Orange Pound Cake

I've always,always wanted to try an Orange version of the pound cake.In fact,many a times I decided to try it and then chicken out thinking of the amount of butter which goes into it and then let fate take its decision on the lone Orange sitting inside the fridge.Depending on the time it has been sitting inside the fridge,sometimes it goes into this and sometimes this.

But when the Sweet Punch team decides it is Pound Cake this month,then it has to be.


The recipe we chose is from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible.Rose's recipe uses a slightly different technique from the regular creaming of butter and sugar first and then adding the rest of the ingredients.Also,it does not call for pounds of butter and sugar like old times' but the taste is not compromised one bit.This method,according to Rose,ensures a tight crumb,similar to that of a Sara Lee Pound Cake which is as perfect as a Pound cake can be!


I played safe this time and got a pretty Orange only when I decided for sure it is going inside this cake.The buttery pound cake with a faint hint of Orange with a perfect melt in the mouth texture..oh boy,I feel so proud I baked this.I have never come across such a cake in a bakery[flavored with Orange I mean],now please don't break my heart and say it is widely available in a shop next to you.



Perfect Pound Cake ala Orange Pound Cake
Recipe source - The Cake Bible


Ingredients


Milk - 3 tbsp
Eggs - 3 large
Vanilla - 1 1/2 tsp
Cake flour - 1 1/2 cups,sifted
Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
Sugar - 3/4 cups
Orange Zest - 1 tbsp
Orange juice - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 184 gms/13 tbsp,softened


Method


Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter an 8 inch by 4 by 2.5 inch loaf pan, or any six cup loaf or fluted tube pan.[I used a 6 cup bundt pan].

Lightly whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl.
Mix together orange zest and sugar with your finger tips till the sugar becomes moist and fragrant.
Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds, until blended. 
Add the butter and half the egg mixture, and mix until dry ingredients are moistened. 
On medium speed, beat for one minute. This will aerate and develop the cake’s structure. Scrape down sides.Mix in Orange juice.
Add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape down sides.Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth surface with a spatula. Bake for 55-65 minutes (35-45 minutes if baking in a fluted tube pan), until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Let cake cool on a rack in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a greased wire rack. 

 Notes

• You could skip the Orange zest and juice if you want a plain Pound cake.Or add a double dose of Vanilla as in Vanilla beans and Vanilla sugar for a super delicious Pound cake.
• Wait for the cake to cool down completely before cutting to get neat slices.
• Check out the video at Joy of Baking where Stephanie Jaworski has made it following Rose's recipe.

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