Orange Pound Cake Recipe
There’s something so special about this old-fashioned orange pound cake recipe! It’s buttery, bright, and totally nostalgic. It’s the kind of dessert that makes you feel like you’re back in grandma’s kitchen.
Sometimes, recipes are just better knowing where they came from… and sometimes they even give us a sense of where we come from, too. This is one of those recipes that I found in one of my grandmother’s cookbooks. I’ve mentioned these cookbooks before – from the lovely ladies of the Pass-a-Grille Woman’s Club in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
While this orange pound cake recipe is not one of my grandmother’s, it is one that I make occasionally with fond memories of the Woman’s Club and the special women who meant so much to my Gram.
And, there’s something about citrus that makes me happy, so when I’m missing my Gram, I like to make this cake. This orange pound cake is a total throwback in the best way. It’s soft, moist, and bursting with real orange flavor thanks to fresh zest and juice. Perfect for baby or bridal showers, brunches, or Mother’s Day—this cake is pretty much always a hit. And since it’s super simple to make, you’ll be coming back to this recipe again and again.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this with a bit of chocolate sauce or Whipped Cream and fresh berries for a really special treat. It’s even good with our Brown Sugar Yogurt Fruit Dip!
Storage
Let the cake cool completely before storing. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To store longer, refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it (whole or sliced) for up to 3 months.
Note: Freeze your cake without the orange glaze for the best flavor and presentation.
This recipe is simple, but delicious, and so nice for a little get-together. Over the years, I’ve made a couple of tiny changes to suit my taste, so here is my version of the recipe.
Orange Pound Cake
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Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
For the Glaze:
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Generously grease and flour a bundt pan and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla and beat until combined. Set aside the wet ingredients.1 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup sour cream
- Sift together the dry ingredients into a standing mixer or large bowl.2 cup granulated sugar, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture, then add the orange zest.1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- Add the butter in one tablespoon at a time until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake bakes, combine the sugar and juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Reduce the glaze by half.
- Allow the cake to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out to a wire rack to cool.
- Drizzle the glaze all over the cake once it is completely cooled.
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Notes
Recipe Variations
You can substitute plain yogurt for sour cream, but for the best results, I suggest using regular sour cream, which helps give pound cake its signature tight crumb. If you have lemons instead of oranges on hand, you can make a lemon pound cake instead. Use 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice.
More Cake Recipes
We love anything orange!! This will be great to try soon. Reminds us summer is coming! You have great recipes, thank you for the ideas to make new things, my family is tired of the same old things!