I am a citrus lover and this White Chocolate Orange Pound Cake is exactly what I needed today. This was a fun and kind of wild weekend with both the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo back to back. How did you celebrate?
Pound cakes are classic European desserts that originally called for a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, earning its name and making it easy for everyone to remember the ratio. Yep that is four pounds of sweet goodness – no wonder it became so popular. For more information on the history, check out this article on What’s Cooking America.
Mini white chocolate chips distribute more evenly.
I love how rich and slightly dense the cakes are. You can eat them sliced with a little whipped cream, a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or like me, just glazed and perfect. They also can be used to make lovely strawberry shortcakes because they will hold up to the syrup.
Fresh from the oven!
You brush the top of the freshly baked cakes with an orange simple syrup which adds another layer of flavor. Bring it to a low boil to be sure the sugar has fully dissolved, whisking often. You can use the leftover glaze in cocktails, mocktails, or add to sparkling water for a lightly sweetened refreshing drink.
If you want to adapt this recipe for shortcake, replace the orange juice with milk, double the vanilla, and use a small amount of zest. I probably would leave off the orange glaze too or make it a very simple powdered sugar and milk version.
This recipe makes two loaf cakes – one for your family and one to give to a friend or neighbor! They also freeze well when wrapped tightly in plastic and then foil. If you are freezing them, don’t glaze them until you thaw them and are ready to serve.
Watch out, this White Chocolate Orange Pound Cake can be irresistible. I turned around and The Artist had eaten 3 slices! I had to wrap up the rest before he inhaled an entire loaf, LOL!
Happy Chocolate Monday!
Jane’s Tips and Hints:
My cake pans from USA were larger than the recommended size and I wound up with two shorter cakes. But due to the richness, a single slice was the perfect serving. You can always serve two slices to growing teenagers and big eaters in your family.
Gluten-Free Tips:
Use your favorite cup-for-cup style flour blend or make your own. I keep a covered bucket on my counter filled with my flour blend so I am always ready to bake whenever the mood strikes me.
White Chocolate Orange Pound Cake (Gluten Free)
Adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart Living magazine
Ingredients
Cakes
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 226g) butter, softened, plus more for the pans
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend, plus more for the pans
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp grated orange zest (from 2 to 3 oranges) OR 1 tsp orange oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 5 oz (about 1 cup; 150 g) chopped white chocolate or mini white chocolate chips
Glaze
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pans (use gluten-free flour if needed).
- Prepare the Cakes: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- In a large glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, orange juice, vanilla, and orange zest or oil.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed; add the eggs, one at a time, combining well between additions. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix in the white chocolate.
- Divide batter evenly between the two pans and bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- Make the Glaze: Meanwhile, combine the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Keep warm over very low heat.
- Cool the cakes 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack set over a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Spoon glaze over the cakes. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes then slice and serve.
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