Cinnamon and orange are a flavor combination you probably don’t think of often, but they make a great pair. This cinnamon orange Bundt cake, based on my standard Bundt recipe, is one of my favorite things I’ve made recently.

Last weekend I made a Thanksgiving in July turkey dinner with the man in my life, and we had my mom over at my place. This was our dessert, and it was a huge hit. If you don’t have Vietnamese cinnamon, don’t worry – you can use regular cinnamon, but it won’t be quite a sweet. I highly recommend the Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzys, and you can order it online or at King Arthur Baking and many other online retailers. I also recommend cara cara oranges for most baking recipes, but you can use regular navel oranges if you can’t find cara caras.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon butter extract
• 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
• Zest from 2 medium cara cara oranges
• 1 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon

For the glaze

• About 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 – 4 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt tin.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, extracts, and orange zest. Stir in flour in three batches, mixing to combine completely, then stir in cinnamon.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add orange juice about 1 tablespoon at a time to reach a thicker pourable consistency. Stir in cinnamon, then pour over cake and allow to drip down the sides. Allow icing to set before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist much longer than you might expect. Makes about 12 servings, depending on how generous you are with your portions.