This is a dessert I stumbled upon this past week, and it was a hit at a dinner party! It’s the same simple vanilla pound cake I’ve made for years, but this time I added an orange honey glaze that elevated the entire dish.
Summer is the perfect season for citrus, so an orange honey glaze seemed like the right way to go. I usually double the recipe and make two-pound cakes at a time to have on hand for gifting or breakfast the next day.
The glaze is what makes this pound cake decadent and memorable, and it can be made with your favorite citrus fruit. I love the warmth that orange adds when paired with vanilla. It’s so good!
Summer Citrus Pound Cake with Orange Honey Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 orange, zested
- 6 oz orange juice, for glaze
- 1/4 cup honey, for glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bread loaf pan; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, salt, and orange zest. With the mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in a pan for 15 minutes.
- While the cake bakes, in a small saucepan, simmer the honey and the orange juice for about ten minutes and set aside.
- With a knife or skewer, poke holes throughout the cake. This will help the glaze run into every nook and cranny of the pound cake.
- Place the cake on a serving plate and very slowly pour the glaze over the cake, allowing it to seep in.
Serve warm! Enjoy it on its own with coffee, or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. I also serve this with fresh berries and whipped cream.
