Orange Pound Cake

Orange Pound Cake loaves on a white table.

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5 from 7 votes

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Course: Baking, Cake, Fruit

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: citrus pound cake, easy pound cake, orange pound cake, pound cake recipe

Servings:

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Sneh

Ingredients

1 cup (220 g) butter softened at room temperature or melted and cooled (2 sticks of butter)
1 cup (220 g) caster sugar raw or white
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 ½ cups (220 g) plain flour sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 oranges zested
1/3 cup (80 ml) orange juice
Extra sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F (160°C fan-forced/ 320°F fan-forced).
Grease a 22 cm x 11 cm x 7 cm high / 450g capacity loaf pan (8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" high / 1lb capacity) with butter and line it with baking paper so that it hangs over the edges.
Add softened butter, caster sugar and vanilla to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for a minute until pale and creamy.
Add eggs and beat for 30 seconds on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add sifted flour, baking powder, orange zest and juice to the egg mixture. Using a silicone spoon, gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and all the dry flour is incorporated.
Spoon cake batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle raw sugar on top (optional). Bake in the preheated oven (on the middle rack) for approximately 55-60 minutes until the cake is golden, risen and cooked through the middle.
Turn off the oven and allow the cake to rest in the warm oven for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool completely in the tin. Slice and enjoy.
Cake keeps fresh in a cool corner of the kitchen in a lidded container for 2 days (summer)/4 days (winter). It keeps well in the fridge for almost 2 weeks. It can also be sliced, wrapped in baking paper, packed in freezer safe bags and frozen for up to a month.

Notes

Flour - Use plain flour for this recipe. Plain flour is a readily available ingredient and a strong flour that will support the dense batter of this cake.

Baking powder - Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Use only half a teaspoon, don't be tempted to use more as this will cause your cake to collapse.

Sugar - I use raw caster sugar. This is almost fine but slightly granulated and golden in colour. I like using this sugar as it is not completely refined and adds a rustic, bakery feel to the loaf cake. If you would like your cake to have a smoother texture on top, use very fine caster sugar and skip sprinkling the sugar on top before baking.

Eggs - Use fresh eggs, approximately 60-65g each (whole). Make sure they are at room temperature.

Overbeating - Do not overbeat the cake. Follow the recipe timings to get that beautiful golden rise with a crack on top.

Storage - Cake keeps well at room temperature in a cool corner of your kitchen for 2 days (summer)/4 days (winter) or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Cake can also be frozen for a month after slicing, wrapping in baking paper and packing away in freezer-safe bags or containers.

Butter - I use salted butter for this recipe. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the batter. Either soften your butter at room temperature for a few hours or melt butter from the fridge for approximately 40 seconds in the microwave so half is melted and the rest softened (see ingredient picture).

Nutrition