A high altitude-friendly pound cake bursting with zingy blood orange flavor and topped with a sweet blood orange glaze.
Who else has jumped on the latest Instagram craze? Blood oranges seem to be e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e lately. And I’m not mad about it.
Citrus season is one of the few things I look forward to this time of year. These are truly the doldrums of winter, folks. Though I will admit that winter has become considerably more bearable since moving to Denver. We actually see the sun CONSISTENTLY here in winter. What a concept, right? In Michigan, you’re basically lucky to see one ray of sunlight per week from December-April.
Still, January is not my favorite month. Hiking is mostly a no-go here without snowshoes, and the colder temps make me want to stay inside all day. Which I guess is a good thing, considering we’re still in a pandemic. That said, we could all still use a bright, citrusy pick-me-up right now, no?
How to Make Blood Orange Pound Cake
Anyway, pound cake. The thing you came here for! The key to getting the bright, citrusy flavor of blood oranges to come through in this cake is to use blood orange juice and zest. The moisture in the cake comes from the addition of Greek yogurt. While other recipes call for sour cream, I personally prefer yogurt, because I always have it on hand.
My favorite thing about this pound cake? No stand mixer required. You can mix it all by hand! That said, make sure not to over-mix. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a loaf that’s too dense.
Basic Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Plain Greek yogurt – I actually used Greek-style yogurt. You could also use sour cream, which is more traditional for a pound cake.
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar – note the subtraction of 1 TBSP in the recipe. This is an adjustment for altitude!
- Butter
- Blood orange juice, for loaf and glaze
- Blood orange zest
- Baking powder – also note the adjustment here for altitude. I used 2/3 of what it would typically call for to prevent sinking.
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioner’s sugar (for glaze)
After you’ve baked your loaf and let it cool, you can make the gorgeous pink glaze. It’s just a mix of confectioner’s sugar and blood orange juice. So simple, and so stunning!
A note about pans: I used one of my favorite Nordic Ware pans for this because I love the design. If you’re going the bundt cake route, make sure to grease with flour non-stick spray like Baker’s Joy. Or, you can make a homemade version with shortening, vegetable oil, and flour. You can still use a regular 9 x 5 loaf pan, though! Just grease it with regular non-stick cooking spray.
Blood Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the loaf:
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plain Greek or Greek-style yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar minus 1 TBSP
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/3 cup blood orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp blood orange zest (about two small blood oranges)
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tbsp blood orange juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan or 6-cup bundt pan. If using a bundt pan, use flour no-stick cooking spray.
- Melt butter in microwave-safe bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, and sugar. Stir in melted butter after letting it cool for 5 minutes, and then stir in blood orange juice, zest, and vanilla.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Pour mixture into greased pan, then bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow loaf to cool before glazing.
- Once cool, prepare your glaze: combine confectioner's sugar and blood orange juice in a small bowl. Add additional juice if glaze seems too thick. Pour over top of cake, and enjoy!
