This orange cake 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.
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, its coated while its warm with orange syrup, and then it’s covered in an orange glaze!
Hello orang-iliousness! Cakes are one of my favorite desserts to make and pound cakes are at the top of my list!
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If you like pound cakes loaded with fruit, don’t miss my Peach Pound Cake or Strawberry Pound Cake! Just like this cake, they’re buttery, tender, moist, and loaded with delicious fresh fruit! While not quite a pound cake my Blueberry Coffee Cake This cake is one the best, seriously the best, cakes every. It’s crazy moist, and again, loaded with fruit. I love that it’s called a coffee cake because cake for breakfast is ahhh-mazing! Don’t be fooled though, this cake it the star of the show anytime you serve it!
What I Love About This Recipe
- The orange flavor is fabulous!
- So buttery.
- The soak increases the flavor and moister.
How To Make Orange Pound Cake
In this recipe, you use the traditional method for making pound cake. You start by whisking together your dry ingredient in a bowl the mix together the liquid ingredients in another bowl. Set both aside. Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand-up mixer for a full 5 minutes. Don’t do it for less time or the texture of your cake will be compromised. Then add the eggs one at a time then pop in the zest. Now it’s time to alternate adding the dry ingredients and the liquid to the mixer. Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake! Check out our video above to watch how to make this cake step by step!
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 really 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!
How To Store The Cake:
Cool completely before storing. Pound cakes can easily dry out so store 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.
But! This cake does keep very well. Especially in the fridge!
Orange Pound Cake with Orange Syrup and Orange Glaze
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 cup 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 350 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine orange juice, the buttermilk, and the vanilla and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, cream together on medium speed the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Keeping the mixer on the same speed, add the eggs one at a time and mix well, scraping down the bowl, after each addition. Add the orange zest.
- 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 and orange juice 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 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 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 and 2 tablespoons 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 in the refrigerator.
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More Favorite Pound Cakes
- Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake -Deliciously tender and moist with the right amount of lemon flavoring, topped with a lovely lemon glaze!
- Kentucky Butter Cake -Tender, moist and deliciously unique, soaked with a wonderful Butter Sauce and topped with an amazing Butter Glaze.
- Lemon Pound Cake – Moist and tender with the perfect lemon flavor!
Source: Ina Garten
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Delicious. Never baked before so it took me a little longer but it came out moist and tasty.
Yay! Congrats, Bert 🙂 Thank you for your positive review!
This is my second time making this wonderful recipe. I use a bundt pan. I just wanted to say this really is a wonderful cake! Restaurant quality. In fact this is better. Never had one from a restaurant that was this flavorful or moist. Thank-you for sharing!!
Hey Terry, I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. I love hearing you used a bundt pan! Any chance you know the size (how many cups) of the pan you used?
Hi Kathleen,
Don’t laugh, but the pan didn’t have any markings, so I just filled it with water using a measuring cup. It looks like 8 cup capacity.
Hi, how can I get the measurement in grams instead of cup? My country doesn’t sell butter in sticks. I’m not sure 2 sticks butter is how much.
Hi, Hafidzah!
I converted some of the ingredients for you 🙂
Kindly take note that all-purpose flour varies its cup=grams conversion based on different sources.
Cake:
all-purpose flour – (see links below)
2 grams baking powder
3 grams baking soda
5.69 grams salt
59.25 ml fresh orange juice
170.25 ml buttermilk
4 ml vanilla extract
226.8 grams unsalted butter
396 grams sugar
5 large eggs
1/3 cup about 6 oranges freshly grated orange zest
Orange Syrup:
99 grams sugar
118.5 ml fresh orange juice
Flour measurement sources:
Taste of Home
What’s Cooking America
Food Network
King Arthur
Cook’s Illustrated
16 tablespoons. OR look it up.
Karen, try a little kindness. This comment isn’t helpful, although it took an effort to post it. Did you know the tablespoon is another US measure? Perhaps if you have nothing helpful to say, you could just say nothing? If you are frustrated or angry this doesn’t really help & I imagine Hafidzah is not the source. I might suggest talking to someone, working out, going for a walk, or talk to some while you’re walking Hope this was helpful & that you find a productive way to handle your stress.
I made this today with no glaze (didn’t have powdered sugar), 2 cups all purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour (ran out of all purpose). This is a great recipe! The orange taste is unmissable, the texture of the cake is exceptional and the orange zest makes this cake awesome! Since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I might try reducing the sugar a little next time. Such a great cake!
Woot! Glad you enjoyed it, Harini 😀
I didn’t notice anyone asking this, but what if you do not have a “stand up mixer”…? I have a hand held one! Will it be alright to use the hand mixer instead? Same instructions?
Hi Peggy! Yes, you will absolutely be just fine. Handheld mixers aren’t as consistent in motor speed as a stand-up. If you want be on the safe side, add just 30-60 seconds extra mixing speed! <3
I have so many oranges and really want to make this cake. Any substitute for buttermilk? Thank you!
Hi, Britanny! Whenever I don’t have buttermilk on hand I usually combine lemon juice and milk. There are many buttermilk substitutes. Just choose here what’s available in your pantry 🙂
“To make 1 cup of buttermilk substitute, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then, add milk to the 1-cup line (237 ml) and stir.”
Good afternoon, can cake flour be used instead of a p flour? If so would you use the same amount?😇
Hi Brinda. Yes, it can.
Instead of all purpose flour, can I use cake flour?😇
Baked This Cake and ir was delicious. Truly recommend.
Thank you Michelle! <3
Lovely cake! I used a tube pan. It was tricky to remove but looked beautiful. I added some orange colour. I added a couple of spoons of cream cheese to the frosting. Moist and delicious ! Would make it again! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Tamara! ❤️ So glad you like it!
Does fresh orange juice mean squeezed or store bought?
Hi Marissa. Store bought works great 🙂
This reminds me of my childhood and going to my grandma’s house to eat Sunday dinner where she would always have a homemade cake cooked for dessert. Her orange cake was my favorite and I haven’t had it since she passed away 27 years ago. I love it!
Hi, Ji.Thanks for sharing your memory with your grandma. I bet those are the best orange cake! I hope you’ll try this <3
O.M.G. So freaking good!! Made it with krusteaz gf flour and in a bundt pan since I didn’t have an extra loaf pan. I thought I had messed up, my batter looked very strange and tasted cakey (like straight flour and orange). Said screw it and baked it for 35 minutes. It got a smidge stuck on the top, no worries though. Be sure to use all the glaze and syrup (that’s what makes it extra moist). First night was good, just had a second bite (okay like 6) a few minutes ago and way better when it sits. I’m sure this would be great with a cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze, either way delicious. Thank you!!
Thanks, Christina! I agree…use all the glaze <3
Hey Kathleen. This cake is just brilliant…such a moist crumb and the perfect balance of sweetness with the syrup and glaze. Love it!
So happy to hear that, Gail! <3
Hi Kathleen
As long as you spray you bundt pan enough
with cake release or similar,will turn out fine.
Taste and texture perfect!
Hi Ali! I can’t believe I haven’t tried this cake in a bundt pan yet! Thank you for letting everyone know. I’m really happy to hear you liked the cake <3
Hi Ali. When you made the cake in the bundt pan did you have to double the recipe? If you didn’t double it did it come out a decent size or was it small in height?
Could it be made in a 9×13 or as a layer cake? It looks and sounds heavenly!
Hi Jodde. I haven’t tried baking it in any other pans yet.Sorry about that! I’d love to hear back from you if you do 🙂
Could this be made in a bundt pan?
Hi Jodee. I haven’t tried it yet! Its on my to do list though. Sorry!
porfavor me puede decir cuanta mantequilla se necesita en Gramos para hacer el pan gracias
226 grams 🙂
Amazingly good!!!! I didn’t add the glaze because i didn’t have powder sugar at home but the cake texture and flavor is heavenly !!
Hey Abby, so glad you like it 🙂
Hi Kathleen,
Looking forward to baking this beautiful cake. Am I reading it right that each serving has 802 calories? How many servings per loaf? Is cal count for the whole loaf or 2 loaves? I know there’s 800 calories in a stick of butter alone. Appreciate any info on this.
Hi Melissa, thank you for asking and pointing this one out <3 I updated the infos. There's 240 calories per slice. This recipe yields 2 loaves, with 10 slices each. I hope you'll this helps!
Can you make this in a bundt pan? Thanks!
Hi Allison. Honestly, I haven’t tried it yet. I’m concerned it may not release well out of the bundt pan. Has anyone else tried it in a bundt pan ?
Can you half this recipe?
Hi Teresa. Yes it should work out perfectly.
Can you make it in an 8 inch pan instead?
Hi Gaby. A 8 X 1 1/2 round pan and a 8 X 4 X 2 1/2 loaf pan has the same volume so it should work. I haven’t tried it yet so I’m not exactly sure how the baking time would be effected. Remember that the recipe uses 2 of the loaf pans. If you try it out I’d love to hear back from you 🙂 Hope that helps!
In oven as we speak!!!!!! The batter is DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to eat it!
I wish I had a piece right now, Mary!
I made this cake today for a barb-e-que birthday party and it was such a hit. The cake was polished off and folks asked to share the recipe and I have ! Thank you
Hi Merlyn. So glad it was a hit at the BBQ. It really is a lovely cake!!!
Can you make this in a bundt pan instead of 2 loaf pans?
Hey Laura. I must say that honestly I haven’t attempted it yet. I’m worried it won’t work though.
I tried it and it worked like a charm. Delicious cake!! great recipe. Thank you!
Hi Noga. So glad you liked it! I just saw your photo. It’s beautiful!!!
Question…Is that zest in the glaze that is poured over the finished loaf??
Hey Kaye. Yes,it is 😉
Making this now. In the oven. Batter is yumm lol
Hey Debbie. I hope you enjoy the cake! Btw, I always save at least a spoonful of the batter as a little treat for the baker!
Orange explosion! I love it. When I make something with a certain flavor, I like a LOT of it. So this is right up my alley. 😉
Hey Christina. I’m with you regarding lots of flavor! Hope you make this cake and really enjoy 🙂
All that orange must taste like sunshine!
Hey Joanne! Thats exactly how I described it! LOL 🙂