Glazed Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
There is something irresistible about the combination of fresh oranges and cream cheese. This Orange Cream Cheese Cake combines a soft, buttery crumb with bright citrus notes and the gentle richness of cream cheese. Each bite is tender, moist, and filled with sunny orange flavor—perfect for a celebration or a relaxed afternoon with coffee.
When I developed this recipe I aimed for a cake that is tender, buttery and moist with a pronounced orange character—think orange creamsicle without being heavy. The cream cheese gives a delicate creaminess while butter provides structure and flavor; together they produce a cake that is rich but light in texture.
This cake blends the dense, buttery texture of a classic orange pound cake with the bright tang of an orange cheesecake. The cream cheese is present and noticeable, but it complements the butter so the overall flavor stays balanced and pleasantly citrus-forward.
Ingredients Spot Light
A few ingredients do the heavy lifting here: they create the cake’s tender crumb, keep it moist, and deliver fresh orange flavor.
- Full-fat cream cheese (one 8 oz package), at room temperature. Full-fat cream cheese adds creaminess and helps tenderize the cake because of its fat and water content. Using full-fat cream cheese gives the best texture and flavor; low-fat versions can change the cake’s consistency.
- Fresh oranges. Fresh zest and juice provide the bright citrus aroma and flavor that make this cake sing. The zest contains essential oils—rub it with the sugar to release the aroma before adding it to the batter.
- Potato starch helps reduce gluten development and keeps the crumb tender and delicate. If you don’t have potato starch, you can omit it, but do not substitute with corn starch as they behave differently in a batter.
Baking Time
This is essentially a pound cake, so the key technique is to properly cream the fats and sugar. Beat the butter and cream cheese with the sugar until the mixture is smooth and airy. Because of the cream cheese the batter will appear a bit smoother and softer than a classic pound cake batter.
- Use high-quality full-fat cream cheese for the best texture. Lower-quality or off-brand cream cheese can contain more water and affect the cake.
- When incorporating the dry ingredients, mix only until combined. Finish folding with a rubber spatula shortly after the last addition of flour to avoid developing gluten, which can make the cake tough.
Orange zest is packed with fragrant oils. For the most intense flavor, rub the zest into the sugar with a fork or your fingers before adding it to the batter. Zest first, then juice the oranges to avoid bitterness.
Baking the cake
I tested this recipe in several pans: 8″ and 9″ round pans and a 10-cup bundt pan. Each pan requires small adjustments for best results.
For a bundt pan: grease thoroughly with soft butter and dust with flour so the cake releases cleanly. For round pans: do not fill pans more than two-thirds full. If your pan sides are low, line the sides with 5″–6″ strips of parchment to prevent overflow and make removal easier.
A high 8″x4″ loaf may require reducing the batter slightly to avoid overfilling. If needed, bake the extra batter in a mini pan or a mini bundt.
Storing the cake
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to four weeks. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor.
Orange Cream-Cheese Pound Cake (OMG! So Good)
15 mins
45 mins
12 People
Dikla Levy Frances
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Sticks (170g) Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Cup (225g) Full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) Sugar
- Zest of 1 1/2 medium-sized oranges
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 1/3 Cups (280g) Unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1 TBS (9g) Potato starch
- 1/3 Cup (80ml) Fresh orange juice (from 1 medium orange)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease your pan and dust it with flour if using a bundt pan. For a 9″ round pan, line the bottom with parchment if desired.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter (170g) and cream cheese (225g) together until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Place the sugar (300g) in a medium bowl. Rub the orange zest into the sugar with a fork or your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and evenly colored.
- Add the zesty sugar to the butter and cream cheese. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and smooth, about 4–5 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula to incorporate any stuck pieces.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour (280g), baking powder (1 1/4 tsp), baking soda (1/4 tsp), and potato starch (9g). Mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in three additions, alternating with the orange juice (80ml). Begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix only until combined; when the last addition of flour is added, turn the mixer off and finish folding with a rubber spatula to avoid overworking the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool in the pan for about 20 minutes for round pans, or 40 minutes for a bundt pan, then invert onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.