Orange Pound Cake
The burst of citrus in this Orange Pound Cake recipe makes it a year-round treat. The buttery dense pound cake is filled with the bright flavor of fresh orange juice and zest making it both delicious and refreshing.
Easy Orange Pound Cake Recipe
To make this homemade orange pound cake you’ll need a mixer, either a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Measuring cups and spoons, a 10-15 cup bundt pan, mixing bowls, a whisk to sift together the dry ingredients, a citrus zester, a small saucepan to make the simple syrup, a large silicone spatula to scrape the batter into the bundt pan and a cooling rack. This fresh orange juice cake packs a punch of citrus in every bite. How to make simple Orange Pound Cake:
- Flour – All purpose flour sifted with baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted butter.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar.
- Flavoring – Vanilla extract
- Juice and Zest – Fresh orange juice and orange zest.
- Eggs – Large eggs.
- Milk – Milk or half and half.
- Orange Syrup – Granulated sugar and orange juice.
- Glaze – Powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest.
Fresh Orange Pound Cake Recipe
I adore baking and my go-to technique is usually from scratch. Pound cakes are a regular in my kitchen, in both the warm weather and cold weather months. In the summer, a piece of million dollar pound cake topped with fresh macerated berries and whipped cream is how we enjoy strawberry shortcake. Another summer favorite is a white chocolate pound cake filled with sweet plump blueberries. This fresh orange juice cake packs a punch of citrus in every bite.
How to Make the Best Orange Pound Cake Recipe
How do pound cakes differ from other cakes? Pound cakes were originally made using a pound of butter, flour, sugar and eggs hence the name. They have evolved through the years with bakers putting their own spin on them and changing ingredient amounts.
- Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe for Orange Pound Cake: All purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, vanilla extract, fresh orange zest, orange juice, large eggs, milk or half and half.
- To make the Orange Juice Glaze you’ll need: Orange juice, orange zest and powdered sugar.
- Please note that pound cakes are a dense cake by nature, not light and airy like a classic layer cake.
- Use fresh dairy in particular, fresh eggs.
- Eggs are sometimes the only leavening that’s used in pound cake recipes. Again, this varies from recipe to recipe depending on the flavor and baker’s preference. This pound cake recipe does include both baking powder and baking soda to give lift to the batter.
- Pound cakes are baked in an angel food pan or bundt pan most often, and not in layers. The batter for this pound cake will fit in a bundt pan.
- Pound cakes come in a variety of flavors with the most common being vanilla, lemon and chocolate.
- Pound cakes freeze extremely well. Thaw in the fridge overnight for the best result. You can freeze this cake for up to 2 months.
- Store leftover orange pound cake on the counter for up to 4 days or chilled for up to 1 week.
More Southern Style Pound Cakes to Make
There’s hardly an occasion where a pound cake wouldn’t be the ideal choice for dessert.
- Satisfy your banana pudding craving with this Banana Pudding Pound Cake that’s become a fan favorite.
- You can never go wrong when serving Million Dollar Pound Cake for dessert.
- This dreamy vanilla glazed Coconut Cream Pound Cake. among many others.
- White Chocolate Cherry Cream Cheese Pound Cake is pretty in pink!
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Pound Cake will satisfy the peanut butter cup fans in your life.
- Cold weather options such as Pumpkin Spice Pound cake and Eggnog Pound Cake are a given for our Christmas desserts.
- Lemon Pound Cake Muffins from Recipe Girl.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups butter (salted or unsalted) softened
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar divided
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup fresh orange zest
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup milk or half and half
- Orange Syrup:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a standard 10-15 cup bundt pan, or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- To make Cake: In a medium size mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, 2 1/2 cups sugar and vanilla for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add orange zest, beating until combined.
- Mix together 1/2 cup orange juice with milk. Lower the speed of the mixer and add juice-milk mixture alternately with sifted dry ingredients, beginning and ending with flour. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl periodically.
- Spread batter evenly in pan. Place into oven and bake for 75-80 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes back clean. Check halfway through baking and lay foil on top to prevent over browning, if needed.
- To make Orange Syrup: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat mix together remaining 1/2 cup sugar with reserved 1/2 cup orange juice. Simmer over medium heat just until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- When cake is finished baking, use a long skewer to poke holes in the cake. Slowly spoon orange syrup over cake allowing it to sink in before adding more to the cake. Repeat process until all of the syrup is used. Cool cake completely in pan.
- To make Glaze: In a small bowl mix together powdered sugar, orange juice and zest until fully combined. Flip pan and turn cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.
- Store cake in an airtight container chilled or at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Could I make a small 6” cake with 1/2 recipe?
You can halve this recipe, yes.
Thank you for the reply!! Would the temperature and baking time be the same?
The temperature would not change but of course the baking time may be shorter. You’ll have to monitor it for doneness depending on the size of your pan and how your oven performs.
Hello Melissa,
Instead of milk, can I use sour cream or yogurt?
Thank you!
Yes, you can substitute with sour cream or yogurt.
I made it for mother’s day… it is absolutely delicious and moist… will be my all time favourite orange cake for the rest of my life…
Thank you so much!
I made this cake yesterday and must say it was the most moist and perfect crumb pound cake I made ever.
Instead of orange I had used Mandarin jest and juice, but it took nothing away from the perfect texture of the cake.
I have made this cake all season with fresh oranges from my tree. It’s the best orange cake recipe I have found
Thank you so much!
I haven’t made this yet. I was looking for an orange pound cake recipe to make a lamb cake for Easter. Do you think a chocolate buttercream frosting would taste good with this recipe? I like the chocolate/orange combination, but haven’t experimented yet. Thank you!
This is one of those times that it’s completely up to personal preference. If you like that flavor combination then it should be fine with this orange pound cake recipe.
I made this cake for a dinner party and it was a huge hit. It is a long process but worth it if you have the time. I fresh squeezed all of my orange juice for extra rich orange flavor and used the max on zest all around. My cake stuck to the pan also and I will probably butter and flour next time. The good news is that the glaze covered most of the damage. Love it and recooked it 😋.
Thanks so much!
Made this in 1.5 fl oz mini bundt tins. Delightful. Thank you! Just what I was looking for to inaugurate my ‘baby bundts’.
Sounds great, thanks!
Well I made this today for a thank you to someone and we shared it with all my neighbors…everyone love it. So moist and flavorful…thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so happy you all loved it, thank you!
Where can I find the recipe?
You scrolled past it to leave this comment.
This sounds delicious! I want to make this cake for a friends birthday, she loves Orange pound cake. If you were going to bake the cake 2 days before presenting would you wait to glaze it until day of or will the glaze hold up in the fridge?
What a great friend! You can do it either way, it will hold up to chilling. That said, for the prettiest presentation, the day you’re serving would be my pick.
Hi Melissa,
I have been diagnosed with celiac, can any of these pound cake recipes be made gluten-free?
Hi Vivian, I’m sorry to hear that, it’s a challenge. I don’t have any gluten free cake recipes, but they likely could be adapted using a different flour. It’s not quite as simple as an equal swap, though. If you try and adapt any, let us know how it goes.
I made this recipe using Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 flour and it turned out great!
It was very good. I didn’t use as much orange zest but i think it still tasted orangey enough.
Made this for a friend who loves orange cake and it was a big hit. Super buttery, great crumb. I used half n half in place of milk, and made sure the butter was nice and warm – really a key to making a beautiful pound cake. I’d use even more zest next time – but it was well liked. Thank youn
Thanks so much!
I made this cake yesterday, I was excited to try the orange recipe! It did not turn out well, it looked great, but the consistency of the cake was strange, it was like a cornbread, but a little tough. What did I do wrong?
This cake is moist and should never be crumbly or tough. It may have been over beaten and/or over baked. Pound cakes are dense by nature but, not as you describe.
Hi Melissa, if we bake this cake using convection bake 325 degrees, would the cooking time be reduced?
Hi Joseph, possibly but, I haven’t tested it. If you try it, let us know how it goes.
I made this cake earlier this week. The only problem I had was getting it out of the Bundt pan. I used Wiltons cake spray to prepare the pan. It is delicious I just wished it looked better!
I can’t image why the spray let you down. I often use a baking spray for this and other cakes and. it does fine. Maybe try the old school butter and flour the pan technique.
I made this cake but it didnt rise.Do I need to set the oven on 350% instead of 325?
You may want to check the date on your baking powder and baking soda, if the cake didn’t rise.
Hi .. for milk you’ve mentioned as 1/2 cup milk or half and half. Can you please explain. Want to try baking this soon. Thanks
You can use milk or half and half in the same amount. Half and half is half milk and half cream.
Can I make these as muffins?
I haven’t tested this pound cake as muffins, if you try it let us know how it goes.
I would like to make this pound cake but I was wondering if I could make it with almond flour because my granddaughter needs gluten free?
I haven’t tested this cake with almond flour but, it could probably be adapted, sure. Let us know, if you try it.
I made this cake yesterday, following the recipe exactly. It is wonderful!! My nephew said it’s the best he’s ever tasted. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe with us!
Thank you so much!
Hey Melissa is the 1/3 cup of zest correct?
Yes, 1/3 cup.