Orange Pound Cake is a perfectly simple, easy-to-make dessert. Use fresh oranges when you make this glazed pound cake recipe!
Pound cake is one of our favourite cake recipes to make. It’s one of those back-to-your-roots, like-grandma-used-to-make cakes that stands the test of time and never fails to impress. We love making pound cakes of all different varieties, and we’ve already shared our favourite Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake and our Classic Vanilla Chocolate Marble Pound Cake with you here on The Busy Baker. But this Orange Pound Cake made with sour cream? It really takes the cake!
If we had to pick the ingredient that inspires us the most it would be anything citrus. Seriously, is there anything else that’s as beautiful to photograph as it is delicious and flavourful? If there is I can’t think of anything. This Orange Pound Cake recipe can be made with regular navel oranges. But, a combination of regular and blood oranges just makes this sour cream pound loaf so sweet and citrusy – and colourful too!!
To make this recipe you will need these items on hand (affiliate links):
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These are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe:
- unsalted butter
- white sugar
- large oranges (navel and/or blood oranges)
- eggs
- full fat sour cream
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- salt
- powdered sugar
Time needed: 1 hour and 35 minutes
If you want your pound cakes to be nice and moist (not dry and crumbly) follow my tips below:
- Whip the batter well.
In order for the pound cake to be as light as possible, be sure to whip lots of air into the butter and sugar, adding the eggs one at a time and whipping them until the batter is super light and fluffy!
- Fold in the flour.
Add the flour a little at a time and fold it in very gently, making sure you don’t deflate all the nice air you whipped into the batter!
- Use Sour Cream.
A little added sour cream makes the pound loaf ultra moist and tender – just be sure to use full fat sour cream as it contains more fat and less water.
Can this orange glazed loaf be made ahead of time?
Yes, it can be made a day ahead. Store in an airtight container after cooling completely to room temperature. Glaze it just before serving.
How does the cake rise without baking soda or baking powder?
The air bubbles that were created from mixing the wet ingredients keep the cake from sinking while baking. It’s important not to stir the batter, it will break the air bubbles. Fold the batter carefully, scrapping down the bowl in an up and over motion.
Can orange extract be used instead?
Yes, you can substitute the vanilla extract for orange extract.
We hope you like this orange glazed pound cake recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite way to enjoy delicious oranges? We’d love to know!
Looking for more recipes like this? You’ll LOVE these!
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Orange Sour Cream Pound Cake
Recipe: Ingredients
For the pound cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- zest of 2 large oranges oranges or blood oranges (or both)
- 5 eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream (full fat)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted to remove lumps
- 1/2 orange juice and zest
- orange slices for serving
Recipe: Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a loaf pan with butter and add a piece of parchment paper along the bottom and up two of the sides for easy removal. Grease the parchment paper as well, just to be sure nothing sticks.
- Add the butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on high speed until the butter becomes pale in colour (about 4-5 minutes).
- Add the sugar and beat on high speed until the mixture is extra light and fluffy (about 7-10 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl every few minutes). The mixture should turn a very pale yellow colour and be quite fluffy after 7 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time and continue beating on high speed for about 5-6 minutes after they've all been added to incorporate even more air into the batter.
- Add the sour cream and the vanilla to the bowl and beat for another minute or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Add the orange zest and beat on high speed until combined.
- Add the flour and salt to the mixing bowl and fold it into the wet ingredients by hand using a rubber spatula. Be sure to do this carefully so you don't deflate the batter as the flour is incorporated. Folding requires that you scrape the bottom of the bowl and use an "up and over" motion. Do not stir, as this will break the air bubbles you've created by beating the ingredients up until this point. This cake contains no leavening agent, so the bubbles in the batter are what will keep it from sinking in the middle as it bakes.
- Carefully scrape the batter into the loaf pan you've prepared.
- Bake for 65-75 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. After 65 minutes, test the cake by gently inserting a wooden skewer in the centre. If it comes out clean, it's done! If not, return the cake to the oven for another 5 minutes and test again.
- When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Remove it from the loaf pan using the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
For the glaze:
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice and zest until the desired consistency is reached. It should be thick, but easy to drizzle. If necessary, add a bit more powdered sugar or orange juice (1/2 teaspoon at a time) until the desired consistency is reached.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake once it has cooled completely and decorate with a few orange slices.
- Slice and serve .
Recipe: Notes
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Do yon need to add baking soda or powder to the cake?
Nope! 🙂
No, you don’t! Happy baking!
Can I use orange extract instead of Vanilla?
Sure!
Has anyone tried freezing this cake and then adding the glaze after defrosting it?
You can freeze it, but make sure you defrost it slowly and without a lid to prevent condensation! Happy baking!
I love this pound cake <3 I reduced sugar to 1 cup & added 1/2 cup coconut
Glad it turned out delicious!!🙂
What size loaf pan ? There are a lot of different sizes/ Thanks
The one I use is about 8 inches by 5 inches with approximately 6 1/2 cup capacity. Anything close to that will work!
I see that you have used blood oranges.. However I live in a country (India) where blood oranges are not easily available.. will this recipe work with whatever type of oranges are available locally?
This cake works with all different types of oranges.
Can you use a different sized cake tin rather than a loaf tin?
I have never tried baking it in anything else, but if you do, please let us know how it turns out.
Can I use self-rising flour?
Sorry, we’ve never tried this recipe with self raising flower so we couldn’t personally recommend that.