Orange Honey Pound Cake

A simple dessert that can be eaten any time of the day!

Pound cake is a type of cake that is typically baked in a loaf pan or Bundt pan. It originated in Europe during the early 18th century. The name comes from the fact that in early recipes for the cake a pound of each ingredient was used; a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs. These early pound cakes were much larger than what our modern day standard loaf pans can hold. They were meant to be served for large social celebrations like parties and weddings.

In my younger days, I was quite curious about pound cake, as a child I questioned the name and wondered where it came from. I would take the box and weigh the cake on a bathroom scale to see if it weighed one pound. Then I would be disappointed because the cake would be too light. In high school, I found out the origins of the name came from each of the batter ingredients weighing one pound each, and then realized early pound cakes must have been very heavy and large indeed!

When I figured out how to make pound cake in high school, my mother asked for it all the time. We were used to buying them from the grocery store as a treat, but she loved my homemade version even more. This new recipe is a variation of the pound cake recipe I used to make in high school, with a special twist. The orange flavors were added because they are one of my mother’s favorite fruits. Please enjoy!

Orange Honey Pound Cake Recipe

Yields 1 small loaf

Prep Time 10 minutes

Bake Time 35-40 minutes

Specialty tools: Standard Loaf Pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch pan)

Drink Pairing Suggestion: Black Tea

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place parchment paper at the bottom of the loaf pan. Grease and flour the pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.

Add orange zest, orange juice, honey, and vanilla extract to the bowl and stir.

Mix in the eggs one at a time, allow the first egg to become well incorporated into the batter before adding the second egg.

Slowly stir in sifted flour, salt, and baking powder, mix until just combined. Over mixing will cause the cake to be too dense.

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top of the batter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn the pound cake onto a cooling rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Sifted flour is very important for this recipe to ensure the proper texture for the pound cake.

Variation on this recipe, substitute orange juice and zest for lemon juice and zest to make lemon honey pound cake.

Try using local honey for this recipe and serve with whatever fruits are local, fresh, and in season near you!

DID YOU MAKE THIS DISH?

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