Julie Clark
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Orange Pound Cake (1-2-3-4 Cake)
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Basic pound cake has never been easier than with this recipe. Orange Pound Cake with a simple sweet orange glaze has an amazing, moist texture.
In my grandma’s old cookbooks, I’ve seen recipe after recipe for a 1-2-3-4 cake, and I finally tried it. Each recipe varied slightly, but my eyes landed on one that called for a fresh orange. Freshly squeezed orange juice and zest would make a lightly citrus pound cake that I’d love.
The Secret Behind Perfectly Moist Pound Cake
So what is a 1-2-3-4 cake? It’s an old fashioned pound cake that shows the amounts of the basic ingredients: 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs. It makes one of the best cake recipes!
Although I have other from scratch pound cakes: brown sugar pound cake and French vanilla pound cake, this fresh orange pound cake recipe is our one true 1234 cake.
The secret that makes this orange pound cake extra moist is the Greek yogurt. Use whole milk yogurt for the best results. Sour cream works, too!
Using a stand mixer is easiest for this orange cake since you have to cream the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes. This is going to help give the cake a lighter texture. Use a large bowl and electric mixer if you prefer!
You may also love our orange rolls and and easy lemon pound cake!
Enjoy! -Julie
Orange Pound Cake (1-2-3-4 Cake)
Basic pound cake has never been easier than with this recipe. Orange Pound Cake with a simple sweet citrus glaze has an amazing, moist texture.
Servings 12
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 medium orange zest and juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 2% or 5% milkfat
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt cake pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each egg. 1 cup salted butter, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 large eggs
- Mix in the orange zest, juice and vanilla. 1 medium orange, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add half of the flour and the baking powder. Mix just until combined. 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Mix in the Greek yogurt, then add in the remaining flour and mix just until combined. 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly. Bake for 1 hour or until the cake tests done. (should be almost 210ºF inside). Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice. Add the juice one tablespoon at a time until you get the drizzling consistency that you'd like. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. 1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons orange juice
Notes
Recipe Variations
- If you only have unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt.
- Use lemons or limes instead of orange juice to switch up the flavor.
- Try adding white chocolate chips (about a cup) to the cake batter.
- A touch of cinnamon will make this cake taste like Christmas morning.
- Don’t have Greek yogurt? Use sour cream instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 594IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg
How to Make Orange Pound Cake: Step by Step
Mix the batter. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each egg. Mix in the orange zest, juice and vanilla. Add half of the flour and the baking powder to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Then add in the remaining flour and mix just until combined.
Bake the cake. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly. Bake time will be about 1 hour. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean, with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the bundt pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack.
Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice. Add the juice one tablespoon at a time until you get the drizzling consistency that you’d like. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled orange pound cake.
