Very soft orange four-quarters pound cake. The 4/4 cake, soft and buttery, also known as Pound cake, is a cake of English origin, easy to make, indulgent and perfect to accompany a cup of tea, breakfast or a more special afternoon snack. It is traditional in shape and in the basic ingredients, where flour, butter, eggs and sugar are present in the recipe in the same quantities. The original pound cake, very simple in its preparation, is made with the four classic base ingredients only, to which you can add cocoa, fruit juice, fresh fruit to give the cake the aroma you prefer. It resembles a Plumcake in shape, but its texture is soft and much more buttery — you absolutely must try it! This orange version (as well as the lemon one) is truly original and indulgent. Do you want to try it with me? Follow me in the kitchen — you’ll see how wonderfully soft it is. Before you go, if you want to stay updated on all my recipes, you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make the 4/4 orange cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6.3 oz butter
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs (about 3 large eggs)
- 2 tsp baking powder (for cakes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar or vanillin)
- 1 tsp orange extract (optional)
- 2 organic oranges
- 1 orange (for slicing)
- 1 tbsp sugar
Tools
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Mixer
- Oven
- Baking pans
Steps to make the orange four-quarters
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the yolks with half of the sugar using a whisk and add the melted butter in several additions. Whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar until you obtain a glossy, foamy mixture.
Pour the yolk, butter and sugar mixture over the whipped egg whites and fold to combine. Add about 40 ml (approx. 2 3/4 tbsp) of orange juice and the orange zest, then add the sifted flour and mix gently to combine.
Add the baking powder, the vanilla (or vanilla sugar) and the orange extract, then mix. Thinly slice one orange, line the bottom of a 10 1/4 in (26 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper, arrange the orange slices on the base, sprinkle with sugar and pour the batter over them.
Level the surface and bake in a conventional oven for 35-40 minutes at 356°F (180°C original) — but perform a toothpick test before removing from the oven.
Let the cake cool slightly, unmold and allow it to cool completely before turning it over.
The orange four-quarters cake is ready — enjoy. Store any leftovers in a cool place under a glass dome and consume within 2 days.
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