ORANGE POUND CAKE WITH ORANGE SYRUP AND ORANGE GLAZE

INGREDIENTS

CAKE:

• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
• 3/4 Cup Buttermilk at Room Temperature
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 5 Large Eggs at Room Temperature
• 1/3 Cup About 6 Oranges Freshly Grated Orange Zest

ORANGE SYRUP:

• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Orange Juice

GLAZE:

• 2 Cup Powdered Sugar Sifted
• 2-4 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE:

1. Line the bottom of two-8 1/2 X 4 1/2 inch loaf pans with parchment paper, then grease well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine orange juice, the buttermilk, and the vanilla and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, cream together on medium speed the butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Keeping the mixer on the same speed, add the eggs one at a time and mix well, scraping down the bowl, after each addition. Add the orange zest.
5. 5.  Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, starting with the flour and finishing with the flour. Evenly divide batter between prepared pans and smooth out the tops. Bake cakes 45-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaves comes out with a few moist crumbs.

SYRUP:

1. Meanwhile, as the cakes bake, prepare the orange syrup; In a small saucepan cook the sugar and orange juice over low heat until the sugar dissolves.  When the cakes come out of the oven, generously brush the tops with the syrup.  Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, glazing the tops a few more times while they cool in pans. Remove the cakes from loaf pans and set them on a wire rack set over the baking tray or a piece of aluminum foil to catch drips. Brush the sides and tops of the cakes with the remaining syrup, allowing a couple of minutes between brushings to allow syrup to absorb into the cake until the syrup is gone.  Cool the cakes on completely.

GLAZE:

1. Make the glaze by adding the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice to a medium bowl. Using a hand-held electric mixer mix until smooth.  Add more orange juice, a teaspoon or so at a time, as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency.  Pour half of the glaze recipe over each cake. Let the cakes sit out until the glaze has dried well.  Wrap each loaf and store in the refrigerator.

Base Recipe adapted from this SITE