Orange pound cake is packed with sweet citrus flavor! It is made with staple ingredients in just a few minutes hands-on time.
Our orange pound cake is buttery, moist and dense with flecks of orange zest throughout the cake. The icing is flavored with orange juice, making it smooth and bright. Its adds one more layer of moisture and complements the cake perfectly.
This orange pound cake is incredibly moist. It’s got a vibrant, delicate orange zest, and it’s covered with a sweet orange glaze to make it irresistible!
Every bite of this orange pound cake – from the moist cake, to the vibrant icing and down to the very last crumb – tastes like spring!
The light and citrusy flavor of orange is fresh and happy, like spring itself. That makes orange pound cake the perfect dessert to serve at celebrations like Easter and Mother’s Day.
However, you don’t need to save it just for holidays – it’s so easy to make that you can turn any day into a special occasion! Check out my pound cake collection for tips that will ensure your cake is perfect!
Why You’ll Love It
Versatile – Pound cake is amazing for breakfast, brunch and dessert.
Staple Ingredients – It’s made with staple ingredients and the juice and zest of an orange.
Effortless – It takes just a few minutes hands-on time to create this beautiful and flavorful dessert.
Ingredients
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference, at room temperature.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar not only sweetens pound cake, but also aids in the leavening process when mixing with butter.
- Eggs – At room temperature for best results.
- Flour – All purpose flour is great in this recipe – bleached or unbleached.
- Milk – Any milk from skim to vitamin D works well.
- Orange Zest – Use zest of naval oranges, mandarin oranges or clementine for sweet orange flavor.
Orange Glaze Ingredients
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar, it gives the glaze a smooth consistency.
- Orange Juice – Freshly squeezed or store-bought, your preference.
Variations
- Add your choice of nut to the batter, or just sprinkle nuts on the icing.
- Mix in mini chocolate chips for an orange and chocolate pound cake!
- Add poppy seeds to the batter for that slight nutty flavor and crunch.
- Bake in mini loaf pans for darling orange pound cakes. Cut baking time to 50 minutes.
Recommended Loaf Pans
- 1 Pound Loaf Pan – Make as directed.
- Citrus Loaf Pan – This loaf pan is a little smaller. Dispose excess batter or use to make a miniature loaf. When cake has cooled, trim off excess from rise and invert to remove.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Cream Butter and Sugar Until Light and Fluffy – This gives pound cake its rise in lieu of a leavening agent.
- Use Only Orange Zest – When zesting an orange, be careful not to zest the white rind, which is bitter in flavor.
- Bake Low and Slow – Baking low and slow ensures the cake bakes evenly all the way through, without over baking the exterior.
- Prepare Loaf Pan – Use an easy release spray to generously coat the loaf pan and any crevices to effortlessly release.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, a pound cake is moist and dense while a sponge cake is lighter and has a spongy consistency because the egg whites are whipped.
Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15-20 minutes so it can firm up. Then gently turn the pan over to release the cake. If you used enough spray oil, the cake should slide right out.
What to Do with Leftovers
- Make French Toast – Classic or Crème Brûlée French Toast
- Freeze Individual Slices – They make a great last minute snack!
- Make a Trifle – Cut into cubes and layer with pudding, whipped cream and fresh fruit.
Storage Tips
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Individually sliced pound cake keeps for 3-4 days, covered or wrapped. Or, store covered or in an airtight container up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Make sure that the side that has been cut is covered with plastic.
To freeze, wrap pound cake in plastic wrap then add an extra layer of aluminum foil or put in a freezer bag to prevent frost and to keep freezer odors from getting into your cake. Freeze up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish with fresh fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries, at a breakfast or brunch.
Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperture
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
Orange Glaze
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup orange juice fresh squeezed or store bought
Optional
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Grease a 1 pound loaf pan and preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter until light in color and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Gradually incorporate sugar.2 cups unsalted butter, 1½ cups white granulated sugar
- On low speed, add eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl down, if needed.3 large eggs
- Alternate adding flour and milk until just incorporated. Add orange zest.2 cups all purpose flour, ¾ cup milk, 2 tablespoons orange zest
- Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool on wire rack. Invert to release.
Orange Glaze
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine melted butter, powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. Pour over cooled cake and allow to set.6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup orange juice
Julie’s Tips
-
- Cream Butter and Sugar – This gives pound cake its rise in lieu of a leavening agent.
- Use Only the Zest – When zesting an orange, be careful not to zest the white rind, which is bitter in flavor.
- Bake Low and Slow – Baking low and slow ensures the cake bakes evenly all the way through, without over baking the exterior. Use the toothpick test for accuracy in bake time as ovens vary.
- Prepare Loaf Pan – Use an easy release spray to generously coat the loaf pan and any crevices to effortlessly release.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add chopped nuts into the batter, or just sprinkle nuts on the icing.
- Mix in mini chocolate chips for an orange and chocolate pound cake!
- Add poppy seeds to the batter.
- Bake in mini loaf pans for mini pound cakes. Cut baking time to 40-50 minutes.
Storage Tips
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Or, store covered or in an airtight container up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Make sure that the side that has been cut is covered with plastic. To freeze, wrap pound cake in plastic wrap then add an extra layer of aluminum foil or put in a freezer bag to prevent frost and to keep freezer odors from getting into your cake. Freeze up to 3 months.Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Happy recipes
Thank you!
There are some good cakes dishes one to
Delicious cake
Thank you!
some of your pound cake recipes use 1 cup of butter and some use 2 cups of butter but the other ingredients are the same.
just checking if this recipe should truly be 2 cups of butter.
thanks
Itโs accurate – and delicious! Enjoy!
This is such an easy and delicious pound cake. I took your suggestion and added poppy seeds. Wow! Delicious nutty flavor. I also added mini chocolate chips to another which was a big hit.
You wasted no time! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to share!