The Best Orange Pound Cake with Glaze
This orange pound cake is rich, buttery, and moist! It's full of orange flavor from orange zest & juice and it's covered in an citrusy orange glaze!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time50 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 260kcal
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour - (200 grams); sifted
- ¾ cup sugar - (155 grams)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder - (5 grams)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon milk powder - (4 grams); optional, See Note 1
Wet Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter - (178 grams); softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large orange - zested and segmented (without peel)
Glaze and Decoration
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange juice
- 4 thin slices of orange - cut into ⅛ inch thick for placing on top
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Add the softened butter and sugar to a stand mixer and cream it together using a paddle attachment on medium high speed. (Or use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment). Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved as there should be no granules. Take your time with this step.
Add the eggs one at a time while mixing on medium low speed. Add the next egg only when the previous egg has been completely incorporated. This helps prevent any separation between the eggs and butter. Keep mixing until the color turns pale yellow and becomes fluffy.
Sift the flour, milk powder, and baking powder together. Add them into the batter and fold it in until it's combined.
Next, zest a large orange and chop up the orange segments into pieces. Gently fold the zest and orange pieces into the batter.
Pour the batter into a loaf pan, and using a spatula create a well in the center. This will help the pound cake rise fully. (Optional: top with 3 to 4 thin slices of orange, about ⅛ inch thick. See Note 2.) If using a non-coated pan, line your pan with parchment paper or butter the insides. Non-stick pans should be fine as the amount of butter in the batter should help it release. Bake at 375 degrees F for the first 10 minutes. Then lower the heat to 338 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Milk powder - this adds a creamier taste and texture while helping the cake brown due to the added sugars in the milk powder. You can leave this out if it's not available to you but if you can find it, I recommend it.
- Optional orange slices: If you choose to decorate the pound cake with orange slices, slice them very thin as the peel can get tough while it bakes. Otherwise, you can remove the peel first.
Makes 1 loaf of orange pound cake in a 1 lb loaf pan.
Make Ahead & Storage:
Freeze: Wait for the cake to completely cool and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then place it in a freezer safe container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Refrigerate: Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg