Favorite Cake

Today is my 67th birthday, and I made my own birthday cake!  About a year ago I came across this recipe for an orange pound cake with orange glazing and I really liked it.   It is a good snacking cake, as well as a good moist cake to serve with ice cream.   I've always liked pound cakes - they are old fashioned, just like me......
     I remember that my Grandfather always liked a slice of pound cake whenever we had Sunday dinners, and we often had slices of pound cake at Christmas dinners, too.  Those pound cakes were just plain, but I have a feeling if my Grandfather were still alive, he would really like this orange pound cake.
     Here is a photo of the finished cake (with a couple of slices gone already as Harold and I celebrated my birthday!):

And here is the recipe:

ORANGE POUND CAKE WITH ORANGE ICING

1 c. butter (2 sticks) - use only real butter!

2 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

5 eggs

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. grated orange rind

3/4 c. evaporated milk

1/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice

     Grease bottom and sides of a tube pan (like an angel food pan), or a 12-cup Bundt pan.  Flour lightly.  Preheat oven to 350. 

     In a large mixing bowl, soften the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and add the sugar, vanilla and eggs.   Beat with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds on low speed, then on high speed for 5 minutes.  (Yes, 5 minutes - you need to really fluff up the eggs).  In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and orange rind.   Beat the flour mixture into the sugar mixture alternately with orange juice and milk on medium speed until well blended.

     Spread in baking pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes until a cake pick tests the cake done.  Let cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a plate.  When cake is cool, make the glazing and spoon and swirl over the cake. 

Icing:

1 c. powdered sugar

3 T. orange juice or evaporated milk or a combo of the two (may need just a half tsp more)

2 T. softened butter

     In a small bowl, soften the butter and add the powdered sugar and orange juice and mix well until you have the consistency you want for spreading on the cake.

This is not a low calorie cake by any means, but hey - once in a while it's good to go for the calories and the good taste!!  And it makes a great birthday cake!