This orange pound cake is so delicious it’s like taking a bite of sweet sunshine! It’s loaded with amazing orange flavor. The cake has a whopping 1/3 of a cup of freshly grated orange zest. It’s buttery, tender, moist, and loaded with fresh flavor!
Now that is lots of orange flavors but that’s not the only orange deliciousness in this cake. There’s also fresh orange juice in it. Then, just to knock this cake straight out of the ballpark, it’s coated while it’s warm with orange syrup, and then it’s covered in an orange glaze! Hello orang-iliousness!
If you love pound cakes like we do, I hope you’ll try our classic, old-fashioned pound cake, peach pound cake, and million dollar pound cake next!
What I Love About This Recipe
- The orange flavor is fabulous!
- So buttery.
- The soak increases the flavor and moister.
Orange Pound Cake Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour. I use Gold Medal.
- Baking Powder + Soda: Yes, use both. The cake needs both to lift the volume of the batter.
- Salt: This will enhance other flavors in the cake.
- Orange Juice: I like to use fresh oj.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the cake nice and moist.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla and not the imitation one.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar.
- Eggs: I use large eggs. They should be at room temperature.
- Zest: This is what gives the cake its incredible orange flavor.
Recipe Notes
- Room Temperature: For best results make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature
- To Line or Not: This cake has a tendency to stick a bit so it’s one of those cakes that you really need to line the pans with parchment. Trust me you don’t want to skip it. Who wants to mess up the presentation!
- Baking: I bake most of my pound cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Because of the tender crumb of this type of cake, if you bake it like a standard cake until a toothpick comes out clean, it can be slightly dry. Check your cake religiously as the baking time winds down!
- Soak: What the orange soak does for this cake is absolutely incredible! Don’t even think about skipping it! This is one of the elements that differentiate this cake from all the other ho-hum orange cakes. I like to brush it on just the tops a few times right when they come out of the oven. Then I take the cakes out of the pans and apply more the sides and top again until all the syrup has been absorbed.
- Glaze: The glaze is wonderful. You can drizzle it slowly over the cakes or pour it. Make sure you make it thick enough that it doesn’t just run off the sides and pool on your serving plate!
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- Storing: Cool completely before storing. Pound cakes can easily dry out so store the cakes in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. You can store this in the fridge for up to a week.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! You can freeze this pound cake. I like to wrap my cake in cling wrap or place it in an airtight container. You’ll be able to freeze it for up to six months.
- To thaw, simply leave it in the fridge overnight. Easy!
- Make-Ahead Tips: Like most cakes, there isn’t much you can do to speed up the baking process. All the ingredients need to go together rather quickly, and you can’t bake it in the oven any faster.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
How To Make Orange Pound Cake with Orange Syrup and Orange Glaze
Cake:
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
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In a small bowl combine orange juice, the buttermilk, and the vanilla and set aside.
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In a stand-up mixer, cream together on medium speed the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well. Add the orange zest.
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Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, starting with the flour and finishing with the flour.
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Evenly divide the batter between prepared pans.
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Bake cakes for 45-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaves comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Syrup:
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In a small saucepan cook the sugar and orange juice over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
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When the cakes come out of the oven, generously brush the tops with the syrup.
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Allow the cakes to cool, glazing the tops a few more times.
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Remove the cakes from loaf pans and set them on a wire rack set.
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Brush the sides and tops of the cakes with the remaining syrup.
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Cool the cakes on completely.
Glaze:
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Make the glaze by adding the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of orange juice to a medium bowl. Mix.
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Add more orange juice, a teaspoon or so at a time, as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
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Pour half of the glaze recipe over each cake. Let the cakes sit out until the glaze has dried well.
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Wrap each loaf and store it in the refrigerator.
***See the full instructions below.
More Favorite Pound Cakes
- Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Brown Sugar Pound Cake
- Kentucky Butter Cake
- Blueberry Pound Cake
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- Strawberry Pound Cake
- Coconut Pound Cake
- Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake
- Louisiana Crunch Cake
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (about 6 oranges) freshly grated orange zest
Orange Syrup:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2-4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
Cake:
- Line the bottom of two 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch loaf pans with parchment paper, then grease well. Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (3 cups), baking powder (1/2 teaspoon), baking soda (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1 teaspoon) and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine orange juice (1/4 cup), the buttermilk (3/4 cup), and the vanilla (1 teaspoon) and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, cream together on medium speed the butter (2 sticks) and sugar (2 cups) for 5 minutes. Keeping the mixer on the same speed, add the eggs (5) one at a time and mix well, scraping down the bowl, after each addition. Add the orange zest (1/3 cup).
- Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, starting with the flour and finishing with the flour. Evenly divide batter between prepared pans and smooth out the tops. Bake cakes 45-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaves comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Syrup:
- Meanwhile, as the cakes bake, prepare the orange syrup; In a small saucepan cook the sugar (1/2 cup) and orange juice (1/2 cup) over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes come out of the oven, generously brush the tops with the syrup. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, glazing the tops a few more times while they cool in the pans. Remove the cakes from loaf pans and set them on a wire rack set over the baking tray or a piece of aluminum foil to catch drips. Brush the sides and tops of the cakes with the remaining syrup, allowing a couple of minutes between brushings to allow the syrup to absorb into the cake until the syrup is gone. Cool the cakes on completely.
Glaze:
- Make the glaze by adding the powdered sugar (2 cups) and 2 tablespoons of orange juice to a medium bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer mix until smooth. Add more orange juice, a teaspoon or so at a time, as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Pour half of the glaze recipe over each cake. Let the cakes sit out until the glaze has dried well. Wrap each loaf and store it in the refrigerator.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Room Temperature: For best results make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature
- To Line or Not: This cake has a tendency to stick a bit so it’s one of those cakes that you really need to line the pans with parchment. Trust me you don’t want to skip it. Who wants to mess up the presentation!
- Baking: I bake most of my pound cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Because of the tender crumb of this type of cake, if you bake it like a standard cake until a toothpick comes out clean, it can be slightly dry. Check your cake religiously as the baking time winds down!
- Soak: What the orange soak does for this cake is absolutely incredible! Don’t even think about skipping it! This is one of the elements that differentiate this cake from all the other ho-hum orange cakes. I like to brush it on just the tops a few times right when they come out of the oven. Then I take the cakes out of the pans and apply more the sides and top again until all the syrup has been absorbed.
- Glaze: The glaze is wonderful. You can drizzle it slowly over the cakes or pour it. Make sure you make it thick enough that it doesn’t just run off the sides and pool on your serving plate!
Nutrition
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Source: Ina Garten
Gigi Gunning says
I make these cakes often. It is such an amazing recipe. I love that it makes two loaves. One for us and one for a friend. Thank you!!
Kathleen says
So happy they’re a hit for you, too, Gigi!
Varina says
Can you freeze this? WIth or without glaze?
Kathleen says
Yes, you can freeze this with or without glaze, if stored properly it can be kept for 6 months in the freezer. Enjoy!
Diane says
If I double all I gradients, and add 9 eggs instead of ten, can I bake in a tube pan?
Diane
Kathleen says
Hi, Diane. Sorry, I haven’t tried doubling this and baking it in a bundt pan. I always bake this in two 8×4 loaf pan.
Here’s pan conversion reference.
Caryn says
Have you ever put nuts in this cake? I think pecans would be delicious, but I don’t want to throw off the recipe.
Kathleen says
Hi, Caryn. I haven’t tried this with pecans or any nuts. <3
Valerie says
This is absolutely delicious! It tastes like oranges. The cake is not dry. It’s fun to make!
I never bake and was able to follow easily through the steps (although it takes me twice the time to prep 😅)
100% recommend ♡
Sandra R. says
Question
The juice & zest of 6 oranges?
Sandra
Kathleen says
Yes Ma’am!! 6 oranges and it’s amazing!
Sophia says
This sounds delicious! Can you recommend a good way to make it without eggs? Thanks so much!
Kathleen says
Sophia, I’m sorry! Honestly, I have no idea how to make a pound cake without eggs!
Melissa Little says
I cannot believe how good this is.
Kathleen says
Thank you Melissa. So happy you enjoyed it!
Martha says
Es excelente, yo le agrego 1 cucharada de semillas de amapola y 2 cucharadas más del jugo de naranja. Ha sido un éxito total!
Charlyy says
Les agradecería que las cantidades de los ingredientes los dieran en gramos, pues en esta receta dice dos barras de mantequilla, no dice de cuántos gramos, nos confunde a los principiantes, gracias de antemano. Saludos
Kathleen says
Hi, Charly. Updated recipe card, metric measurements: https://www.gonnawantseconds.com/wprm_print/16120
Thanks!
Martha says
Las 2 barras de mantequilla tienen 125 grs cada una así que son 250 grs en total ( 1/2 libra)
Rosa says
Made these loafs and they were really yummy even better 2nd and 3 rd day. Has anyone made this recipe as a large cake? Would you need to change any quantities?
Kathleen says
Hi Rosa! So happy you enjoyed this cake. I’m sorry but I haven’t tried baking the recipe in any other size pans.
Jennifer says
Hi Rosa! I just bake it in a sheet cake sized pan. I accidentally added an extra egg(whoops!) but I baked it at the same temp for 40 minutes. It could probably have used a few less minutes, maybe start checking it at 30? But it came out delicious an fragrant nonetheless! Good luck!
Martha says
I always make it in a pound cake mold and it works fine!
Sheena says
This cake is just glorious. Definitely a keeper. Thank you 😁
Kathleen says
Sheena, you are so welcome! I totally agree with you regarding this cake 🙂
Traci Rink says
Making it now. Question, if I’m serving it tomorrow, should I add the syrup and glaze tomorrow? Or store it with the syrup and glaze?
Kathleen says
Hi, Traci. You can store it with syrup and glaze. Or best, add the syrup, then refrigerate. Add the glaze tomorrow. Thanks! Let us know how it turns out.
Tracey Guma Ninsiima says
love…love..
Kathleen says
Thanks, Tracey! 🙂
Claudia Camarena says
I ,¿how many oz. has each stick of butter?
Kathleen says
Hi, Claudia. 1 stick of butter is equivalent to 4 ounces. 🙂
Janet says
Can this recipe be cut in half to make just 1 loaf? Some ingredients can’t be halved (5 eggs – so would it be better with 3 eggs or 2 eggs?) – thanks
Kathleen says
Hi, Janet! I haven’t tried baking this with just one loaf but you can give it a try. I’ll go with 3 eggs 🙂 Let us know how it turns out!
Sandra says
This cake is in the oven now, I added 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract to the batter and 1/2 teaspoon to the glaze. It smells amazing, perfect for a spring day. Thank you for the recipe.
Kathleen says
Thank you, Sandra! I agree, it smells sooo good! 🙂
Bert Perez says
Delicious. Never baked before so it took me a little longer but it came out moist and tasty.
Kathleen says
Yay! Congrats, Bert 🙂 Thank you for your positive review!