Orange Pound Cake

My organic box arrived this week loaded with oranges.  It is Seville season after all and people all over Europe are making marmalade.  Well, I hate marmalade and I'm not particularly fond of oranges on their own, so I had to come up with some way to use them.  This is a fabulous pound cake that is melt-in-your-mouth buttery orangey goodness.  The syrup ensures it stays moist and I do believe it tastes better the next day.  I will definitely make this again and add a tiny bit of orange extract to the batter next time.  If you're looking for a lovely fruity cake to cheer someone up, this has got to be a hit!


Ingredients:

• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup grated orange zest (6 oranges)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
• ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease and flour two 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ – inch loaf pans.

Cream the butter and 2 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the orange zest.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine ¼ cup of the orange juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla.

Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

While the cakes bake, cook the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar with the remaining ½ cup orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Spoon the orange syrup over the cakes and allow the cakes to cool completely.

Source: Barefoot Contessa