This Orange Pound Cake is rich, buttery, and loaded with bright orange flavor in every bite! Made with fresh-squeezed orange juice and zest, this citrus-infused cake is topped with a light, sweet glaze and a tender, moist crumb that you will love.
Zesty desserts like my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, and Old-fashioned Lemon Squares are easy homemade treats that I can’t resist!
In This Post
When it comes to dessert, there’s one thing I’m passionate about: citrus. I absolutely love any pie, cookie, or cake made with lemons, limes, or oranges, and Lemon Pound Cake, Lemon Creme Brulee, and Orange-Glazed Muffins serve as proof. Now, it’s time to add this Orange Pound Cake to the line-up!
Why Is It Called Pound Cake?
Originally, pound cakes used ingredients that each weighed a pound, a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, you get the idea. While my orange pound cake recipe does not involve quite those quantities, it is as buttery and moist as a truly one-pound cake.
What You’ll Need For This Orange Cake
- Flour – All-purpose flour is perfect for this cake.
- Baking Soda – Helps the cake rise.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter in baked goods to control the salt level separately.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar works for this recipe.
- Eggs – At room temperature.
- Orange Juice & Zest – I like use Cara Cara oranges for this cake because they are super sweet, but any standard orange, like a naval orange works.
- Sour Cream – Provides moisture and richness.
- Salt – Salt will bring out all the sweetness.
- The Glaze – You’ll need confectioner’s (or powdered) sugar and fresh orange juice.
How To Make Homemade Orange Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven and prep a tube or bundt pan.
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a stand or hand mixer, the butter until fluffy, then add the sugar slowly. Continue to whip then add the eggs, and, finally, the orange juice.
- Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Once fully combined, stir in the sour cream and zest.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. While the cake bakes, make the glaze. Cool the pound cake completely on a wire rack, then top with the glaze.
Donya’s Success Tips For The Best Pound Cake
- Have the eggs and butter at room temperature.
- Cream the butter and sugar for long enough, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Don’t over-mix the batter at the end! This will cause it to be gummy and dense.
- When zesting the oranges, make sure you don’t get any of the white rinds that are right underneath the orange layer. It’s bitter and will give an unpleasant taste to the cake.
- You can also bake this in two 8.5×4-inch loaf pans.
Common Questions With Answers
While using store-bought orange juice is an option, making homemade orange juice will give your cake a fresher, more authentic citrus flavor.
Store the cake loosely covered with plastic wrap, in a covered cake plate at room temperature, or tightly wrapped in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Looking For More Pound Cake Recipes? Try These
Lemon Pound Cake, and Brown Sugar Sour Cream Pound Cake, are two of my family favorites, and Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake, and Eggnog Pound Cake are perfect for the holidays. You can’t miss my classic Southern Pound Cake for any party, celebration or for when you need the best slice of homemade cake.
More Citrus Recipes
If you tried this Orange Pound Cake Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) – room temperature
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs – room temperature
- ⅓ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 cup sour cream
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan. Set aside.
- Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each egg is added.
- Beat in orange juice.
- With the mixer on low, add in dry ingredients. Mix until blended. Add in sour cream, and orange zest mixing until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. Test cake with a wooden skewer – the cake is done when the skewer comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Use a knife to run around the edge of the cake pan to loosen cake. Turn out cake onto a plate or stand.
- When cake has cooled completely, mix together confectioners sugar and orange juice then drizzle over cake. Serve.
Nutrition
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Very delicious but I think could have a stronger orange flavor. Can I use a bit of orange extract to enhance flavor?
Also I baked it in 2 bread pans for 75 minutes it was fine. I didn’t see your reply about baking for 50 minutes.
Thanks so much!!
If you feel like the recipe needs some, add it! Make it your own. Thank you for your review! ~Donya
Delicious!
Thank you, thank you! I’m thrilled that you are cooking with me.
❤️ Donya
Recipe states using granulated white sugar BUT Q&A section states to use powdered sugar. HELP! Which is correct.!!!
Hi Crystal.
I am sorry for the confusion. Granulated sugar is used in the cake batter and the powdered sugar for the glaze. I have updated the Q&A as well. Thanks for your patience.
~Donya
How about using a bundt pan? I have made several using this.
Sure! It will work great.
Enjoy, Anne.
~Donya
CAN THIS RECIPE BE MADE INTO 2 LOAF PANS? IF SO WHAT SIZE AND HOW LONG SHOULD I BAKE.
Hey there Jan!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a terrific question! You can absolutely make this Pound Cake in two loaf pans, you’ll want to follow the same recipe directions and make sure that you properly butter and flour the bread pans, and then bake for 50 minutes to an hour. I hope this helps, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Can a 13×9 be used in recipes calling for a tube pan?
Hey there Sue!
Thank you so much for your fantastic rating, and that is a good question! I haven’t necessarily tried to do a pound cake in a 13×9, just because the dish is shallow and it might take some of the moisture out of your cake, but if you lower the cook time to about 25-35 minutes it should bake through nicely. You’ll want to watch the cake closely as it gets about 25 minutes into the bake, you want your cake to be fully baked but still moist. Let me know how this goes, I am very curious! Thanks for your support!
~Donya
Excellent, moist, with wonderful flavor!
Thanks so much, Coleen for your kind words and the great rating!
Have a lovely day,
~Donya