Fresh ginger and orange delicately flavor this delicious cake batter that turns into a light and fluffy sponge. A simple & elegant dessert!
I have been on a mission to create the most fluffy, elegant, yet simple and delicious cake. Friends, I think I have nailed it with this Fresh Ginger and Orange Cake. It combines the freshness of orange with the spice of the ginger for the most delicious combo of flavors; all brought together with a fresh thyme ginger whipped cream – YUM. Typically, I’d opt to bring a Venison Sausage Breakfast Casserole or my Eggs Benedict Casserole to a brunch date, but this cake might be my new go-to. It would pair well with my, Venison Breakfast Sausage or Venison Sausage Breakfast Bowl. It would also be a delicious dessert to serve after serving up some grilled backstrap, or my Venison Stew. It is truly the perfect cake to serve for Easter, Mother’s Day, or brunch.
Now let’s talk about this cake. It’s bright, zesty, and oh-so-delicious—this Fresh Ginger and Orange Cake is the perfect light dessert for spring! The warmth of fresh ginger and the citrusy pop of orange delicately infuse the batter, creating a beautifully balanced flavor in every bite. Baked to perfection, this sponge cake is irresistibly soft, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweet. It’s simple yet elegant, making it perfect for any occasion.
I recommend topping it with a dusting of powdered sugar and the fresh thyme ginger whipped cream. The fresh flavors shine through, giving you a refreshing bite that’s not too heavy—just the thing for warmer days! For some more fun, pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’ve got yourself a dreamy, bakery-worthy treat.
INGREDIENTS AND KITCHEN TOOLS
For the cake:
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Butter
- Fresh ginger
- Light brown sugar
- Honey
- Orange
- Buttermilk* – see note
- Egg
For the thyme ginger cream:
- Heavy cream
- Honey
- Ginger peels
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Vanilla or vanilla bean paste
Kitchen Tools:
- Round Cake Pan (9in)
- Sifter (you can also use a hand strainer)
- Sauce pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Cute cake stand
STEP BY STEP
To make the cake:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Step 3: Melt the butter in a saucepan and allow it to cool slightly.
Step 4: Add the ginger, brown sugar and honey and whisk together well. Then stir in the orange zest, juice and buttermilk. Combine well and finally add the beaten egg until well incorporated (make sure the mixture isn’t hot so you don’t cook the egg).
Step 5: Add the wet ingredients to the dry in 3 installments. Stir until just combined and pour into your cake pan.
Step 6: Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until the cake springs back after touched or a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
Step 7: Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling the cake on a wire rack.
To make the thyme ginger cream:
Step 1: Add the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium low heat.
Step 2: Bring the mixture up to a light simmer and remove it from the heat as soon as it begins to bubble and steam. Stir it very frequently so it doesn’t scald.
Step 3: Once removed from the heat, allow the ginger and thyme to steep in the cream for an additional 10-15 minutes as it cools.
Step 4: Strain out the solids and pour the cream into a jar or covered bowl and cool in the fridge until very cold.
Step 5: Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Cooking Tip
Make sure to add the wet ingredients to the dry in 3 installments, don’t over-mix. Just make sure all ingredients are combined.
SERVING AND STORING
When you’re ready to serve, dust the entire cake with powdered sugar. Top the cake or top each slice with the cream and enjoy!
OTHER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE | PERFECT FOR BRUNCH
- Venison Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Banana Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Easy Eggs Benedict Casserole
- Homemade Fruit Parfait With Chia Jam
Fresh Ginger & Orange Cake
Fresh ginger and orange delicately flavor this delicious cake batter that turns into a light and fluffy sponge. A simple & elegant dessert!
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 and ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 stick (8 Tbsp) melted butter
- ⅓ cup minced, fresh ginger
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- Juice and zest of 1 orange (about ¼ cup fresh orange juice)
- ¼ cup buttermilk* – see note
- 1 large, room temperature egg, beaten
For the thyme ginger cream:
- 1 and ½ cups heavy cream
- ⅓ cup honey (or to taste)
- Ginger peels from your ginger or about a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
- About 5–10 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tsp. vanilla or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and allow it to cool slightly.
- Add the ginger, brown sugar and honey and whisk together well. Then stir in the orange zest, juice and buttermilk. Combine well and finally add the beaten egg until well incorporated (make sure the mixture isn’t hot so you don’t cook the egg).
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry in 3 installments. Stir until just combined and pour into your cake pan.
- Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until the cake springs back after touched or a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling the cake on a wire rack.
To make the thyme ginger cream:
- Add the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium low heat.
- Bring the mixture up to a light simmer and remove it from the heat as soon as it begins to bubble and steam. Stir it very frequently so it doesn’t scald.
- Once removed from the heat, allow the ginger and thyme to steep in the cream for an additional 10-15 minutes as it cools.
- Strain out the solids and pour the cream into a jar or covered bowl and cool in the fridge until very cold.
- Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
To serve:
- When you’re ready to serve, dust the entire cake with powdered sugar.
- Top the cake or top each slice with the cream and enjoy!
Notes
For the fresh orange juice and buttermilk, I like to first add the fresh squeezed juice into a liquid measuring cup. Then I add the buttermilk on top of it and both liquids to total to ½ cup of liquid. A little more or less of one of each is fine as long as you have ½ cup of liquid
