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Orange Olive Oil Pound Cake

By Eugenia Bone

4.6

(17)

Image may contain Food Bread Cornbread Plant Confectionery Sweets and Fruit
Photo by Ben Fink

My criteria when it comes to recipes are these: Is it tasty enough that I will crave it over and over? Is it easy? And does it look pretty? This recipe hits those marks. It is moistest, richest, most flavorful pound cake I have ever made.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar. Whisk in the olive oil, milk, brandy, liqueur, lemon zest, orange zest, and 1/4 cup of the orange juice. Add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. The batter is wet. It's okay.

    Step 3

    Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean. You will smell the cake when it is done. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool enough to handle, then flip over onto a rack to cool thoroughly.

    Step 4

    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup orange juice. Turn the cake right side up. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze all over the cake. Allow the glaze to harden some before serving.

Reprinted from The Kitchen Ecosystem, by Eugenia Bone, Copyright © 2014, published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Eugenia Bone is the author Mycophilia and the James Beard-nominated Well-Preserved. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, New York, and Harper's Bazaar, among many other publications. Bone, her architect husband, and their children split their time between New York and Colorado.
TagsCakeDessertBrandyAlcoholBeveragesCointreauTriple SecLiqueurOrangeCitrusFruitNut FreeVegetarianEasyMake AheadBakingCookbooks

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