Blood Orange Pound Cake
YumI have this terrible problem. If I’m in the supermarket, farmers market, or anywhere basically, and I spot something interesting, I have to buy it. I never have a plan for whatever it is, but I’m always filled with great confidence that I’ll find something to do with it – which sometimes I do…
Well, that’s why I now have a fair few blood oranges. So, I have to find some way to use them (preferably one a little more refined than just stuffing my mouth with pure, unadulterated, blood orangey goodness).
Cue the pound cake. I needed an easy last-minute dessert for dinner with my beloved cousin anyway, and what better solution than fancying up a classic? Plus, I had plenty buttermilk left over from making onion rings. It was meant to be!
This makes for quite the eye-catching dessert too. I find blood oranges wonderfully dramatic – and what dessert doesn’t benefit from a little drama?
I topped this with candied blood orange slices. Be careful slicing as they have to be pretty thin, but they really “pretty-up” this cake. And they’re not nearly as tough to make as you might think!
This cake is amazingly moist too (which of course is a requirement of all cakes). Fruity, moist, and delicious – just make the cake!


- 350g Plain Flour
- 2 Ripe blood oranges
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 225g unsalted butter
- 240ml buttermilk
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 2 tbsp blood orange zest
- 2 tbsp blood orange juice
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp blood orange juice
- 200g icing sugar
- 3 tbsp blood orange juice
- 4 thin slices of blood oranges
- 100g caster sugar
- 100ml water
- Preheat your oven to 160C/325F.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the eggs one at a time, beating the mixture well after each addition.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl once again once all the eggs are incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder.
- In a jug, measure out the buttermilk. Whisk in the blood orange juice and zest.
- With the stand mixture with paddle attachment on slow, add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, followed by 1/3 of the flour. Continue until all the buttermilk and flour are fully incorporated.
- Grease two 2lb loaf tins with butter and dust lightly with flour. Pour half the mixture in to each tin.
- Bake the loaves for about an hour. The cake is baked when a toothpick comes out clean from the cake.
- As the cake bakes, prepare the syrup and candied orange.
- For the syrup, combine the sugar and juice in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir vigorously and microwave for a further 20 seconds. Stir, and leave to rest until it is lukewarm.
- For the candied orange, slice a blood orange thinly (you will need 4 slices to decorate). Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil.
- When the sugar is dissolved into the water, add the thin slices of orange to the saucepan. Do not allow any to overlap, and don't crowd the saucepan.
- Allow the slices to boil for 10 minutes on each side. Store them in an airtight container with the syrup until use - Please be cautious as they are VERY hot coming out of the saucepan!
- Once the cakes are baked, allow them to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool further.
- While the cakes are still warm, prick the top with a tooth pick, and pour half the syrup over the top of each cake, applying it evenly across the cakes.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Make the icing by combining the icing sugar and juice in a bowl. Stir well until the mixture is smooth, and pour half over the top of each cake. Allow it to drip down the sides - it adds nicely to the rustic, homemade look.
- Finish the cake by laying slices of the candied orange over the top.
- Slice, Serve, & Enjoy!