Joy the Baker

Brûlée Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

by 44 Comments

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

 I‘m going to start a new line of pillows made exclusively out of this cream cheese pound cake.  Edible bed pillows.  Lay your head down at night and snack-and-sleep.  If we’re going to turn aaanny cake into a pillow, this is it.  

This is the softest, most tender cake thanks to both cream cheese and butter.  Sponge-y and moist without being cloying or obnoxious.  It’s the perfect pillow material.  Like memory foam but… edible cake.  

Or.  I suppose you could serve this cake sliced on platters and plates.  Also a viable option, just without the beauty rest.  Think about it.  

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

It’s almost hard to believe that these humble ingredients turn into such a soft and tender pound cake.  

Don’t tell the cream cheese and the eggs, but they do all of the major lifting in this pound cake.  Keep it a secret, the glory will go to their heads.  

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Fresh orange zest is rubbed into the granulated sugar creating a fragrant and otherwise lovely scented sugar.  

We go the extra milk. 

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream cheese, butter, and scented sugar are beaten together until pale and pretty.  

Here’s the deal, the cream cheese and butter need to be softened to room temperature… warm room temperature.  I go so far as to keep the block of cream cheese and butter on the counter the night before baking.  If the cream cheese or the butter is slightly chilled and offer even the slightest bit of chilled resistance… the dough will be spotted with dots of fat.  Not supremely idea.    Plenty of room temperature time to make the fats soft and pliable.  

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Eggs are beaten into the fluffy sugary fats.  

This is when things get pretty luscious.  

Vanilla extract, and why not a little fresh orange juice too?

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Flour, soda, powder, salt, and dynamite.  

(Not really… no TNT.  That was a joke.)

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

If the batter is thick and fluffy, you can count on your cake as also being thick and fluffy!

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I baked this cake in a tall 10-inch spring-form pan.  The sides can be removed easily after baking revealing this beautifully golden pillow of a cake.   

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Golden and pillowy.  And a few wrinkles never hurt nobody.  

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

As the cake cools, I use a paring knife to slice through the peel and pith of the oranges.   

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Layer the orange slices across the top of the cake.  

Get out your kitchen blow torch and get really really excited! 

Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I sprinkled the sliced oranges with a generous amount of  granulated sugar and off to the races with the blowtorch.  We’re brûlée-ing the oranges atop the cake!

The end result is a crisp sugar orange top and the softest most pillow-y pound cake.  We’re successful and we know it. 

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Brûlée Orange and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 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
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 4 oranges, peels cut off and sliced into rounds

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch Spring-form pan. dust with flour. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. On a clean cutting board or counter, place the 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Add the orange zest. With a bench scraper or the back of the spoon, work the zest into the granulated sugar, creating a fragrant and orange flavored sugar. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and cream cheese. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down the bowl and make sure that the butter and cream cheese are evenly mixed. Add the citrus zest to the butter and cream cheese mixture, and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
  5. Stop the mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On medium speed, beat in one egg at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla extract and orange juice.
  6. Add dry ingredients all at once. Beat on low speed until dry ingredients are completely incorporated.
  7. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, rotating once or twice during baking. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, or with just a few crumbs.

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Comments

  3. hessa

    I made this scrumptious cake last night and it turned out so GOOOOOD the aroma or the orange and the texture of the cake itself was so yummy and beautiful. Thank you for the recipe

    Reply

  4. Priya

    I made this cake minus the brûlée orange as I’ve just been looking for the perfect cake to serve with tea – I’ve definitely found it. This cake was just a perfect crumb, not too dense, cuts beautifully, I inhaled a slice warm from the oven. I’ll just add it took me about an hour baking time.Thanks for such a perfect recipe.

    Reply

  6. alina

    Made it yesterday – lovely and refreshing! this recipe is definitely a keeper! I used blood oranges instead which made it look dramatic! Thanks!

    Reply

  9. E.T

    When do you add sugar in this recipe. Is it on step 4? What happen to the remaining ¼ cup of sugar? If the recipe is followed as written one might end up with a cake without sugar.

    Reply

  10. Katie H.

    Ooh, looks like you’ve got to make chocolate-covered candied orange peels a la Smitten Kitchen after this cake. More treats!

    Reply

  11. Horti

    Hello Joy. Made this cake tonight and it was heaven!!!! I had to bake it longer though (about 1hr 6mins). Otherwise i nailed it!!! So soft and spongy!

    Reply

  19. Carlijn

    Hi Joy! I’ve been reading your website for a little while now, but wanted to leave a reply on this cake because it’s awesome! I made this yesterday evening, used blood oranges instead of normal oranges and the cake itself was so soft and fluffy. Definitely a keeper :)

    Reply

  20. Julie

    I made this tonight and somehow forgot to put in the vanilla and orange juice. It was still delicious! The zest added so much flavor.

    Reply

  27. Shuggie's Mom

    I made it last night-question-you call for 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cup sugar. Is the rest of the sugar used on the oranges? I had the butter and cream cheese at room temp, but it started to curdle when I started beating in the eggs. It melllowed out when I added the flour. The texture wasn’t as fine as ones I’ve made before. It’s tasty, but not orangy enough. If I make it again, I will add more zest or even orange flavoring. I made an orange glaze to top it with-my oranges were too juicy to put on top, so they’re on the side.

    Reply

  30. A Magpie in the Sky

    Edible bed pillows, I am so in for that – I think you’ve got it made there Joy – Pitch it at Dragon’s Den ;) I love anything bruleed and this looks so beautiful, what a simple way to elevate a pound cake!

    Reply

  34. Amanda

    Wow, Joy, this is stunning! Honestly, you had me at “cream cheese.” Loving the cream cheese in pound cakes. And those oranges! Don’t even get me started. Perfection!

    Reply

  39. Helena

    Wow this looks divine! Will bake this next time :)

    I have just posted a DIY cooking tutorial on how to make paneer cheese. I would appreciate to hear your opinion about it!

    nutritionpsychology.blogspot.co.uk

    Reply

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