Orange Pound Cake

This pound cake recipe is my go-to Bundt recipe. I’ve made it as a poppy seed cake (the original, which I found at Taste of Home and apparently won grand champion at the North Dakota state fair, not that I’m surprised), a lemon cake, a lemon poppy seed cake (which somehow I managed not to blog…stay tuned), a creamsicle cake, a vanilla cake with fudge icing, and this, an orange cake, for this year’s Mother’s Day. I’m a wee bit behind on the blog posts.

Anyway, I use cara cara oranges when I bake, which are sweeter, but you can use regular navel oranges if that’s all you can find. And while I think you can find orange extract in most grocery stores, mine comes from Penzeys in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Also, don’t skip the butter extract in this recipe; it adds amazing flavor to the cake.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 3 cups flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
• zest of 2 medium oranges

For the icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons orange juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt tin.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large, 4-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, orange extract, and orange zest. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients to completely combine.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons orange juice; add enough additional juice to make a thick but pourable icing. Pour over cake and allow to drip down the sides. Allow icing to set before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for a very long time.