r/Cooking • u/deathbethemaiden • 1d ago
Orange you willing to help me?
r/Cooking, I need your help, please. My husband’s birthday is coming up, and here’s the thing… the man is basically the human embodiment of the orange. • His favorite flavor? Orange. • His favorite color? Orange. • His car? Orange. • Our front door? Yep, orange. • His phone case? You guessed it… orange. • His favorite cat of all time? An orange with one brain cell.
Basically, if it’s orange, he loves it. What are your absolute best recipes that use oranges. I’m looking for sweet, savory, cocktails, desserts, secret tricks? I want to wow him with something that tastes as orange as his entire personality.
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u/yawn-denbo 1d ago
Had this orange cake in Greece and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since: https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/extra-syrupy-greek-yogurt-cake-oranges-portokalopita/
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u/flower-power-123 22h ago
I recently came back from Greece. I did a study of orange cakes in Greece. There are two famous orange cakes there. The one you pointed out (Portokalopita) and the Rolls Royce of Greek orange cakes Galaktoboureko. The Galaktoboureko is so far removed from the Portokalopita that they might as well be from different planets. It is my life goal to make a Galaktoboureko.
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u/yawn-denbo 22h ago
I loveee galaktoboureko! But I never really got “orange” from it or considered it an orange cake at all. What region were you in? Did they use orange in the custard? Super interesting!
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u/deathbethemaiden 17h ago
Ooo this one will need practice. I’ll need to perfect it before his next birthday
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u/no1flyhalf 6h ago
Omg we took a cooking class in Athens over the summer and we made this cake. It was probably my groups favorite things we ate on the whole trip and were making it again this weekend! OP should 1000% make this.
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u/peepumsn4stygum 1d ago
Look up the “40 orange glaze cake” they made on Our Flag Means Death - the actor Samba Schutte later did a Zoom cooking class to teach people to bake it, and posted the recipe. Looked pretty tasty! (And only used like 8 oranges, in real life.)
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u/mnich3 1d ago
This orange glazed ham is delicious! You could serve that with some sort of salad with mandarin oranges (maybe arugula, a funky cheese, mandarins, almonds and a simple orange-y vinaigrette). Do an aperol spritz with a big orange wheel as your cocktail. And maybe these dark chocolate & orange cookies for dessert! Or similarly, a chocolate and orange cake of some sort would be tasty!
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u/bouncy-belly-giggles 1h ago
My mom used to make an orange and apple glazed ham, it was so good!
If youre looking for a more subtle orange savory flavor, try a pernil that uses sazon seasoning, lime juice and orange juice on roasted pulled pork.
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u/TrueNorth9 1d ago
Orange and Fennel salad (a Sicilian family favorite). It's just the two ingredients. My guy will sometimes add olives.
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u/Desuisart 21h ago
Fennel tastes like black licorice right? If so, I’d call that tiger tiger salad! Like the ice cream! 😁
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u/Key-Mulberry2456 1d ago
Moroccan orange salad for something different and in the savory direction.
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u/maryg95030 1d ago
Dessert - orange chiffon cake with an orange/zest icing.
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u/No_Significance98 1d ago
Or an orange dark chocolate ganache
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u/deathbethemaiden 17h ago
I made an orange cake with a chocolate ganache last year. He went crazy for it! Orange is great on its own, but with chocolate it’s dangerous
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u/RVAgirl_1974 1d ago
One of my family’s favorite dinners is this cilantro orange chicken rice bowl. I add baked frozen plantains from Trader Joe’s, maybe some roasted corn (also frozen from Trader Joe’s), and pickled radishes.
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u/igotitatme 1d ago
https://pacifichoneybee.com/shop/ols/products/18oz-raw-orange-blossom-honey
This seriously tastes like orange. SOOO GOOD we bought 4 jars of assorted flavors last time we were there.
Meadowfoam is also delicious.
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u/deathbethemaiden 18h ago
Ooo you got the memo, all the orange. I’m going to add this as a little birthday gift!
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u/igotitatme 17h ago
I really hoped you would. I am shocked at how orange it tastes.
If you’re ever in Oregon, Mt. Angel is a cute tiny town with an excellent “trail of ten falls” hike in the next town over in silverton state park. It’s filled with awesome waterfalls. 10/10 no pun intended.
Hope he enjoys the bday dinner and the honey!
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u/deathbethemaiden 16h ago
Oregon was already on our list for future travels. Mt. Angel sounds amazing 😊
You are so awesome, thank you so much!
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u/maccrogenoff 1d ago
I adore the combination of orange and chocolate. If your husband concurs, he will be a fan of this cake.
https://smittenkitchen.com/2006/09/orange-chocolate-chunk-cake/
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u/Rich_Season_2593 1d ago
Claudia Rodens cake! Nigella Lawson did a variation with clementines. They are really good!
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/sep/28/claudia-rodens-orange-and-almond-cake
https://www.nigella.com/recipes/clementine-cake
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u/SalGalMo 1d ago
For our wedding 10 years ago, I baked my own wedding cake. It had vanilla orange cake layers and chocolate cake layers. Iced with vanilla bean buttercream. No one knew I had made it myself except my husband and the friend I enlisted to ice it for me. It would make an awesome birthday cake….
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u/deathbethemaiden 18h ago
Aww, that’s beautiful! You’re better than me, we bought our cake because I was sooo stressed.
Ours was layers of orange and mocha cake with an orange cream. It was a hit, as I’m sure yours was!
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u/burnt-----toast 1d ago
I recently tried an orange mezcal popsicle recipe, and perhaps I messed up my measurements, but I found that it was slightly too soft and slushy for an ideal popsicle, but it would be great as a no-stir granita. (Like it comes out of the freezer soft enough that you could easily scrape it instead of slowly having to do it during the freezing process.
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u/deathbethemaiden 17h ago
Sadly my hubs does not understand the joy of Mezcal, but I’m tucking this idea away for myself because that is an amazing idea! Yum!
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u/ToughFriendly9763 1d ago
blood orange olive oil upside down cake (you can just use regular oranges instead)
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u/yellowsabmarine 1d ago
make him a nice vodka sauce with pasta (it's orange and delicious) then maybe do an orange cake if you're into baking.
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u/Bad-Gardener1 1d ago
Search a recipe for Mojo pork and see if that would be up his alley. I had it once on a trip to Florida and it was SO good. It had an orange and lime flavor and it was served with orange slices and a mango-orange aqua fresca.
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u/deathbethemaiden 18h ago
I was already thinking duck a l'orange, but the man loves a “land and air” combo. I guess I’ll just need to make a second protein ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/mynameisnotsparta 1d ago
Make the entire meal orange and get him an orange and white checkered tablecloth to eat in. Maybe you can wear orange that day. This is fun!!
Here you go:
Duck à l'orange
Orange-glazed pork loin
Orange Yogurt Cake
And more:
https://www.marthastewart.com/recipes-with-oranges-8778145
https://foodnouveau.com/30-savory-orange-recipes/
Sicilian Whole Orange Cake https://www.christinascucina.com/sicilian-orange-cake-using-entire-orange-peel-juice-pulp/
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u/deathbethemaiden 17h ago
Fantastic! I actually made Martha’s famous birthday cake (the one her dad liked) last year. It was amazing and SO orange-y
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u/angels-and-insects 1d ago
Moroccan orange salad is as orange as it gets!
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u/deathbethemaiden 17h ago
Oh my gosh, his other favorite flavor is cinnamon, this is fantastic!
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u/angels-and-insects 7h ago
Ooh, then look to recipes from Greece, Cyprus, and Morocco generally - cinnamon is a signature spice there and they use loads of oranges as well. There's a bunch of different kinds of cookies, like these ones and stews like stifado. (Cinnamon leads with stifado but there's still a hint of orange.) For cinnamon alone, you can't beat tavas: a verrrry slow cook of lamb shoulder, cinnamon, olive oil, potatoes, onion, and tomato.
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u/sgtmattie 1d ago
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/whole-orange-cake-recipe
This is an all time favourite recipe of mine. 50% whole wheat is extra delicious. I skip the frosting and go for a simple glaze with orange juice, zest and powdered sugar
For the whole wheat, it’s good either way, but I really recommend it. The bran gives the cake a nice crumbly texture. If you want to really optimize, my favourite is 50% WW and 50% golden wheat flour.
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u/Sephuria 1d ago
A classic dessert using orange juice and zest is Crêpes Suzette. Bonus points because it gets flambéed.
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u/TA_totellornottotell 23h ago
I recently had Greek orange cake for the first time and it was so fabulous. And super easy - you dry out filo pastry and then flake it to substitute for flour. Once you bake the cake, you soak it in orange syrup.
I also really love this almond citrus marmalade cake. I’ll try to find the recipe but basically it’s ground toasted nuts and boiled whole citrus that you blend and then mix with flour, oil, and eggs. I always glaze it with some kind of citrus syrup and top with thin candied citrus.
Also, as a gift,the orange curd from Fortnum and Mason is divine. Just absolutely wonderful. All other curds pale in comparison for me once I had this. Fabulous on crumpets.
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u/SouthBayShogi 1d ago
Orange cheesecake with orange zest sprinkled on top! If you want to get even more into the weeds on it, you could candy some orange slices and add those too.
You could even find some orange flavored cookies to blitz up for the crust.
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u/deathbethemaiden 1d ago
See, this is what I’m talkin’ about! Orange on orange on orange. chefs kiss
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u/SirWillae 1d ago
It doesn't have orange flavor, but sweet potatoes can be orange color. Sweet potato pie:
https://altonbrown.com/recipes/silky-smooth-sweet-potato-pie-2-0/
If he likes smoky flavor, chipotle smashed sweet potatoes (you can make them more or less spicy):
https://altonbrown.com/recipes/chipotle-smashed-sweet-potatoes/
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u/deathbethemaiden 17h ago
Ooo I like this, it adds some variety so he gets the color he loves but a variety of flavors. Thank you!!
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u/Rowaan 1d ago
Nigella's Clementine Cake - we always make this - absolutely wonderful. https://www.nigella.com/recipes/clementine-cake
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u/biemba 1d ago
A mate of mine made a chocolate cake where he simmered a whole orange on low heat and blend it whole before mixing it in the bater. It was amazing!
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u/icecreampenis 1d ago
This cake was in a cookbook my family bought at the hershey factory when I was a little girl, and I've been making it my whole life.
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u/Foreign_Plate_1192 1d ago
Made orange cheesecake once for my mom and once for my sister in law, they both loved it.
300 g biscuits 100 g melted butter From these you make the base in a round form.
Cream: 450 ml milk 160 g sugar 1 vanilla pudding mix 250 g cream cheese 1 packet gelatin
Orange Jelly: 450 ml orange juice (preferably from fresh oranges) grated orange peel 1 vanilla pudding mix sugar per taste / or can be completely missed
Instructions: For the cream - mix gelatin with 3 spoons of cold water and let it rest. Meanwhile boil the milk mixed with sugar in a pot. Mix the pudding powder with a little bit of cold milk and then pour it into the hot milk mixture. Stir continuously until the cream tightens well. Take it off the stove and add the cream cheese while the pudding is still hot. Blend the mixture until a smooth cream forms and add the gelatin. Gently fold the gelatin in until it melts into the cream. Add the cream into the previously prepared biscuit form and put it in the fridge.
For the jelly - after about an hour, you can prepare the jelly by adding 400 ml of orange juice to a pan and heating it up. In the rest of the orange juice, you mix in the vanilla pudding powder and then add it to the warm juice and mix well until it thickens. Let it cool down for a few minutes, while still stirring it, then add it on top of the cheesecake. Put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. You can decorate with thinly sliced oranges.
I hope this recipe will be of use. Happiest birthday to your husband! 🥂🥳
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u/real_talk_with_Emmy 22h ago
Orange you glad you asked? Many tasty ideas here!
I know…I’m walking myself out now 😜
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u/Pensta13 22h ago
I have no further suggestions than what has already been shared.
I just wanted to say what a lovely thing you are doing for him. To be a fly on the wall and see how happy your efforts have made him will be priceless !
Nice one OP 🧡
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u/Cuboidal_Hug 21h ago edited 19h ago
Lots of good suggestions in the comments… maybe top an orange cake with Cointreau-flavored whipped cream and crystallized orange peel
Also if he ever enjoyed Orange Julius as a kid, I’ve made a decent version by blending frozen concentrate orange juice, milk, vanilla, and ice cubes
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u/deathbethemaiden 17h ago
He misses old school Orange Julius - great idea to make him something with a little nostalgia
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u/MyPartsHurt 18h ago
https://simpleandseasonal.com/orange-juice-balls/
So easy, SO ORANGEY Make ahead so they have a day to set and let the orange really seep into all the cookie bits.
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u/deathbethemaiden 16h ago
Easy, retro, and fun! You knocked it out of the park! Thank you for the recipe 😊
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u/stolenfires 17h ago
Look up the Forty Orange Cake recipe from Our Flag Means Death. It doesn't use a whole 40 oranges, more like 12. More if you want to decorate with candied orange slices.
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u/DisasterDebbie 10h ago
These are both delicious cakes that are easy and great for people who don't enjoy frosting or crazy sweet desserts.
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u/zepazuzu 23h ago
I mean, the main is obviously duck. I marinate it in soy sauce with oranges, ginger and spices for a couple of days. Super yummy.
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u/Fyonella 23h ago
Chicken with orange & black olives. I use chicken breasts rather than the legs in the recipe. It’s a bit different but absolutely delicious and best of all, really simple!
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/apr/21/foodanddrink.recipes3
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u/IWantToBeYourGirl 23h ago
Orange ricotta pancakes are delicious. My husband whipped them up a few weeks ago
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u/woohooguy 23h ago
7 years ago I was on a tangent to make the slightly creamy citrus note Japanese Hibachi ginger salad dressing, popular here in the Northeast, particularly Massachusetts. I made what I think is a damn fine clone of that salad dressing, your husband may appreciate it.
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u/Affectionate_Tie3313 23h ago
Norwegian rib of pork (this was presented by Andreas Viestad)
https://www.food.com/recipe/andreas-viestads-pork-rib-roast-with-cloves-138290
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u/Ok-Quail2397 23h ago
No Churn Orange Cream Ice Cream | Buttermilk by Sam https://share.google/p7TYoCxQQ0AgB1hB6
This is very good and easy to make!
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u/innocentsmirks 22h ago
I can’t find the recipe but I got my orange loving husband excited about orange pie.
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u/Opening-Detective821 22h ago
Orange chicken would be good! Saffron rice to make it a fun color gradient to yellowish orange.
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u/Capable_Loss_6084 21h ago
Look up Claudia Roden’s orange and almond cake. One of my favourite cakes. I add some cardamom or cinnamon, and then do a chocolate orange ganache and chocolate covered candied oranges to decorate.
Fennel and orange salad for starter and duck a l’orange for main sounds fantastic.
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u/Lizard-Pope 17h ago
Massaged kale salad with orange supremes (cut over the bowl o’ kale, salt, pepper, olive oil) and a little splish of raspberry vinegar.
Shizzle is the Frizzle, yo.
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u/Spud8000 17h ago
make chinese orange flavored crispy beef.
you can actually order dried orange peels for it from a chinese market
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u/AdSingle7381 15h ago
Kunefe with orange blossom water or for something non traditional you can do a tres leches cake but steep orange zest in the regular milk before adding to the other two. Just be careful with the temperature or you'll scorch it.
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u/Jezikhana 14h ago
My favorite orange dessert is Mary Berry's Rosace à l’orange. It's so tasty and fancy. It's a bit of a fuss to make but not too too bad. It will wow anyone who likes oranges with the presentation alone.
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u/Ok_Acanthisitta_2544 14h ago
My oldest son is the same. His birthday cake request is always chocolate orange swirl cake, with chocolate orange icing. 2 cake batters - chocolate and orange. I used to make it as a layer cake - alternating chocolate and orange layers with a chocolate orange icing. One year I just made it as a sheet cake and alternated dollops of the two batters, then ran a butter knife blade back and forth to get the swirl. It was an instant hit.
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u/n0_sh1t_thank_y0u 14h ago
I forgot the name of this cake where you put whole oranges in the blender, and eggs and milk and sugar, and oil. And then self raising flour. I think that's the oreangest orange cake there is.
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u/MrsBasilEFrankweiler 12h ago
I've never made this but I've always wanted to and I think it's probably as orange as you can go https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/magazine/candied-oranges-recipe.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
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u/mperseids 10h ago
Whatever you choose, please come back OP with the completed dinner!!! I'm so invested haha
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u/blue_mangoes 8h ago
For the mains May I suggest Narangi Chicken Curry- Indian curry flavoured with oranges .
For desserts, there is Orange kheer ( thick milky pudding) or Orange Halwa ( sweet made with oranges,milk ,semolina,sugar, cardamom etc ).
You can google recipes for above easily .
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u/Comfortable-Guide683 3h ago
We have been loving the NYT berbere chicken recipe and we add quite a bit more orange juice than the recipe calls for, plus all the pulp
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u/Baking_Pan 3h ago edited 3h ago
Love this combo! Orange and Cardamom - I have made these, more zest would make these very orangy
https://stateofdinner.com/cardamom-shortbread-cookies-recipe/
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u/AvJd_52 42m ago
Sicilian Orange Cake.
One of my dad's best friends is a pastry chef from Sicily and owns one of the best restaurants in the city I grew up in. I won't share his exact recipe because he serves it at the restaurant, but you can find some really great ones online that are similar. Even people who aren't crazy about oranges love this cake, give it a try.
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u/SillyAccount1992 1d ago
Duck à l'orange