Blood Orange Baby Pound Cakes
Who can resist the intensely colored ruby red juice of a blood orange. I remain amazed at the depth and array of color that nature provides us. The juice from a blood orange not only prods me toward the kitchen to bake up a sweet and citrusy recipe, but it also rouses the artist in me and the urge to paint. What a vibrant water color the juice of a blood orange would make.
Color alone is not the only reason I am so fond of this fruit. Just one taste of its nectar has me searching my taste buds to identify its origin. A touch of raspberry and strawberry come to mind. It is as though nature has mixed up its own party punch, combining berries and citrus in the juice of this fruit.
A sweet and colorful fruit deserves a sweet and colorful presentation. These babycakes are delicately tangy with surprising hints of berry flavor in the glaze. The ingredients of a pound cake combined with the deeply colored juice of the blood orange transform into the softest of peachy pink in these diminutive cakes.
Using a decorative cupcake pan makes these petite pound cakes all the more appealing, but they can also be baked in a standard cupcake pan.
Blood Orange Baby Pound Cakes
Cakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons blood orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon blood orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Blood Orange Syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup blood orange juice
Blood Orange Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons blood orange juice
Zest of 1 blood orange
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
Sugared Blood Orange Peel (optional)
Peel from 1 blood orange
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 325˚F. If using a non-stick pan, coat the inside of each cavity with baking spray. Otherwise, brush each cavity with butter and coat with flour; tap out extra flour.
For the cakes: Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, blend butter and cream cheese for 1 minute. Add sugar and beat until mixture is smoothly blended and lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes. Add eggs in two additions, beating 1 minute after each. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla, blood orange zest, lemon zest, blood orange juice, and lemon juice and beat 1 minute. On low speed, mix in flour mixture just to incorporate. Spoon batter into prepared tins, filling three-quarters full. Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. (These baking times are approximate depending on the size pan used. My pan cavities were 1/3 cup capacity and baked in 20 minutes.)
Cool cakes in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Using a small knife, loosen cakes from the pan. Carefully place wire rack on top of cakes in pan. Hold pan and rack together, invert pan and rack to release cakes onto rack. While still warm, use a toothpick to poke holes in each cake (approximately 15-18 pokes). Spoon the warm blood orange syrup over the tops of each cake, equally dividing it among all the cakes. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
Using a small spoon, drizzle the glaze over each cake and decorate with the sugared peel.
Syrup: Combine the sugar and the blood orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Glaze: In a small bowl, stir confectioners’ sugar, blood orange juice, zest, and salt together to form a syrupy glaze.
Sugared Blood Orange Peel: Using a sharp paring knife, peel the blood orange same as you would an apple. You will end up with strips in varying lengths. Cut each strip into 1/2-inch pieces, then thinly slice each piece. In a small bowl, combine the peel with the sugar. Using your fingers, rub the peel into the sugar to release its oils so the sugar can adhere. Use as is, or pour into a small strainer to separate the peel from the sugar.
Yield: 18 to 24, depending on size of cupcake pan used.
Source: Adapted from Real Food, Fall 2011
A tangy and sweet slice of heaven.
Wow, these are so cute!! I have never tried a blood orange, but I would love to try them
Thank you Cathleen. Honestly, I hadn’t tried them either until fairly recently. I just love the berry-ish flavor they have. If you can get your hands on some I think you would really enjoy them.
Beautiful!!!
Thanks!
You`re right, they definitely look beautiful! 🙂
Did you squeeze your juice since you needed the zest anyway, or did you find juice at the market?
I used some of both. Blood oranges are probably easier to find than the juice but I was able to find both at my local Whole Foods Market.
Mary the Baby Pound Cakes are a delight! I adore the pink glaze!
Start first with the eyes to eat, right? These are Pretty in Pink and for those of us who are not moved to tears over chocolate, this is a happy treat. It’s a baby pound cake of our very own…which is delightful unto itself to have a personal dessert…but pound cake is one of those comfort foods that has you at its name alone. And then, drizzling blood orange syrup atop these little happy cakes makes it intensely delicious. Having eaten at least 4 of these myself I am a big fan! Thank you!!
Glad you liked them!