Golden Orange Buttermilk Cake

Golden Orange Buttermilk Cake - made June 23, 2012, recipe adapted from Cakes to Die For by Bev Shaffer

My orange tree is still valiantly trying to grow oranges.  I counted 3 little ones that have made it just barely past the tiny little bud/blossom-I-might-become-an-orange-someday stage.  So I wait with bated breath to see how they play out.  In the meantime, I've got to buy the oranges I eat and use for baking.  Although oranges are available year round (if you're fortunate), I tend to associate them with summer and bake with them more often in the warmer months.

This is another I-have-to-use-up-my-buttermilk baking recipe I dusted off from my "Still Need to Make" recipe folder.  I amass recipes and dump them in that folder on my computer for baking someday. I classify this one under picnic cakes that'll withstand summer temps because it's easy to make in a bundt pan, slice and serve without worrying about a thick frosting melting off of it or it getting stale too quickly.  Overall this was a good basic pound cake.  The cake itself was more of a vanilla butter pound cake than a true orange cake so for more orange flavor, I made some adjustments (modifications below) to the original recipe as to what I would do the next time I make this cake.

I'm still on the lookout for a cakey orange cake with a fluffy texture rather than a dense pound cake texture though.  This wasn't it so the search continues.

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

4 large eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest (more if desired for more orange flavor)

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

Orange soaking syrup

1/4 cup - 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Glaze

1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons fresh orange juice, pulp free

1 to 2 tablespoons water or additional fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest, optional but recommended for more orange flavor

1.     Heat the oven to 325⁰F.  Grease and flour a 10” tube pan or 12-cup Bundt pan, tapping out excess flour.

2.     In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3.     In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. 

4.     Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until blended.  With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until well mixed.  Scrape bowl.  Stir in the orange zest and orange juice until combined.

5.     Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 50 to 66 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  While the cake is baking, heat the ingredients for the soaking syrup, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved completely.

6.     Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Then run a small spatula around the inside edge of the pan and carefully remove the cake by inverting on a wire rack lined with wax paper.  Brush with the soaking syrup until all syrup has been absorbed.  Cool completely.

7.     For the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, orange zest and just enough water or additional orange juice until the desired consistency is reached.  Drizzle over cooled cake.  Serves 12-14.