Moist and buttery, my Old Fashioned Buttermilk Orange Juice Pound Cake is bursting with orange flavor. The orange glaze adds a nice sweetness and the candied orange slices make a beautiful presentation.
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Orange Juice Pound Cake is an incredibly fragrant and moist pound cake recipe with both orange zest and orange juice in it. It has a nice citrus flavor without being tart like a lot of lemon desserts are.
The texture of this pound cake is soft and tender with a fine crumb.
A lot of orange flavored cakes get the orange flavor from extract or gelatin. This recipe calls for strictly natural flavors from the fruit itself. You’ll find it to be lightly orange yet perfectly flavored.
This is a beautiful cake that’s great for any season or any celebration. For those of you that don’t like overly rich desserts, thick frosting, or chocolate, this is the ideal dessert cake for you!
I have tested and reviewed a lot of pound cake recipes. Get all of the recipes here.
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Orange Juice Pound Cake
- Don’t fill your pan closer than 1 inch from the top. You’ll risk it rising and over-flowing.
- I always sit bundt, tube, and spring-release pans on a cookie sheet when baking. Any oven-safe pan with at least a 1-inch side will work. This will catch any overflow when baking.
- It’s super important to correctly measure flour. Read this post if you’re unsure how to measure.
- In addition, the standard for egg size in recipes, unless otherwise stated, is a large egg.
- Finally, when baking, you’ll always want the refrigerated ingredients to be at room temperature. Allow the butter, eggs, milk, etc. to sit on the counter an hour or so before beginning the recipe.
Please read this post for the recipe for Candied Orange Slices.
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Orange Juice Pound Cake
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 tablespoons orange zest about 2 oranges
- 5 large eggs eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- Candied Orange Slices for garnish See link in post above
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3 tablespoons orange juice either fresh squeezed or pre-made is fine
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract clear vanilla if you have it so it doesn't tint the glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add eggs one at a time beating. Mix for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix together the buttermilk and orange juice.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean or with dry crumbs.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes before loosening sides and inverting onto serving platter.
- Garnish with Glaze and Candied Orange Slices
GLAZE RECIPE:
- Whisk together confectioners sugar, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth. Spoon over slightly warm cake and let the glaze drip over the side.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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If you like this Old Fashioned Buttermilk Orange Juice Pound Cake recipe, you may also like the other pound cake recipes in my Pound Cake Series. Check them out below. Click the photo for the recipes.
Jennifer says
I made this today and was wondering if this pound cake rises much. The original recipe I saved stated 1 tablespoon of baking powder but I I questioned that and according to the recipe now it says 1 tsp, so that’s what I used.
This tastes good, but didn’t rise anywhere near the top of the pan. Is that normal?
Paula says
1 teaspoon is correct. Traditional pound cakes didn’t have any baking powder or baking soda in them they’re leavened by the eggs. Most of mine don’t but I did put a little in this one. It won’t rise and be airy as a regular cake, but it won’t be packy either.
Misty says
Most pound cakes I’ve made are cooked at 325. What makes this orange pound cake different?
Paula says
I tested many many pound cakes at 325 and at 350 degrees. I tested the same pound cake recipe at the 2 diff temps. There’s no difference in taste and texture.
honey says
i made cupcakes from the cake batter. Bake 25-30 minutes . The grandchildren love their individual cake more than a slice from the big cake
Paula says
This is great to know!! Thanks for the cooking time.
Susan mathew says
This is the best pound cake i have ever made!! Trust me the bestttt!!! Thankyou paula for this amazing recipe😊 You just made mt day better.
Susan mathew says
1 tablespoon of baking powder or 1 teaspoon?
Paula says
Yikes! 1 teaspoon!
rainy says
Love your recipes
Lori says
I don’t have a bundt pan or a tube pan. Can you use a different kind?
Paula says
You can. The problem is pound cakes are more dense than traditional cakes so the edges may become dry before the center is done. I would recommend using either 2 or 3 (depending on which recipe you’re making) 9-inch round Light colored metal cake pans. You will fill them 2/3 full and bake at the same temperature, but start checking the center of the cake around 27 to 30 minutes. If you can tell by not opening the oven door, but if it’s puffed up in the center and looks set, carefully open the door, reach in without moving the cake and use a toothpick to test. If it’s still ‘wet’ cook another 5 minutes and test again. I test every 5 minutes when testing a new recipe and I’m unsure of the exact time.
You could also use 2 loaf pans. Instructions in this recipe https://www.callmepmc.com/classic-ricotta-pound-cake/
Agnes says
I like the lemon pound cake I will tried it during the holidays thanks it looks delicious yummy.
Platt College says
I am a big fan of orange pound cake. Add a glass of milk and you got yourself a good dessert!
Charles Marker says
I have not tried the Orange juice buttermilk pound cake. How do I make orange jest?
Paula says
Wash and dry an orange. There is a little gadget called a zester or you can use the small side of a cheese grater and grate the ‘orange’ part of the skin off. Be careful not to get the white part as it is bitter. The orange rind part is the most flavorful part, more flavorful than the juice. It will smell really fragrant when you zest. If a recipe ever calls for orange, lemon, or lime juice, I always use the zest as well as it offers tons of flavor. You will get about 2 tablespoons of zest from 1 large orange. You’ll get about 1 tablespoon zest from 1 large lemon (just for reference.) Let me know how you like the cake.