Ina Garten’s Orange Pound Cake

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  Grease and flour two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. You can alternatively use two 8 inch round pans. I used half the measurement of the recipe and made one 8 inch round cake.
2. Make sure that butter is at room temperature. Cut into into square pieces, so that it get mixed soon. Cream butter using an electric mixer or stand mixer until it is fluffy. Powder the sugar. Add powdered sugar into the same bowl. Blend it well until it is light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time and the orange zest. Make sure that orange zest is cut into really small pieces.
4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. In another bowl, combine orange juice, buttermilk and vanilla.
6. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternatively to the batter.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for around 40 - 50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
8. While the cakes bake, prepare the orange syrup.  Cook granulated sugar and orange juice in a small sauce pan over low heat until sugar dissolves. ** Never miss orange syrup. It adds a lot on to the flavor. Also adjust sugar in the syrup based on the oranges.
9. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Poke holes in the cake and spoon the orange syrup over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely. ** I poured 3/4 of syrup over the cake initially and rest I poured over the cake slice before serving.
10. To prepare the glaze, combine sugar and orange juice in a bowl and mix with a wire whisk until smooth. Add a few more drops of juice, if necessary, to make it pour easily. Pour over the top of cakes and allow the glaze to dry. ** I didn't prepare the glaze. Thought it's gonna make it more sweet. Syrup itself was good enough. Enjoy 🙂