Orange Pound Cake

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Butter an 8-inch by 4 by 2.5-inch loaf pan, or any six-cup loaf or fluted tube pan. (I used a 6-cup bundt pan.)

Lightly whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Mix together orange zest and sugar with your fingertips till the sugar becomes moist and fragrant.

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds, until blended. Add the butter and half the egg mixture, and mix until dry ingredients are moistened.

On medium speed, beat for one minute. This will aerate and develop the cake’s structure. Scrape down sides. Mix in orange juice. Add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape down sides.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth surface with a spatula. Bake for 55-65 minutes (35-45 minutes if baking in a fluted tube pan), until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool on a rack in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a greased wire rack.