Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup bitter orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
For the Glaze
- 1/4 cup bitter orange marmalade
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- A pinch of kosher salt
Prepare the Pan and Dry Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350F. Thoroughly grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan; this is a sticky cake, so don’t skip this.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
Cream the Butter and Zest
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, both sugars, and the orange zest on medium-high speed for a full 5 minutes. The mixture will become very pale and fluffy. This long creaming time is essential for both texture and for releasing the maximum amount of aromatic oil from the orange zest.
Build the Batter
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until it is fully incorporated.
Mix in the marmalade and the buttermilk on low speed until just combined.
Add the dry ingredients in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each one. Stop mixing the moment you no longer see streaks of dry flour. Overmixing at this stage will develop gluten and result in a tough cake.
Bake and Glaze the Cake
Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for ~50-60 minutes. The cake is done when it is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 10 minutes. Any longer and the glaze won’t soak in properly. Place a sheet of parchment paper under the rack to catch drips. After 10 minutes, turn the cake out onto the rack.
While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the marmalade, powdered sugar, butter, and salt, whisking until the mixture is smooth and pourable.
Pour the warm glaze evenly over the top of the still-warm cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let the cake cool completely before slicing. The glaze will set as it cools.
Orange Tea Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest from 1 large orange
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/4 cup bitter orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
For the Glaze
- 1/4 cup bitter orange marmalade
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- A pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter, both sugars, and the orange zest with an electric mixer on medium-high for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the marmalade and the buttermilk on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in the dry ingredients in two additions until no flour streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack with parchment paper underneath.
- For the glaze, warm the marmalade, powdered sugar, butter, and the salt in a small saucepan, whisking until smooth.
- Pour the warm glaze over the warm cake.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
