Moroccan Orange Cake Recipe – Meskouta with Oranges

This simple Moroccan orange cake is a moist and sweet cake that can be served as a snack, as a dessert or for tea time, or even for breakfast or to break the fast during Ramadan.

Not only is it a simple recipe, but it also packs a delicious sweet citrus flavor that’s good enough to serve without frosting. Fresh oranges are the key to the cake’s exceptional flavor.

You only need one or two oranges to get the amount of juice and zest needed for this recipe. Be sure to wash and peel the oranges before juicing them. You can use the thin side of a box grater oh citrus peel to make the zest.

Meskouta cake with oranges

Moroccan orange cake is a variation of meskouta, a famous Moroccan cake with a sponge-like texture. There are different types of meskouta cakes based on flavors such as lemon or vanilla.

Sometimes Moroccan cooks will beat the egg whites separately and add them to the batter for a lighter texture, but there’s really no need to take this step for this or other meskouta recipes.

Although a round tube or baking tray is often used to prepare meskouta, some cooks prefer to use a baking tray. Adjust the baking time based on the size and shape of your pan.

Use bowls and tea glasses as measures

Traditionally, Moroccans measure their ingredients using bowls and Moroccan tea glasses. Although many Moroccan cooks are turning to scales or measuring cups when cooking, I’ve included the traditional measurements for meskouta in the recipe notes just for fun.

Children like to use informal methods of measuring ingredients, so you may want to try this method if you are making this cake with them. Keep in mind that the average Moroccan tea glass amounts to about 6-8 ounces of liquid and a soup bowl to about 12 ounces or 1 1/2 cups.

How much yeast to use

The traditional Moroccan recipe requires 2 sachets (7 g each) of baking powder which are equivalent to 4 teaspoons. However, I have updated the recipe to reduce the amount of yeast measured from 4 teaspoons to 3 teaspoons.

This is in response to comments I’ve found on other sites raising concerns that more baking powder may cause the center of the cake to taste bitter or rise (and therefore sag) too quickly.

Although I have made this cake many times over the years and have never had a problem, I recently tested the recipe using 3 teaspoons of baking powder and again with 4 teaspoons. Both cakes turned out great, so I decided to list the smaller amount on the conventional ingredient list.

Serve and store

Orange cake is truly delicious on its own, but you can definitely top it with a sprinkling of icing sugar or, if you prefer, a simple icing. The orange marmalade and coconut icing also make a nice finishing touch, as do the chopped walnut toppings.

Tightly covered or wrapped, the cake will stay fresh for a few days at room temperature or for several months in the freezer.

For another simple Moroccan dessert that uses oranges, try this simple Moroccan Orange and Cinnamon Salad.

Moroccan orange cake recipe

Christine Benlafquih | Flavor of Morocco

This simple orange cake recipe is a variation of the Moroccan meskouta cake. It’s easy to make from scratch and is sweet enough to serve without frosting.Fresh oranges are the key to this cake’s great flavor. You will need one or two oranges to get the 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice called for in the recipe.For fun, I’ve included traditional Moroccan measurements with glasses and tea bowls in the notes below.

Preparation time 15 minutes min

Time to cook 40 minutes min

Total time 50 minutes min

Course Sweet

Kitchen Moroccan

Product 12 portions

Calories 279 kcal

Cooking modePrevents the screen from going dark

Conventional measures (see the notes for cooking with Traditional Measurements)

• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice – (from 1 or 2 oranges)
• 2 teaspoons Orange peel
• 4 large eggs
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups Flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder – (see notes)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

• Grease and flour a cake tin or tube cake tin. Wash and peel the oranges, then juice them.

• Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until light and thick. Gradually add the oil and beat until well blended.

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Add it to the egg and sugar mixture and stir lightly to combine.

• Pour in the orange juice and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and orange zest.

• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the sides of the cake release from the pan and the cake proofing is finished. You can test by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry the cake is ready.

• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 7-10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it on a wire rack to complete cooling.

This recipe has been updated to use 3 teaspoons of baking powder. My original recipe called for 4 teaspoons.
Tips and variations

• You can garnish with orange marmalade and coconut sprinkles
• Strawberry jam can also be used.
• Dust with icing sugar for special occasions
• Chopped almonds make a nutritious topping
• You can also sprinkle the surface with a little orange zest

Using traditional measurements
Tea glasses and bowls are traditional cooking measures in Morocco. You might try using them just for fun, especially if you’re cooking with kids.
The average Moroccan tea glass holds about 6 to 8 ounces of liquid (or 1/3 to 1/2 cup) while a soup bowl holds about 1 1/2 cups in volume.

• 1 tea glass of freshly squeezed orange juice
• Zest of 1 or 2 oranges
• 4 large eggs
• 1 bowl of sugar level
• 1 tea glass of vegetable oil
• 1 bowl full of flour
• 2 sachets of baking powder (equivalent to 4 teaspoons; you can use 3 instead)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 sachet of vanilla sugar (equivalent to 1 teaspoon of flavoring or liquid extract)

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 43GProtein: 4GFat: 11GSaturated fats: 8GTrans fats: 1GCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 119mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 1GSugar: 26GVitamin A: 101UIC vitamin: 6mgSoccer: 57mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate obtained from online calculators. Optional ingredients may not be included in nutritional information.