Orange Pound Cake

     Hey everyone.  I know I've been slacking for the past couple of weeks in term of blog posts.  I didn't even have a Mother's Day post (what's wrong with me?).  But let me assure you, I did make a cake last weekend and I did make my mom breakfast.  I just haven't gotten around to posting the recipes yet because I was crazy studying for my Advanced Placement United States History test on lest Wednesday. Now though, I'm done with U.S. history (hopefully forever) and my homework load has been decreased by 50%! That means more time for baking and blogging!

     This is the cake I made.  My mom loves pound cake so I decided to make one with the oranges I had at home and this pretty cake pan I bought at a yard sale over a year ago but never used. Originally, the recipe was meant for 2 loaf pans, but I cut the recipe in half and poured the batter into my 8" pound cake pan instead.  You can also make a glaze out of fresh orange juice and confectioners sugar, but I opted out because (1) I didn't want to juice another orange and (2) my family isn't big on sweet glazes.

     Anyways, the cake turned out wonderfully moist and orange-y.  It was perfect for Mother's Day and I really liked how the cake looked.

     I feel so free with my test finished and only now have I begun to see how close summer vacation is.  It's so strange how freshman year went by so fast, but I am really excited for summer.  Also, next year, I'll have underclassmen to pick on instead of being picked on myself!

     Enjoy!

First, you bake the cake in a pan and let it cool for 10 minutes.

Then you make an orange syrup.

And finally you flip the cake out of the pan and pour the syrup over and enjoy!

Orange Pound Cake

makes one 8.5" round bunt cake or 1 loaf pan

adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbs grated orange zest (about 3 oranges)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup  plus 2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs buttermilk, at room temperature (or mix regular milk with 1 tsp vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract\

Optional Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan or 8-9" circular pan with a hole in the center.  Line with parchment paper and grease the paper. 

Cream the butter and 1 cup of the granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the orange zest.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the orange juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla.

Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, cook the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and orange juice together in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Flip or remover the cooled cake onto a plate or pedestal and spoon the syrup evenly over the top of the cake. 

To glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and orange juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Add a few more drops of juice, if necessary, to make it pour easily. Pour over the top of one cake and allow the glaze to dry. Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator or enjoy immediately.