Description
Ina Garten’s orange pound cake brings zesty citrus notes to classic dessert lovers. Rich butter and fresh orange zest create a moist, fragrant cake perfect for afternoon tea or elegant gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (800 grams) white sugar
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 milliliters/ml) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (360 milliliters/ml) fresh orange juice
- 3 medium oranges, zested
- 3 tbsps (45 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preparation: Meticulously coat a 10-inch tube pan with butter and flour, ensuring complete coverage to prevent adherence.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, creating a uniform, well-integrated mixture.
- Creaming Process: Using an electric mixer, whip sugar and butter until the blend transforms into a light, voluminous, pale yellow consistency.
- Egg Integration: Introduce eggs individually into the butter mixture, thoroughly incorporating each to maintain a silky, homogeneous texture.
- Flavor Enhancement: Gently fold vanilla extract and orange zest into the batter, distributing aromatic elements evenly throughout.
- Batter Construction: Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream in three stages, starting and concluding with flour. Mix minimally to preserve delicate structure.
- Pan Transfer: Smoothly distribute batter into the prepared tube pan, leveling the surface with a spatula for uniform baking.
- Baking Process: Roast in a preheated oven at 325°F for approximately 75 minutes, or until a toothpick emerges immaculately clean when inserted into the center.
- Initial Cooling: Rest the cake in the pan atop a wire rack for 10 minutes, allowing initial stabilization and preventing potential structural compromise.
- Cake Release and Finishing: Carefully extract the cake from the pan and return to the wire rack for complete cooling.
- Syrup Creation: Combine orange juice, sugar, and zest in a saucepan, simmering until the mixture reduces to a luxurious, thickened consistency.
- Syrup Finalization: Remove from heat, whisking butter into the syrup until achieving a smooth, glossy texture.
- Serving: Generously drizzle the warm, fragrant syrup over individual cake slices, allowing it to permeate the tender crumb.
Notes
- Prep Pan Perfectly: Grease and flour the tube pan meticulously to prevent cake from sticking and ensure smooth release.
- Mix Ingredients Methodically: Add eggs one at a time and alternate flour and sour cream to maintain a silky, smooth batter consistency.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gently fold and mix ingredients just until combined to preserve the cake’s delicate texture and prevent toughness.
- Temperature Matters: Use room temperature ingredients and bake at precise 325°F to guarantee even baking and optimal cake structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 436
- Sugar: 67 g
- Sodium: 177 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg