At The Corner of Happy And Harried

A slice of my commonly uncommon life

Orange Pound Cake

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A delicious pound cake bursting with fresh orange flavors is the perfect way to bring a spot of sunshine to your Holiday table!

Note (Dec 1st, 2017): This blog post was originally published for Christmas 2013, which I have now updated with new pictures and a new recipe card. This is one of the most popular recipes on this blog, with several happy testimonials from readers like you. Hope you enjoy!

Are the gifts wrapped and ready? Are the kids beyond themselves with anticipation? Are you still scrambling to make last-minute treats? I am here with a quick cake post just in time for the big day! Yes, you can still make this for Christmas, provided you have fresh oranges on hand!

I know, I know… you must think that I have been on a baking hiatus. All the holiday craft/decor posts seem to have taken over my blog, though I did cheat with a quick-bake cream cheese swirled brownie recipe and then teased you with images of cookies and bread in this post. Let me assure you, I have a few recipes lurking in my Drafts folder. I just do not want to bombard you with daily posts.

This is exactly why I did a Christmas Baking series in November. If you are looking for last-minute ideas, find recipes for healthier oatmeal cookies and a simple yet decadent chocolate cake here and here. You can still whip up a batch of yummy treats for your family. All it takes is an hour, really.

Let’s come back to today’s recipe. My absolute favorite cake in the whole world is the simple pound cake or tea cake as it is known in India. Equal measures (by weight) of flour, sugar, butter and eggs make a simple yet decadent pound cake. I do bake regular and lighter versions of pound cake regularly. But sadly, I forget to blog such basic recipes.

That being said, it is not impossible to improve on the basic recipe. I came across Ina Garten’s recipe for an orange flavored pound cake and knew I had to try it. I love orange zest in cakes with a syrupy orange glaze on top. My hubby, even more so. I have my own recipe for a simple orange sponge cake.

But Christmas time calls for a richer pound cake. And what better than a sunny, orange infused dessert on Christmas day?

The recipe has been adapted from here and here.

Orange Pound Cake
 
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A delicious pound cake bursting with fresh orange flavors is the perfect way to bring a spot of sunshine to your Holiday table!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Serves: One 9" loaf cake
You will need:
For orange pound cake,
  • All purpose flour – 1½ cups
  • Baking powder – ¼ tsp
  • Baking soda – ¼ tsp
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Butter – ½ cup, softened
  • Sugar – 1 cup
  • Eggs – 2, large
  • Orange zest – 1 tbsp
  • Orange juice – ¼ cup, freshly squeezed
  • Milk – ¼ cup
  • Vanilla extract – ½ tsp
For orange syrup,
  • Orange juice – ¼ cup, freshly squeezed
  • Sugar – ¼ cup
For orange glaze (optional)
  • Powdered sugar – ⅔ cup, sifted
  • Orange juice – 2-3 tbsp (or as needed)
How to:
  1. Orange pound cake: Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.F. Grease and flour a 9″x5″ loaf pan thoroughly or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. Combine the orange juice, milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together till nice and fluffy, 2-3 minutes on high-speed. Add eggs and orange zest and beat well.
  4. Add the flour mixture and orange juice mixture to the batter alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Batter will be thick and airy.
  5. Spoon batter in to the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 40-45 minutes or till it passes the toothpick test. Check the cake at 30-35 minutes. If the top seems to be browning too rapidly, tent with foil and bake till done.
  6. Orange syrup: While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup by heating the orange juice and sugar in a saucepan for a few minutes till slightly thick and syrupy.
  7. Orange glaze: Combine the powdered sugar and a couple of tablespoons of orange juice. Mix well with a fork till combined. You can loosen it by adding more orange juice or add more sugar if you want a thicker glaze.
  8. Finishing touches: Once the cake is done, cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove onto a wire rack placed on a baking sheet to catch the syrup and glaze drippings. Poke holes with a toothpick all over the cake, spoon the syrup over the it and smooth so that it spreads evenly. Allow the cake to cool completely.
  9. If desired, once the cake is completely cooled, pour the orange glaze on top. Let stand for some time till the glaze hardens a bit.
  10. Cut, serve and enjoy a lovely, decadent treat. I am sure you’ve been nice this year!
Notes:
1. The cake pictured here has only the syrup on it, but no glaze. To see the consistency of what a citrus glaze should be like, refer the link given at the end of this recipe card.
2. For a fragrant Holiday touch, add 1-2 tsp of finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary leaves to the batter.

Refer this post to learn how to make a thick but pourable citrus-flavored glaze for cakes.

Enjoy this lovely orange loaf cake any time of year, but especially when fresh oranges are in season around the Holidays!

Don’t forget to PIN & SAVE this recipe for later.

Have you tried orange pound cake? Do try this recipe and let me know!

For even more cake inspiration, go here.

So my lovely readers,

Have a Blessed Christmas!

And may visions of sugar plums dance in your heads tonight!!!

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I am sharing this over at Fiesta Friday.

Comments

  15. This looks really tasty! I used to make something very similar and the recipe called for blueberries but since I was in Bolivia and didn’t have access to blueberries I would make it using chopped strawberries. It was so good that my host family would constantly request it whenever there was a chance.

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Trackbacks

  2. […] A few months back when Simi’s daughter made this cake for her birthday I decided to make it for my husband for his birthday. When I was going through her post I learned that it is from “At the Corner of Happy and Harried.” I started admiring her blog since then. After a few days, Anjana sent me a friend request on Facebook, and I found out that she is the owner of it. She is a brilliant blogger and an amazing person. When I told her I was going to make her cake recipe for my husband’s birthday she could not stop her excitement. Simi and Anjana, I owe you guys big time for this. Here is Simi’s post and Anjana’s original recipe. […]

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