Orange Slice Cake: 1 Old-Fashioned Christmas Cake Grandma Baked Weeks Ahead

Orange slice cake is the old-fashioned Christmas cake that shows up in almost every Southern church cookbook, usually with a handwritten note in the margin that says “make by Thanksgiving.” It is packed with chewy orange candy, sweet dates and toasted pecans, soaked in a warm orange glaze, and it only gets better as it sits..

If you grew up in the South, you may remember a heavy tube cake wrapped in foil on Grandma’s counter from late November until New Year’s Day. That was probably this one. Right now it is having a big comeback. A recent reel from Alabama cook Cooking with Brenda Gantt telling her followers to bake it pulled more than 24,000 reactions and 2,700 comments, and most of those comments say the same thing: “My mama made this every Christmas.”

Think of orange slice cake as the fruitcake for people who do not like fruitcake. There is no bitter candied peel and no mystery green cherries. Instead, you get soft orange gumdrop pieces that melt into the crumb, dates that taste like caramel and plenty of pecans. It is rich, sweet and very forgiving, which is exactly why church ladies have been baking it for generations.

Why orange slice cake was always made weeks ahead

Before freezers were common, holiday baking started early, and this cake was built for that. The candy, dates and buttermilk keep it moist, and the orange glaze soaks in and seals it. Wrapped tightly and kept cool, it was sliced little by little through the whole season. Many families still bake it the week of Thanksgiving so it is perfect by Christmas.

Orange slice cake ingredients

This makes one 10-inch tube cake, about 20 slices. Use the classic sugar-coated orange slice candies, sometimes sold as orange jelly slices. Soft, fresh candy chops much more easily than old, hard candy. For more nostalgic recipes from the same kind of handwritten cards, see our forgotten Southern desserts from Grandma’s kitchen.

For the cake

• 1 lb orange slice candy, chopped small
• 8 oz pitted dates, chopped
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut (one 7 oz bag is fine)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the orange glaze

• 1 cup orange juice (fresh or from a carton)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp grated orange zest (optional)

How to make orange slice cake, step by step

The one trick every grandma knew: toss the sticky candy, dates and nuts in flour before they go into the batter. The flour coating keeps them from clumping together and sinking to the bottom of the pan.

1. Heat the oven to 250 F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan very well and line the bottom with a ring of parchment.
2. Chop the candy with oiled kitchen scissors or an oiled knife, dipping the blade in hot water when it gets sticky.
3. In a large bowl, toss the candy, dates, pecans and coconut with 1/2 cup of the flour until every piece is coated.
4. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each.
5. Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk. Mix the remaining 3 cups of flour with the salt.
6. Add the flour and buttermilk to the butter mixture in turns, starting and ending with flour. The batter will be very thick.
7. Fold in the floured candy mixture with a sturdy spoon. It will feel like more fruit than batter, and that is right.
8. Press the batter evenly into the pan and smooth the top.
9. Bake low and slow for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until a long skewer comes out clean and the top is deep golden.
10. While the cake bakes, whisk the orange juice, powdered sugar and zest until smooth.

The orange glaze and the overnight rest

This is the step that makes orange slice cake special. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and slowly pour the glaze over the hot cake while it is still in the pan. It looks like too much, but the cake drinks it all in.

Leave the cake in the pan overnight at room temperature, covered with a clean towel. The next morning, run a knife around the edges and the center tube and turn it out. It will be dense, moist and fragrant with orange. Slice it thin, because it is very rich.

Variations, storing and gifting

• Mini loaves for gifts: bake in four small greased loaf pans at 275 F for about 1 1/2 hours, then glaze while hot. Wrap in parchment and tie with twine for neighbors and teachers.
• No coconut: leave it out and add 1/2 cup more pecans.
• Swap the dates: use dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for a brighter, more tart cake.
• Storing: wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, and let slices come to room temperature before serving.
• Freezing: freeze the whole cake or wrapped slices for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.

Orange slice cake FAQ

• Does it taste like fruitcake? Not really. It is sweeter and softer, with a clear orange flavor and no candied peel. Many people who skip fruitcake love this one.
• Can I use gumdrops? Yes. Old recipes often used mixed gumdrops (without black ones) the same way. Orange slices give the classic flavor.
• Why is it baked at such a low temperature? The batter is very dense. A low oven cooks it through without burning the sugary candy on the outside.
• Can I use a Bundt pan? Yes, a 12-cup Bundt works. Grease every ridge well and start checking at 2 hours.

Did your family have an orange slice cake on the counter every Christmas, or is this your first time hearing about it? Save this recipe for Thanksgiving week, and let us know who taught you to make it.