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Meskouta is a classic Moroccan Orange Bundt Cake that celebrates fresh citrus with a soft and moist olive oil cake. Infused with freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, and finished with an orange glaze, it’s the perfect pairing for a pot of Moroccan mint tea.

A slice of orange bundt cake.

It’s officially citrus season ! We have to take this opportunity to celebrate a colorful (and super tasty) ingredients during an otherwise dark and dreary time of the year.

Oranges are the seasonal ingredient that makes this Moroccan Meskouta so special.

Their zesty sweet flavor works with rich olive oil, eggs, and sugar to make an ultra moist, ultra soft bundt cake. It’s an easy traditional Moroccan recipe to make and share with friends.

Served alongside a pot of traditional Mint Tea or Spiced Coffee, it’s the perfect treat to bring a slice of Morocco to your home.

An orange bundt cake on a tray.

Ingredients

Bowls of oil, orange juice, flour, and more.
Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.

Step by Step Instructions

Nonstick spray spraying a bundt pan.
Grease the bundt pan and dust with flour while the oven preheats to 350°F.
Wet ingredients being whisked together.
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, orange juice and zest. Then whisk in the milk.
Dry ingredients sifted over wet ingredients.
Combine the remaining dry ingredients before sifting into the wet ingredients. Whisk just until a batter forms, being careful to not over mix.
Orange cake batter in a bundt pan.
Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for about an hour, just until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. 
An orange bundt cake being loosened.
Let the cake to cool before loosening the edges gently with a knife and flipping onto a serving dish or wire rack. 
An orange bundt cake with glaze.
Make a simple glaze by whisking together orange juice with orange blossom water and powdered sugar. Brush onto the cake before slicing and serving.

Tip: You can also garnish the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, slices of fresh orange, orange zest, or candied orange.

Never Skip the Fresh Citrus

Do not skip out on squeezing your orange juice fresh and zesting lots of that fresh zest! This is key in infusing the orange cake with that classic citrus flavor and aroma.

A slice of meskouta.

More Classic Moroccan Sweets

Halwa Chebakia (Moroccan Sesame Cookies)

10 Minute Moroccan Orange Salad with Cinnamon

Moroccan Krachel (Brioche Sweet Rolls)

Sfenj (Spongey Moroccan Donuts)

B’saha,

Salima written in cursive
Print
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A slice of orange bundt cake.

Meskouta (Moroccan Orange Bundt Cake)

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  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
  • Category: Cake, Dessert, Breakfast, Snack
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Moroccan, North African, Middle Eastern
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

Meskouta is a classic Moroccan Orange Bundt Cake that celebrates fresh citrus with a soft and moist olive oil cake. Infused with freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, and finished with an orange glaze, it’s the perfect pairing for a pot of Moroccan mint tea.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Cake:

  • nonstick spray + 1 tbsp flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup orange zest
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Optional Toppings:

  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange blossom water
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Prep the bundt pan & preheat the oven. Prep the bundt pan by greasing generously with nonstick spray and then dusting lightly with flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl whisk eggs, sugar, olive oil, vanilla, orange juice, and zest. Beat just until a silky smooth mixture forms. Mix in the milk until evenly combined.
  3. Combine dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Using a sifter or mesh strainer, sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Whisk gently with a spatula just until a smooth batter is formed.
  4. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake on the center rack in the oven for 50-70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. 
  5. Cool & flip. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before loosening the edges gently with a knife. Carefully flip onto a wire rack. 
  6. Finish* & enjoy. If desired, whisk together fresh orange juice*, orange blossom water, and powdered sugar until a glaze forms. Brush over the cake, slice and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

*Feel free to finish the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar instead of the orange glaze, or nothing at all, if preferred.

*I like to strain the fresh orange juice for the powdered sugar glaze to keep it silky smooth and pulp free, but this is totally up to personal preference.

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