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Using both orange zest and orange juice helps make my moist and tender orange pound cake one of the best loaf cake recipes you can bake. Rich in flavor and light in texture! | justalittlebitofbacon.com #italianrecipe #poundcake #cakerecipe #dessertrecipe #oranges #loafcake
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Moist and Tender Orange Pound Cake

Using both orange zest and orange juice helps make my moist and tender orange pound cake one of the best loaf cake recipes you can bake. Rich in flavor and light in texture!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword orange pound cake, pound cake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 320kcal
Author Just a Little Bit of Bacon

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature, separated
  • pinch cream of tartar, optional
  • 1 3/4 cups (7 oz) cake flour
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, cool room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 375F. Coat a 9x5 loaf pan with butter and line it with parchment paper so that the ends of the paper hang down over sides.
  • Using either a hand mixer or a standing mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add a pinch of cream of tarter. Then beat until you see stiff peaks, stopping to check frequently. Set the beaten egg whites aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
  • Mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
  • Measure the orange juice and zest and set aside.
  • Using your mixer, beat the butter on medium (to medium-high) until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the sugar and continue beating for about 3 minutes. The mixture will be light colored and fluffy.
  • Add the orange zest and mix in. Then, with the mixer running, add the egg yolks one at a time, waiting a few second between each one. Continue beating for 30 seconds after they are all added.
  • Scrape down the mixer, then turn it on for a few seconds, then scrape it down again.
  • Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low until almost combined. Then add 1/2 of the orange juice and mix in. Continue with 1/3 of the flour, the remaining 1/2 of the orange juice, and the last 1/3 of flour. Stop with some streaks of flour remaining.
  • Scoop the egg whites into the mixing bowl. Using a large silicone spatula, gently fold into the batter until no white streaks remain.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 325F. Continue baking for 50-55 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
  • Let the cake rest for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Then lift it out with the parchment paper sides and move it to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature.

Notes

  • Inspiration: I used the Orange Cake from Sweet Maria's Italian Desserts as my inspiration for this orange loaf cake.
  • Eggs: Be careful not to get any of the yolk into the whites. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl or cup and then transfer the whites to your mixing bowl.
  • Stiff Peaks: In egg whites stiff peaks keep their shape even upside down but are still glossy and smooth.
  • Butter: Butter is the perfect temperature for creaming at 60F. Once it reaches 68-70 it is too warm. Your butter should be cool, but pliable. If you cut your butter into tablespoon sized pieces, this will take about 10 minutes.
  • Cake Flour: If you are measuring the flour using cups instead of a kitchen scale, scoop the flour into the cup and then level it off. Do not dip your cup into the flour to fill it. That will overfill the cups.
  • Kitchen Scale: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this and many other recipes. I like the Salter Digital Scale and use it all the time.
  • Zest: A Microplane makes quick work of zesting the orange.
  • Mixing in the flour/juice: Using low speed, mix each addition until it is almost mixed in, then add the next. This will keep you from overmixing the flour.
  • Baking the cake: I find that the cake seems done to a tester before it is time to take it out of the oven. Unless your oven runs hot, I would recommend keeping it in for the full 50 minutes at 325F. This way it will keep its nice, rounded top.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal