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Orange Vintage Cake

Old-Fashioned Orange Cake Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 290
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp fresh orange zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest (optional)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment. Whisk butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time, then whisk in orange zest, vanilla, and 3 tbsp orange juice.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold half into the wet mix, add buttermilk, then fold in the rest until just combined.
  4. Scrape batter into the pan and bake 50-55 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack.
  5. Stir powdered sugar with 2 tbsp orange juice and optional zest. Add remaining juice a few drops at a time if needed to reach a thick, pourable glaze. Pour over cooled loaf and let set before slicing.

Notes

The cake needs to cool fully before glazing, so plan for about an hour of cooling time. For the best orange flavor, zest the fruit before juicing it. If you have only thin-skinned oranges, you might get all the zest and juice from just one large one.