Chocolate Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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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.

book tour

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.

book tour

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.

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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!

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A chocolate and orange engagement.

These dark chocolate buttons go down easy. ย Snack!

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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.

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This batter is thick and creamy. ย It’s the cream cheese that’s beat into the butter.

It’s always the cream cheese.

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Orange scented and chocolate studded.

A good amount of this batter went into my belly raw. ย Don’t be like me.

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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!

book tour

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.

book tour

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.

book tour

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

Print this Recipe!

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 

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160 Responses

  1. Thank you SO much for this recipe! I just made it for a mini tea party at a friend’s place and they Loved it!! I also gifted the pound cake to friends and family before i could really enjoy it. And also because I made NY cheese cake right after this and didn’t want to be stuck with too many pastries. I will be Definitely be making this again to enjoy and share!

  2. I made this pound cake using chopped pieces of leftover mini Hershey’s dark chocolate bars and it was absolutely lovely. This is such a nice and homey cake to have alongside a cup of tea. I loved the subtle orange flavor accented with the occasional chocolate chunk. Definitely a keeper!

  3. I made this wonderful cake for my husband on his birthday. What a hit it was! I baked it in a bundt pan and it baked in just under 60 min. I kept it a little longer for about 4 min more and got a much darker crust. Next time I will only bake for the 1 hour it needs. This recipe is a keeper. I will definitely be making this again. And again.

  4. Made this for post-Yom Kippur break the fast meal and it was a huge hit! So so moist and delish.

    Just a note to future bakers: definitely plan on baking for longer than an hour. Mine baked for nearly 90 minutes.

  5. I made this last week and found it to be fantastic! It did take a very long time to bake through. For me, it was close to 80 minutes! Yum. Thanks!

  6. this cake turns out exactly like the way you photographed it ! It tastes awesome and my favorite part is definitely the intentional crust ! Thank You for this wonderful recipe, Joy! -love from Malaysia :)

  7. Second time making this great cake. I live in Costa Rica so sometimes it’s hard to find good oranges with orange skin( it’s green here). So today I used one mandrian orange with the green skin of the oranges here. Perfect anyway you go.

  8. I made this cake today, and it was delicious! My main problem, however, was the cooking time. I baked it at 325 with a foil tent for part of the time, and within an hour, the bottom had become a very dark brown, but the inside was completely uncooked. So I dumped the loaf onto a cutting board and added a layer of parchment paper to the bottom of the loaf pan before returning the loaf. That seemed to do the trick. However, it still took about an hour and a half for the whole thing to cook through.
    I’ll probably make it again, but next time, I think I’ll cut the recipe down by a third or put the mixture in a bundt pan instead so that the insides can cook completely through without burning the bottom.
    Happy holidays, Joy!

  9. Can you freeze this either in baked or unbaked form? I’d like to make this to share with people around the holidays and I’m curious if I can make a few mini loaves in advance and then freeze them until it was time to give them out… Any thoughts? Thanks!

  10. The taste is OK, but the measurements are way off. The ingredients should be about half of what is stated. After 75 minutes, I had to cut them into pieces and put them in the oven for an extra 10 mins, then another 10 mins.. still, the middle were uncooked. I highly recommend half-ing the above portion, or make it into 2 loaves.

  11. I made this a few weeks ago for an Easter celebration. I used a standard sized bundt pan and it worked out really well. I was prepared to have some batter left over, but it was the perfect amount. So delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

  12. I made this recipe a few days ago and I had to leave my loaf in longer than 60 minutes. I covered it with the foil tent, but the bottom edges in the pan ended up burning. Advice?

  13. I just discovered this book and have entered back into baking. Too bad I missed you in Portland. Thanks for the inspiration to heat up my oven and tantalize others with tasty treats! You rock.

  14. Hi Joy,
    I have now made this three tomes since you posted the recipe.I just love it! It is quite good if you heat up a slice in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to melt the chips so they are nice and gooy! Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe.

  15. This cake is so aromatic and decadent. I just made two heavenly loaves (though they almost never made it in the oven…the batter can be eaten by the spoonful). They ended up baking for 80 minutes, but then again, my oven demands a sacrifice of burnt brownies before it starts working properly. Thank you so much for sharing this!

  16. Made this last night for a friend’s birthday. We didn’t have an orange handy so we used Grand Marnier instead. We also substituted a mix of reduced fat and fat-free cream cheese for regular. It turned out perfectly moist, dense, and absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  17. Joy, Just pulled two of these cakes out of the oven and not only does my house smell wonderful but the little piece of edge that fell off while taking one out of the pan was so delicious!!! I baked two at the same time and it took nearly 80+ minutes (maybe even about 1 1/2 hours but I lost track of how many extra 5 min. additional chunks of time I added on) before I had the skewer come out clean. So, I noted that on my print out because if this is as good as it appears, I will be making it again. I’m taking it to my quilt group meeting in the morning. Here’s hoping I have some to bring back home for us!!!

  18. This is pure deliciousness. I made it with Cara Cara oranges. I couldn’t stop smelling the cake when it was out of the oven. Until I tasted it..then I couldn’t stop eating it! Nice and firm on the outside and soft on the inside with just the right amount of orange and chocolate. Perfection.

  19. Joy, you need to know that this is the best cake I’ve ever tasted, even though it went wrong at like 5 different stages of the making process!
    And you should also know that if you spread slices of this cakes with thick wodges of chocolate Philadelphia cream cheese (do you have that in America?) that you’ll be transported to amaze-balls cake heaven.

  20. Joy, I made this awesome cake today, and in my super-humble opinion it just “seemed” like there was way too much batter for a single 5×9 loaf pan, so I spooned a bit into a single mini-loaf pan (2/3 full), and it worked out perfectly. I pulled the mini-loaf out at 45 minutes, and let the 5×9 loaf bake for 60 minutes. I used aluminum pans and both were completely cooked through.

    Also, I didnโ€™t have any oranges lying around when I made this cake, so I added 1/4 teaspoon of Adam’s orange extract instead. The taste of this cake was wonderful.

  21. Hey I absolutely love the blog, is there any chance I can make this without the electric mixer? I’m living in China and I am going to stretch the budget for some imported cream cheese but an electric mixer would be taking things too far…I need help, there is only so much pak choy a girl can take….x

  22. Oh! A dark golden (and even slightly crispy) crust on a cake loaf is my absolute fave. If I’m topping with jam or whipped cream or whatever, I always save the crusts to be eaten topping-free. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been tempted to slice my loaves length-wise and just eat the top off…

  23. Hey Joi,

    i make your recipes ALL THE TIME, such as kale farro bowl and pull apart bread. but MAN this orange chocolate bread is THE BEST. you are right about the crust, its so fab. mine did take 75 mins.

    thanks for sharing beautiful recipes!

  24. Hmmm, I wonder if there is a way to adapt this so I can just throw all the ingredients in my bread maker on the quick bread setting…

  25. Joy-I made this and it tastes fantastic! However, it took a lot longer in the oven–almost 75 minutes–and the middle is still not completely done. Would covering it initially with aluminum foil help with this at all?

    1. They are chocolate discs and can be found in baking/restaurant supplies or higher quality grocery stores like Whole Foods. You can probably find them on the internet too.

  26. Joy, I just love your blog. Just started one with my friends. This recipe looks particularly delicious. Oh, and enjoying your book too! Very impressed. Please come somewhere in the south!

  27. Made this yesterday and after 70+ minutes, it was still uncooked in the center. Ends were fine and tasted great, but center not done. Any difference using glass vs metal pan? Recipe doesn’t specify and we only have metal.

  28. ahhh! that is my friend’s red baby in that picture! i am holding one up next to her too, but mine is a lot heavier so i didn’t get so much lift :) can’t wait to send her this post. that’s why we love you joy! you notice and appreciate little red babies! also chocolate orange pound cake probably has something to do with it toooo :)

  29. I don’t dig orange and chocolate, but, if I’m very, very good, am I allowed to make the pound cake sans orange? Because a Southerner loves cream cheese pound cake and chocolate like Elton John loves platform heels and feather boas.

  30. Wow! You’re featured on Smitten Kitchen… you’re officially famous now. I love both your and Deb’s blogs so it’s so cool to see they mashed up! You go rock star!

  31. What’s missing in this recipe? Just finished baking the cake and it doesn’t have enough orange flavor …maybe adding the juice from the oranges will help? A drizzle of confectioner’s sugar with orange juice on top right after baking might help too. What do you think?

  32. It was so fun to meet you in Seattle! You are just as awesome in person (more so perhaps) as you are on the internet! If you lived here we would totally be friends for sure! This is in the oven right now! Mmmm! Based on the taste of the batter, Joy, you are a genius!

  33. Hey Joy-

    I’m so glad to hear you made it to Delancey while in Seattle. As if we needed another reason to love Molly Wizenberg!

    Thanks for coming to our great city! It was fabulous meeting you and Tracy at Third Place Books. You ladies looked mah-velous in your blazers :)

  34. congrats on the book. and the book tour as it sounds as though it is going very well.

    your love of bourbon has me intrigued as i have never tried it. so for some one who is now contemplating partaking in a sip or two is there a particular brand that you recomend. and how do you prefer to drink yours? straight up? alongside a nice cup of tea? paired w/ something to nibble on? those kinds of things. thanks.1

  35. Oh, Joy! Pound cake by itself is delicious but adding the chocolate and orange has GOT to send it over the top! Love that you used the chocolate pieces instead of the morsels, too.
    So very excited for you that you’re being showered with gifts and such an incredible amount of LOVE!! You SO deserve it not just because you inspire so many people, but just because you’re you! My mother always told me to send out lots of love and it would come back to me tenfold. Obviously, that’s so very true because it’s happening to you. Congratulations, Joy!

  36. Ohh, Joy! You did it again! I’ve been making too many sweets lately and my husband is begging me to stop (it’s the baby causing me to nest/bake!) but now I really, really want to make this cake. Pound cakes and I are really good friends and this looks absolutely delicious. I will probably make it tonight…

  37. This cake looks devine! I will definitely be making it soon, especially since my husband has a love affair with chocolate and orange ;)

    I so wish you were coming to the Phoenix area! I would bring you all sorts of nail polish (since I have a thing for nail polish, and a nail polish blog I just started up!) and bourbon (since my mom owns a bar lol). I’m so glad you are having fun on your book tour!

    <3

  38. Another great recipe! How many times have I said that in the 2+ years since I discovered your blog. You are such a talented baker/cook, writer, photographer, not to mention a sweet (no pun intended), gentle spirit. Congratulations on your success, so well deserved!

  39. I’m going to a girlfriend’s for tea tonight and promised to bake something. I think I’ll surprise them with this gem!

  40. ooh i’m reading gail’s book right now! it’s wonderful! she was in toronto for a book signing last week so i got to meet her! but i still wish joy was coming!!!

  41. Good morning, Joy! I love the way you’re documenting your book tour, so fun to see all these photos of happy people coming out to see you- you deserve it! I just ordered my copy of your book on Amazon so I’m all ready for your stop in Brooklyn!

  42. I will be trying a carob version (lent) of this soon…and dreaming of the day when I can once again make it with chocolate (as it should be). :) mmm. always love your posts.

  43. Joy! I am in the back of that photo of your Portland fan club! My students and I flew into Portland for a conference and one student who loves you, and knows I love you, found out you were going to be in town. What were the chances!??? So we piled in a cab and came to see you! I so wanted to hug your neck and tell you how much I love your blog and your chick pea salad, and ask you a few questions. However, my already purchased book was sitting in my kitchen in Nashville and I couldn’t wait in the long line with such a large line and 4 college girls and a cab to catch. But you were delightful and I was so glad to be there to celebrate your beautiful cookbook! I wanted you to know!

  44. This sounds like a very refreshingly delicious recipe that will be on my table soon! I love the flavors of orange and chocolate together (can we think chocolate smashable oranges?) and this is just the right combination! Thanks for sharing.

  45. Joy, Joy, the chocolate–where’s the chocolate!?!? Without direction I may just add 6 cups of chocolate and feel really good about it! ;)

    Forget it. I’m making this RIGHT NOW. And I’m adding as much chocolate as I damn well please because, let’s be honest, I was going to do just that anyway.

  46. I have tried to print Chocolate Orange Cream Chees Pound Cake recipe but it only prints the
    top line with name of recipe. What am I doing wrong????????? Sounds delicious!!!!!!!
    Craving something orange and chocolate!!!!!

  47. Chocolate orange always makes me think of Easter – we used to get chocolate oranges instead of Easter eggs – so this couldn’t have come at a better time. Bookmarking to make for my family over Easter weekend :-)

  48. I just spent the afternoon cross-country skiing and returned to this blog post…Now, all I want in life is a big slice of this cream cheese cake (or, really, cream cheese anything) and a teacup full of bourbon.

  49. Look at those people in attendance for your book signing. That rocks, Joy! All of my comfort things involve food, too and I think this pound cake would fit into my day rather nicely.

  50. This looks really good and I will definitely be making it as soon as I get some cream cheese in the house. The combination of orange and chocolate is one of my favourites!

  51. Of course, I feel like running into the kitchen and making this pound cake RIGHT NOW – just like almost every recipe from your cookbook!
    I love the pics from your book tour – I chuckled at the red baby too! And I always like to see the men in the pics – surrounded by women – and I wonder what their stories are. They might be there all on their own, or they may have come with a friend, or maybe they were dragged by their girlfriend, or mom, or wife. . . just wondering. :)
    Seattle has a special place in my heart!

  52. Oh joy, it was so fantastic meeting you yesterday! It totally feels like we are legit friends now which is totally awesome.
    Ps. I am seriously contemplating waking up early to make this cake before church. Problemo: I have totally been drinking and drinking+early wake up = not a good combo. Sweet, orange and chocolate bread are totally worth it though. I’m going for it. The alarm is set.

  53. I made this tonight using about 3/4 cup of chocolate chips which seemed to be a perfect amount. I added 1/2 tsp of orange flavour along with 1.5 tsp of vanilla and it was delicious!!! This is a very tender and moist pound cake–yum!! I’ll be making this one again for sure–awesome that it’s in your new book too! Thanks Joy—I definitely needed a flu/cold remedy and this is it. :)

  54. Every signing picture you post looks better and better. Congrats on such great turnouts :)
    Love the tip for the orange zest and sugar. I’ve gone through an entire bag of oranges in cooking and baking this past week. I can’t stop using them and their glorious zest!

  55. I always get chocolate oranges in my Christmas stockings! I love the two flavors together! It was surreal to meet you in real life person today… I was the girl with the green scarf and short hair… you are awesome and I hope you feel completely adored and successful on this tour because you are! And I can’t believe you’re posting so much while on the road… you rock!

  56. Joy! By the time we got to the middle of the line your book was sold out! ( Good job!) Regardless, it was fun to see you in action. You brought the sun to Seattle – yeah!!

  57. What a fun gathering! So glad you had a great turnout and a lot of laughter and goodies too.

    I love orange and chocolate together & with cream cheese? Oh my! BUT…how much chocolate? I didn’t see it listed.

    Pat

  58. Joy it looks like you are having an amazing time! And p.s. love the little red baby :)

    Orange and chocolate- mmmm fantastic combination. You are a smart lady.

  59. OOOOO. KKKKKKK.

    That pound cake looks so wonderful-my mouth is watering! Your photos are really terrific, too.

    I am definitely going to try this (right after Easter, b/c the hubs and I gave up desserts for Lent!)

  60. Man…I am so jealous of all the people that get to see you…Greer. But this pound cake looks so delicious! I didn’t know about that thing about the orange zest, I’m definitelymgoing to try it some time :)

  61. I was just explaining to my boyfriend yesterday why I love oranges and chocolate, but am not usually enticed by them together. This looks like I will eat my words though. Can’t wait!

  62. Orange zest and chocolate chips are absolute favorite combinations of mine in baked treats. I live in eastern Washington and am 4 hours away from Portland and 4 hours away from Seattle. I am so so sad that I didn’t get the chance to meet you. :(

  63. I’m sure that if you dislike the crust, you could cover the top with aluminum foil for the last 20 or so minutes of baking. Jus’ saying.

  64. OK…you got me! I read this post and immediately got up and made the cake. It is in the oven right now. If the cake tastes anywhere as good as the batter did, I’m in deep trouble! Chocolate and orange are my absolute favorite flavors…together or alone. This made a beautiful, fluffy batter that just is gorgeous! I think I have a new favorite recipe.

  65. Today’s post made me smile because I made your cream cheese pound cake (from your book) just this morning….and you are right…it is carazy moist!!! Thanks!

  66. Joy, I know because you were so rapturous over Seattle and all that you just left out that one lil’ chocolate ingredient! But how about this idea? I found cream cheese that is CHOCOLATE flavored – both dark and white – OMG! So I substituted it for the plain cream cheese and for those hard-core chocolate lovers, I threw in a few mini-morsels. Delish! Thanks for the recipe, because I love chocolate and orange together. Oh, and to be really wicked, mix some grand marnier (1 tbl) to some powdered sugar and do a teensy little drizzle on top of warm cake. Yum… ;-))

  67. I’m just going to assume that I should add as many chocolate chunks as possible. When in doubt, this is usually a good life rule?

  68. oh Lord. If only I have a bar of cream cheese, I would do this right this second!!!
    Looks sooo good (and maybe because I’m hungry as well!!) Congrats on your book tour. Looks fun!!!

  69. loved the post. loved seeing the crowd at your book signing. loved the red baby at the back of the room. know i will love chocolate orange cream cheese pound cake. but I especially loved the last line: “Cake will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to four days.” that’s funny. you’re funny. you could wrap it in kryptonite. and that cake wouldn’t last four days in MY house. i’d be lucky if it lasted til dinner.

    bettye

  70. What awesome turnouts you’ve been having for all your book events…but of course, that is not surprising because you’re fabulous and everyone knows it!

    This loaf. The chocolate chips, orange, cream cheese…it’s got it all going on!

  71. So, I love reading your blog and making the recipes that you do. As a girl from Kentucky, I know all about the comforts of bourbon (I make bourbon balls, which mixes bourbon, nuts and chocolate together for the perfect mix), so I’m right there with you.

    Two things though: 1) How much chocolate goes into this marvelous pound cake? Because if it’s ‘However much you want’, there isn’t going to be much room for anything else! It will be all chocolate! and 2) I think you may have meant ‘Batter’ where you put butter once in the blog…Because as awesome as butter is raw, I think the batter would be 10x better!

  72. It was so awesome meeting you (twice!) last night. I brought your book home and my seven year old went through it with me and made a list of like 50 things to make ASAP (are there more than 50 things in there?). He is dying for a PB&J milkshake and everything that has chocolate more than once in the title. I think that baked chili cheese fries and sweet potato choc chip cookies sound like a healthy meal. I’m going for it!

  73. You’ve been having such a beautiful adventure. You should be very proud of yourself – look at how many followers you have that are so psyched to see your work and hear you speak. Congrats! As for the recipe, thanks a bunch for the zest and sugar trick – I’ve wondered myself how to get a more zesty flavor without that bitterness you get when you zest too deeply. Your pound cake looks delicious (and comforting…yup, even seeing a slice of the pound cake brings me comfort). Happy St. Paddy’s Day and enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)

  74. Ohhhhh man, that cherry tree…pink and turquoise love. Great, now I want one in my backyard, and possibly a chocolate orange poundcake (in my kitchen). Have fun with the rest of your book signings!

  75. Hello most delicious looking/sounding poundcake in the world, please come to my tummy!

    P.S. Joy, I really wish I lived in the State’s right now, just so that I could see you and your new shoes (or did you buy cute slippers for the signings) and Tracy Shutterbean!!!!! I totes m’gotes love you both and I really hope your book tour just gets better and better (and it will).

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