Healthy Orange Bundt Cake

 
A few months ago, I wanted to learn more about layer cakes, including how to assemble and decorate them, so I decided to start with one that looked really fun and interesting called a checkerboard cake. I found a recipe, pulled out my mixing bowls, and began measuring ingredients.  

I divided the batter in half to dye one part pink, and I stirred rainbow sprinkles into the other. Then I split each batter between two cake pans, for a total of four layers, and popped those in the oven to bake. Once they reached room temperature on the wire cooling racks, I pulled out a knife.
 

 
To make a round checkerboard cake, you cut a small circle out of the center of each layer (the “inner circle”), followed by a second wider circle (the “middle circle”). Then you swap those middle circles with the different color layer, so each layer ends up looking like a target… Kind like this: ( ( O ) ) and ( ( O ) ) .

Finally, when stacking the layers, you alternate them as well… So after you frost the cake and when you cut a slice, it looks like a checkerboard! (If you’re a visual person like me, check out this picture!)
 

 
After cutting each of those circles into the layers, I tried to remove the middle circle from the first layer… And it broke into a dozen pieces in my hands. I looked at the crumbs covering my cutting board and paused for a moment. “I’ll just make a three-layer cake instead!” I thought to myself.

But when I reached for the second middle circle, the same thing happened, scattering crumbs all over the cutting board again and my countertop. I threw up my hands in defeat and laughed. I definitely need more practice!
 

 
So for now, I’m sticking with much simpler cakes… Like this healthy orange bundt cake! One batter, one cake pan, no layers to assemble. Much more manageable! Even so, it still looks beautiful in its own right — and tastes even better! So much sweet, bright, citrusy fruit flavor.

Now that’s my kind of cake! 😉
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A HEALTHY ORANGE BUNDT CAKE

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make this healthy orange bundt cake — entirely from scratch!

You’ll start with white whole wheat flour (like this!). White whole wheat flour is not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour. It’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This means white whole wheat flour has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, but it also has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the bright orange flavor in this moist cake really shine!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy orange bundt cake gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve shared my top recommendations there!

Along with the standard baking powder, baking soda, and salt, you’ll also mix freshly grated orange zest into that white whole wheat flour. The zest actually provides the majority of the sweet citrus flavor, so don’t skip it — and make sure you add the full amount! I tested this recipe with various amounts of orange zest, and it didn’t taste “orangey” enough until I added a full 4 tablespoons.
 

 
You’ll round out the rest of the fruit flavor with freshly squeezed orange juice. It doesn’t add as strong of a taste as the zest, but it’s still necessary for both flavor and texture! The acid in the orange juice reacts with the baking soda, which helps your healthy bundt cake rise and helps with the tender texture.

And yes — even with just 1 tablespoon of butter, this healthy bundt cake is still extremely moist and tender! Can you guess why? If you’ve been around my blog before, I’m sure you can… It’s because you’ll stir Greek yogurt into the batter! Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your orange bundt cake a protein boost too. (It’s one of my trusty “go to” ingredients in my healthy baking recipes!)

You’ll use another one of my favorite ingredients to sweeten this healthy bundt cake: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, sugar-free, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s highly concentrated, so you just need 5 teaspoons to sweeten this entire cake!

Tip: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, I highly recommend using the same one that I do! This is the kind I use because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste. While you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (You can use it to make all of these recipes of mine too!)
 

HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY ORANGE BUNDT CAKE

Let’s briefly cover how to make the best healthy orange bundt cake! This recipe is simple and straightforward (I promise!), so I mainly have a few tips to share to ensure your cake turns out beautifully.

First, make sure you measure your ingredients correctly, especially the flour. Use this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will make your batter thick and dry, and your cake won’t taste as sweet either. Yet if you use the proper amount, your orange bundt cake will be perfectly moist, tender, and so flavorful!

Before spreading the batter into your bundt pan (I use this one!), remember to generously coat your bundt pan with cooking spray. Because bundt pans have lots of nooks and crannies, until traditional round cake pans, it’s much easier for the batter to stick to them… So you want to be generous with that cooking spray to ensure your cake slides right out when you invert the pan. If you have cooking spray with flour, that’s even better!

Once your healthy bundt cake is at room temperature, it’s time to drizzle and serve! (Don’t try to ice it while it’s still warm… That’ll just melt the drizzle!)

The glaze is super simple: just confectioners’ style erythritol (like this!) and a bit of orange juice. Stir those together, transfer them to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle away!
 

 
Then all that’s left to do is to cut a slice and enjoy! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy orange bundt cake!

Healthy Orange Bundt Cake

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 bundt cake, 16 slices

I honestly wasn’t a big fan of orange-flavored cakes until I tried this recipe… And now I’m obsessed! It’s really moist and tender with lots of bright orange flavor, and the sweet drizzle adds the perfect finishing touch. Leftovers will keep for at least three days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients 

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 ¾ cups (450g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp (32g) orange zest (about 2 gigantic or 3-4 medium – and see Notes!)
• 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
• ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup (180mL) freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 gigantic or 3-4 medium)
• 1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk

FOR THE DRIZZLE

• 3 tbsp (45g) confectioners’ style erythritol
• 2 ½ - 2 ¾ tsp freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously coat a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or nonstick cooking spray with flour.
• To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Once thoroughly combined, whisk in the orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the orange juice. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature and just before serving, prepare the drizzle. Stir together the erythritol and orange juice in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped plastic bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the cooled cake.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture, instead of yielding a really moist and tender texture.

 

IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.

 

IMPORTANT ORANGE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Use oranges that are purely orange without any green spots. Make sure to use the full amount of zest because that’s what provides the majority of the orange flavor.

 

Measure the zest by grams or tablespoons, and measure the orange juice by mL or cups — not by "4 medium" oranges. Not all medium oranges are the exact same size, which will impact the flavor and texture of your cake!

 

IMPORTANT BUNDT PAN NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This is the bundt pan that I use. Make sure you coat your bundt pan really well with cooking spray! With so many nooks and crannies, compared to traditional round or rectangular cake pans, the batter has more chances to stick to the sides, so a generous coating of cooking spray will ensure your bundt cake slides right out of the pan.

 

IMPORTANT DRIZZLE NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I prefer a minimalistic drizzle, but it's easy to add more! For more drizzle (and a sweeter cake!), double the drizzle.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, although the cake may be less tender and may have a noticeable wheat-y flavor.

 

EGG WHITES NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: The cake requires 4 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 4 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.

 

If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 4 large eggs AND reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.

 

STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they're not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, I recommend using the same one I do. I buy mine online here because that's the best price I've found. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too!)

 

However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the cake, substitute 2 cups (384g) granulated sugar AND omit the milk, but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. You may substitute 2 cups (384g) coconut sugar AND omit the milk to keep the cake clean eating friendly, but it will be much darker in color. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well.

 

Do not substitute honey, maple syrup, or agave because the cake batter will be much too liquidy with any of those.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

 

ERYTHRITOL NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: This is the confectioners' style erythritol that I use. Regular confectioners’ style (powdered) sugar may be substituted for the confectioners’ style erythritol in the drizzle. However, regular powdered sugar is much more absorbent, so start with just 1 teaspoon of orange juice.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 2 cups (240g) millet flour, 1 cup (120g) tapioca flour, ¾ cup (90g) brown rice flour, and 3 teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.

 

HALF BATCH OPTION: If you have a 6-cup bundt pan, you can make a half-recipe and bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes instead.

 

HOW TO STORE: This cake is best if eaten the same day it’s drizzled, but leftover cake will keep for at least three days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 

When refrigerating leftover slices of already drizzled bundt cake, the drizzle will turn brittle and crack if made with erythritol, or it will dissolve into the cake if made with powdered sugar. Neither will affect the flavor — only the appearance!

 

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Simple Orange Poppy Seed Cake
♡  Healthy Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
♡  Healthier Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
♡  Healthy Dark Chocolate Orange Truffles
♡  Healthy Fudgy Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins
♡  All of Amy’s healthy bundt cake recipes…
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cake recipes too!