Orange Pound Cake

1 hour 30 minutes

By: Julie Blanner12 Comments
Posted: 3/4/21

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Orange Pound Cake is packed with sweet orange flavor! It is made with staple ingredients in just a few minutes hands-on time.

Orange Pound Cake is incredibly moist with a bright citrus flavor and covered with a sweet orange glaze to make it irresistible!

An orange pound cake from a citrus loaf pan, on a white platter. Oranges in the background.

As the weather starts to get sunnier, I like to introduce fun and light flavors into my baking. It’s easy to celebrate spring with a delicious and simple orange pound cake.

Every bite – from the moist cake to the vibrant icing to the very last crumb – tastes like spring!

The light and citrusy flavor of orange is fresh and happy, like springs itself. Which makes orange pound cake the perfect dessert to serve at celebrations like Easter and Mother’s Day. However, you don’t need to save it just for holidays – it’s so easy to make that you can turn any day into a special occasion!

A single slice of orange pound cake on a white plate, single orange to the side.

Pound cake is a classic recipe for dense, moist and delicious cake made from staple ingredients – butter, flour, sugar, eggs and milk. Whether you serve Cinnamon Pound Cake, Lemon Pound Cake, Apple Pound Cake, or Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, you’re sure to have a dessert than everyone will enjoy and rave about.

Check out my pound cake guide for tips that will ensure your cake is perfect!

An orange pound cake covered in frosting on a white platter, oranges in the background.

Pound cakes must be my love language. I love how I can whip up a cake so fast and have a delicious and gorgeous treat to serve at breakfast, a brunch, or for dessert. And if there are leftovers, it slices up for an indulgent snack the next day!

It’s pretty amazing that something so easy and quick to make is so delicious and beautiful! This classic Pound Cake recipe is delightful, and then I can adjust ingredients to suit any season or occasion. Pound cake is so versatile and a tasty hit year-round!

Orange pound cake is buttery, moist and dense with flecks of orange zest throughout the cake. The icing is flavored with orange juice, making it smooth and bright. Its adds one more layer of moisture and complements the cake perfectly.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love Orange Pound Cake

Quick
Easy
Beautiful
Bright Flavor
No Leavening Agent

Orange Pound Cake Ingredients

ingredients to make orange pound cake on white surface

Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference, at room temperature.
Sugar – White granulated sugar not only sweetens pound cake, but also aids in the leavening process when mixing with butter.
Eggs – At room temperature for best results.
Flour – All purpose flour is alternated with milk to give it a luxurious consistency.
Milk – Any milk from skim to vitamin D works well.
Orange Zest – Use zest of naval oranges, mandarin oranges or clementine for sweet orange flavor.

Orange Glaze

Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar, it gives the glaze a smooth consistency.
Orange Juice – Freshly squeezed or store-bought, your preference.

A glass carafe filled with glaze, single orange with leaves in front.

Variations

Add your choice of nut to the batter, or just sprinkle nuts on the icing.
Mix in mini chocolate chips for an orange and chocolate pound cake!
Add poppy seeds to the batter for that slight nutty flavor and crunch.
Bake in mini loaf pans for darling orange pound cakes. Cut baking time to 50 minutes.

How to Make Orange Pound Cake

Prep – Preheat oven and grease loaf pan.
Beat Butter and Sugar – In a large mixing bowl, beat until light in color. This aerates the mixture and adds rise without a leavening agent.
Add Eggs One at a Time – Mix on low, and just until incorporated.
Alternate Flour and Milk – Continue mixing on low while alternately adding flour and milk.
Add Orange Zest – Gently fold in zest for bright flavor and a pop of color.
Bake – Pour into prepared pan. Bake. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Invert to remove.
Glaze – Combine melted butter, powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth and pour over pound cake.

A hand pouring icing from a glass carafe, onto an orange pound cake.

Loaf Pans

1 Pound Loaf Pan – Make as directed.
Citrus Loaf Pan – This loaf pan is a little smaller. Fill a miniature loaf with excess batter. When cake has cooled, trim off excess from rise and invert to remove.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with fresh fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries, at a breakfast or brunch.
Serve with whipped cream and then sprinkle with toasted coconut.
A la mode – with creamy vanilla ice cream.

A sliced orange pound cake covered in frosting on a white platter, oranges in the background.

Tips

Cream Butter and Sugar Until Light and Fluffy – This recipe doesn’t use a leavening agent, so this will aid in rise.
Use Only Orange Zest – White rind is bitter in flavor.
Bake at 300 Degrees – This cake is baked low and slow. It ensures the cake bakes evenly all the way through, without over baking the exterior.
Coat the Pan – Spray the loaf pan really well, getting into the corners so that the cake releases effortlessly.

Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!

Shortcuts

Forgo the icing and dust with powdered sugar.
Learn how to Soften Butter Quickly here.

Is a pound cake the same as a sponge cake?

No, a pound cake is moist and dense while a sponge cake is lighter and has a spongy consistency because the egg whites are whipped.

When do I remove a pound cake from the pan?

Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15-20 minutes so it can firm up. Then gently turn the pan over to release the cake. If you used enough spray oil, the cake should slide right out.

How to Store

Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container or covered for up to 5 days. You want to keep all the moisture inside! Individually sliced pound cake keeps for 3 to 4 days, covered or wrapped.
Refrigerate – Store covered or in an airtight container up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Make sure that the side that has been cut is covered with plastic.
Freeze – Wrap pound cake in plastic wrap then add an extra layer of aluminum foil or put in a freezer bag to prevent frost and to keep freezer odors from getting into your cake. Freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature when ready to eat.

Two slices of orange pound cake topped with frosting on a white surface.

What to Do with Leftovers

Make French Toast – Classic or Crème Brûlée French Toast
Freeze Individual Slices – They make a great last minute snack!
Make a Trifle – Cut into cubes and layer with pudding, whipped cream and fresh fruit.