.
   
3. Transfer batter to greased baking pan. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool.
   
4. To make icing, microwave butter and milk until butter is melted.
   
5. Add confectioners’ sugar, salt, and almond extract. Beat until smooth.
   
6. Pour icing onto cake and top with toasted almonds.
   

   Orange Almond Sheet Cake Recipe Tips

   • Zest only the orange part of the orange skin. The white part that is underneath is bitter.
   • Measure the flour correctly using the spoon and level method. Use a large spoon to add the flour to a dry measuring cup. Overfill slightly and then run the back of a knife across the top to get rid of the excess.
   • It helps to have a hand-held mixer to mix the batter and icing but if you don’t have one, you can use a wooden spoon and give your forearm a workout.
   • I use salted butter because that is what I usually have on hand, but you can use unsalted butter and add just a pinch of salt.
   • It’s best to make this cake in a 10×15-inch pan but it can be made in a 9×13-inch pan. Just bake it slightly longer.

   Variations

   • Orange Poppyseed Cake– Add 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds to the batter.
   • Cranberry Orange Almond Cake– Add half a cup of dried cranberries to the batter.
   • Lemon Orange Cake– Replace half the orange zest with lemon zest.

   Storage

   Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days. Individual slices can be frozen for up to 3 months.

   Almond desserts are some of my favorites and the combination of orange and almond in this almond citrus cake is perfect for warmer weather. So bright and fresh tasting, but rich at the same time.

   

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   Try These Other Amazing Sheet Cakes:

   • Buttermilk Sheet Cake with Caramel Icing
   • White Texas Sheet Cake
   • Strawberry Sheet Cake
   • Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
   • Pineapple Sheet Cake

   Recipe adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen

   

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