What comforts you these days?
My immediate comforts include pastel Easter candy, pizza from Delancey in Seattle, and hot coffee on hot coffee on hot coffee. ย I’m also soothed by caramel colored bourbon from ย small glass tea cups… that’s how ladies (and grandmothers) drink their bourbon. ย Why are all of my comforts food related?
I’m also comforted by old episodes of Seinfeld (who doesn’t like cashmere!?), copious amounts of post-it notes, over-sized grey sweaters, ย black leather wedge heels, and surprisingly…. I’ve been comforted by crowds of strangers. ย Thank you, people. ย I love you tremendous.
Chocolate and orange are also deep in my comfort brain sensors. ย Pound cake as a vehicle is just supreme.
Hello, Portland! ย You sure do know how to make a lady and her cookbook feel welcome! ย Thank you for coming out in the rain. ย Thank you for bringing me spoons to sign, lip stain to wear, and bright blue nail polish. ย It’s like you know me… because you totally do. ย You are true people. ย Thank you for all your smiles and love.
Please find, in the back left of the above photograph, someone holding up a little red baby. ย Sweet Jesus… I love you.
HeyHey Seattle, you look pretty in rain and grey… especially when you accent it with pink and turquoise. ย I love a good crash of color.
Chocolate and orange and chaos. ย Too many plates. ย Two cups of tea. ย Orange bites, and thick sliced cake.
I like when dessert settings appear cacophonous, and tend toward the delicious!
A chocolate and orange engagement.
These dark chocolate buttons go down easy. ย Snack!
Here’s an excellent trick!
Rub orange zest into granulated sugar. ย This process releases the essential oils from the zest and makes the sugar mixture fragrant and orange tinted. ย It’s a great way to infuse orange flavor into breads and cakes.
This batter is thick and creamy. ย It’s the cream cheese that’s beat into the butter.
It’s always the cream cheese.
Orange scented and chocolate studded.
A good amount of this batter went into my belly raw. ย Don’t be like me.
Golden top. ย Split and beautifully crusted. ย I love the crust of this cake. ย It has weight. ย It’s intentional.
Don’t let this cake get to you. ย It takes a good, long while to bake. ย With a little rotating in the oven, and some testing with a skewer, the cake will be done in about an hour. ย Don’t fret, a deep golden-crusted top is a win!
Ooooh Seattle, I love you! ย I really do! ย You’re hilarious and fashionable. ย You’re obsessed with coconut flour, and you really really know how to bake. ย Thank you Book Larder. ย Thank you to everyone who made treats to share. ย Thank you for your kindness, patience, and awesome cat stories. ย Thank you for bringing me bourbon and doughnuts… it’s like you can see right into my soul… because those two things are always among my deepest desires. ย You amaze me.
I’ve been spending a lot of time being comforted by this French Feasts. ย It has misty qualities that lend its reader toward delicious daydreaming, soft eggs, and fresh bread.
I love this picture of Gail Simmons’ new book. ย It makes me think of layers of plates, oysters and pearls, and three course dessert presentations. ย Certainly not the everyday… but grand when it happens.
Chocolate Orange Pound Cake
makes one 9×5-inch loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. ย Grease a 9×5-inch baking pan and dust with flour. ย Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. ย Set aside.
On a clean cutting board or counter, place the granulated sugar. ย Add the orange zest. ย With a bench scraper or the back of the spoon, work the zest into the granulated sugar, creating a fragrant and orange flavored sugar. ย Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and cream cheese. ย Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the bowl and make sure that the butter and cream cheese are evenly mixed. ย Add the citrus zest to the butter and cream cheese mixture, and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Stop the mixer. ย Scrape down the sides of the bowl. ย On medium speed, beat in one egg at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. ย Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. ย Beat in vanilla extract.
Add dry ingredients all at once. ย Beat on low speed until dry ingredients are completely incorporated. ย Fold in the chocolate pieces.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. ย Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating once or twice during baking. ย Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, or with just a few crumbs.
*Some readers are finding that the cake takes up to 75 minutes to fully cook. ย You might consider loosely placing a foil tent over the cake after about 45 minutes of baking. ย This will keep it from browning too much, and help the center bake up.
Cake will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to four days. ย
160 Responses
This may never be seen, but I will take the shot. Could this recipe be doubled and baked in a tube pan?
Very nice recipe