FRESH OJ POUND CAKE

Based on a recipe at Chew Out Loud, I reduced the sugar by a lot and the result is a moist, dense cake where the sweetness doesn’t overpower the citrus taste. Valencia oranges would be the best for these because they’re perfect for juicing. If you use navels, just avoid ones with super-thick skins because they usually have less juice. Make sure to plan ahead and put all your cold ingredients on the counter for a couple of hours. A microplane and a citrus juicer (electric or hand powered) are useful to have for this recipe.

Ingredients:

(ALL should be at room temperature)

• 6 medium oranges
• 3 cups AP flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon sea salt)
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 4 extra large eggs or 5 medium eggs
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Optional: 1 cup powdered sugar for glaze

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° and put the rack on the bottom third of the space. Butter and flour a standard bundt pan thoroughly.

Wash, dry and zest all six oranges (1/3 cup total). Juice at least four (but you may as well just juice them all and drink what you don’t use.)

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and with 1 ¾ cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in orange zest, just until combined.

Add 1/4 cup orange juice and the vanilla to the buttermilk (mixing right in the measuring cup if you have a large one). Alternating dry and liquid, fold half the juice/milk into the sugar/butter/eggs, then half the flour mixture and repeat, until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake about 50 minutes, until a tester comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for fifteen minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.

Make a glaze by dissolving 3 – 4 tablespoons sugar (to taste) into ½ cup fresh OJ. While the cake is still warm, drizzle this mixture over the entire cake.

Let cool completely. I just dusted it with powdered sugar, but if you want something sweeter and/or more decorative, whisk about 1 ½ tablespoons of OJ into 1 cup powdered sugar and drizzle this topping over the cooled cake.

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