This citrus pound cake is a bright, flavorful loaf that blends orange and lemon into a tender, buttery crumb. The recipe below makes a substantial cake with a lovely citrus bite — not strictly lemon or orange, but a delicious balance of both.
Spring has arrived here, and for a moment I wanted to record the day so I can remember where I was and who I was with when the Peoplehood of the Traveling Swirly Pan began. I baked this cake in the Heritage Bundt Swirl Pan by Nordic Ware — affectionately called Dorothy — and packed her up with a journal to send on to the next member of the Peoplehood. The project connects bakers who each take a turn baking in Dorothy, writing about the experience and sharing photos and stories as the pan travels.
We are a growing community spread across the United States and Canada (and even Australia through a sister pan). Each member will add their cake and story to the collective Peoplehood narrative. Some of us will meet in person to pass the pan along, share coffee or bake together; others will participate from afar. Every cake becomes part of a shared, colorful quilt of memories.
Citrus Explosion Pound Cake
Jennifer Field
Ingredients
- 13 oz cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 5 eggs
- 5 ½ oz plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 3 ½ oz freshly squeezed, strained lemon juice
- 1 oz freshly squeezed, strained orange juice
- 12 oz unsalted butter
- 20 oz granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
- zest of 1 orange
- zest of 1 ½ lemons
- ⅛ teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 drops orange oil (or 1/4 teaspoon orange extract)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack just below center.
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Prepare your pan: spray lightly with oil/flour spray or regular nonstick spray and dust thoroughly with flour, then knock out the excess.
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Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
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Crack all the eggs into a pitcher and whisk until blended; set aside.
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In a small bowl combine the yogurt, lemon juice and orange juice; set aside.
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Cream the butter until smooth.
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Add the sugar, salt, orange and lemon zest, orange oil (or extract) and lemon extract.
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Beat on medium-high until the mixture is very light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 8–10 minutes.
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With the mixer on medium, slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs over about 5 minutes, adding just a little at a time and scraping the bowl as necessary.
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Turn the mixer off and add half the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on low and mix briefly (count to five), then add half the yogurt-juice mixture.
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Turn off the mixer, scrape, then add half the remaining flour. Mix briefly on low and add the rest of the yogurt mixture.
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Turn off the mixer, add the remaining flour, and fold by hand a few times to make sure there are no pockets of dry flour. Scrape the bottom and sides well.
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Place the bowl back on the mixer and pulse on high for 3 seconds to fully integrate the batter.
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Scrape and smooth the batter into the prepared pan(s).
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Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Timing varies: about 1 hour for a 12-cup Bundt, ~50 minutes for the Swirly pan, ~35 minutes for a small 6″ round, and 18–20 minutes for cupcakes.
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Remove the cake(s) from the oven and let cool on a rack: about 20 minutes for Bundt or Swirly pan, or 10 minutes for layer pans.
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Turn the cakes out of the pan. For an extra moist cake, wrap tightly in plastic and chill in the refrigerator or freezer.
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Serve at room temperature.
Notes
If you’d like to join the Adventures of Dorothy and Toto through the Peoplehood of the Traveling Swirly Pan, please sign up on the Peoplehood site so you can be added to the map. I look forward to the voyage. If you’re already part of the Peoplehood or thinking about joining, feel free to leave a comment — I welcome questions, suggestions and encouragement.
Thanks for reading, and have a lovely day.