This recipe has been a classic at our house for years. It converted me from boxed cakes. There is nothing better than this cake warm from the oven. I will gobble up 2-3 pieces in minutes. Fair warning. I shared the Lemon Butter Cake here years ago, but this time I made with Cara Cara Oranges which used to be a rarity – happily, they seem to be everywhere now.
I like to make it in our Wooden Baking Baskets (here) to make easy for gifting. Usually I make two medium size, one for us and one for them and I put it in a Cello Bag with a tag.
Orange (or Lemon) Butter Cake
makes 1 regular loaf size cake or 2-3 small
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 lemons or 1 orange, zested & juiced 1 teaspoon vanilla
…….
1 lemon or orange, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Add eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In another separate bowl, combine milk, lemon/orange juice, zest and vanilla. Add half of the wet ingredients to the butter sugar mixture, mix for 5 seconds, then add half of the dry and mix for 5 seconds. Repeat with second half, ending with dry ingredients. Pour batter into loaf pan – I like to line mine with parchment paper. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
For glaze, mix together powdered sugar and lemon/orange juice until smooth. Pour over slightly warm cake. Top with lemon zest.
