- 8
- 30 mins
- 90 mins
Ingredients
- 6 ozs (3/4 cup) butter, softened; more for the pan
- 4 medium navel oranges (about 2 lbs)
- 9 ozs (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 pinch table salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (I used extra-large, not sure if this made a difference, but it was what I had in the house).
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 5 ozs (1 1/4 cups) confectioners sugar
Preparation
Step 1
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and then butter the parchment.
2. Finely grate enough zest from the oranges to yield 2 tablespoons, and then squeese the oranges to yield 1 cup of strained juice. Set aside 1/4 cup juice for the glaze.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and orange zest and beat until incorporated (the mixture may look curdled at this point).
5. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture in 3 additions, and the remaining 3/4 cup orange juice in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, then tap the pan on the counter several times to pop any air pockets. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes, run a knife around the sides, then invert it onto the rack. Remove the parchment and invert again.
8. In a medium bowl, whisk the reserved 1/4 cup orange juice with a confectioners sugar and the pinch of salt until smooth. Set the warm cake on its rack over a large rimmed baking sheet (or a large piece of parchment). Using a toothpick, poke holes at 3/4 inch intervals in the top of the cake, stopping about three quarters of the way down the cake.
9. Repeatedly, brush the glaze evenly over the top and sides of the cake until uou've used it all. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours, befor slicing and serving.