Orange Pound Cake

A few non-baker friends have recently expressed that they would like to give baking a try after reading my blog.  I am so thankful to have inspired them :).  For starters, I advised them to start on the pound cake (as I did when I first started baking), as I find the recipe and technique less intimidating.  This pound cake post is therefore, in celebration of their first attempt in baking a cake :).  Happy baking !

By its name, pound cake refers to a cake traditionally made with a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Over the years, bakers over the world have applied alterations to the original recipe to change the characteristics of the pound cake, i.e. the addition of flavouring, leavening and cooking oil, but the name pound cake is often still maintained.

The pound cake's primary flavor comes from butter. As such, do use the best quality butter you can find - I like Golden Churn.  There is nothing more put off than a rancid cake.  A butter-related memory to share - I was greasing my loaf pan with butter, when out of the blue, a small voice chided "Mommy, don't waste my butter".  This, coming from the 2 year old Little Missy.  We all know she loves her butter sandwich (as she calls them), but still.  Kids are so smart these days, it's worrying.

This recipe comes to me from Ready for Dessert by David Lebowitz, and is adapted from his Passionfruit Pound Cake.

You will need:

For the cake:
210 g all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
150 g castor sugar
170 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Grated rind of 2 oranges

For the glaze:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
20 g castor sugar

Preparation:

To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 175 deg C.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan, dust it with flour and tap out any excess.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar and orange zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. 

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and vanilla.  With the mixer running, slowly dribble the egg mixture into the butter mixture, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the eggs are completely incorporated.  The mixture may look curdled, which is normal.

Using a rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture by hand until combined.  Do not overmix.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top.  Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Let cool for about 15 minutes.

To prepare the glaze:
In a small bowl, very gently stir together the orange juice and sugar.  Do not let the sugar dissolve.

Loosen the cake by running a knife along the sides of the cake.  Invert the warm cake out and turn in right side up.

Using a wooden skewer, pierce the top of the cake all the way through the bottom about 50 times.  Spoon half the glaze all over the top of the cake.  Turn the cake on each of its sides, and repeat.