This is the best Orange Coconut Pound Cake! It’s soft and moist featuring freshly squeezed orange juice and lots of coconut. The cake is covered with drizzles of a silky smooth orange glaze and shredded coconut for a stunning appearance. It makes a perfect dessert for Easter, Mother’s Day, springtime, or simply an afternoon pick-me-up.
A classic pound cake is made with a pound each of butter, sugar, flour and eggs and is baked in a bundt pan. My orange pound cake recipe is a scaled down version of this classic. I designed the cake to be baked in a loaf pan instead of a bundt pan which makes it just the right size for a small crowd. I also added orange zest and orange juice for a distinct citrus-y flavour, and coconut for a nutty-like texture which takes it over the top!
I’m so happy the way this cake turned out. Each slice of this orange loaf is deliciously crumbly bursting with fragrant orange and coconut flavour. Everyone will be delighted to try some.
Why You’ll Love This Orange Coconut Pound Cake
- 10 out of 10 for taste, texture and appearance. This is a beautiful golden-orange hued loaf with a moist, tender crumb filled with refreshing orange citrus and coconut flavour.
- Perfect for Easter or Mother’s Day brunch and everything in between. The best dessert to adorn your Easter or Mother’s Day brunch table or just to share with friends and family and a cup of tea.
- No mixer or fancy tools required. It’s a no fuss recipe that can be whipped up with just some bowls, cups, spatula and simple pantry and fridge ingredients.
- Can be made ahead. The cake keeps moist and tender for days. Simply bake and cool the cake then store it overnight at room temperature.
Ingredients Needed for Orange Coconut Pound Cake
- Oranges – Use navel oranges which are naturally sweet and juicy. The zest and juice is used for the cake batter and more juice is used for the glaze.
- Granulated sugar – White granulated sugar gives the loaf the optimum sweetness and helps keep the cake moist.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter that is at room temperature.
- Eggs – Use large eggs that are at room temperature.
- Flour – All purpose flour works best for this recipe.
- Baking powder, baking soda – These are the leavening agents that make the loaf rise when baking.
- Coconut – Use unsweetened shredded coconut for the cake batter and topping and if desired, flaked coconut is nice for the topping too.
- Buttermilk – Use room temperature buttermilk which adds a nice tang and lots of moisture to the cake.
- Icing Sugar – Icing sugar is used to make the sweet citrus glaze that tops the baked cake.
How to make Orange Coconut Pound Cake
To make this pound cake, follow these easy step-by-step directions and photo tutorial:
- In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and orange zest to infuse the flavour.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and orange infused sugar with a spatula until fluffy.
- Add eggs, egg yolk, orange juice and beat with a spatula until combined and smooth.
- Mix in dry ingredients, flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and gradually add it the wet ingredients along with the buttermilk, alternately in batches, until combined.
- Spoon the batter into a standard loaf pan which has been greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until lightly golden and the top is puffed up and crackled. Let cool in pan for 15 - 20 minutes then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Decorate Orange Cake with Coconut
Place the cooled loaf on a piece of parchment paper. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine icing sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle the orange glaze over the loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides and to pool up at the bottom of the loaf. Immediately sprinkle the top with shredded and/or flaked coconut.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cake is called orange coconut pound cake, but it can also be called orange coconut loaf or orange coconut bread. Whatever anyone wishes to call it, this recipe is derived from the same classic pound cake we all know.
This recipe is guaranteed to make a moist, fluffy cake. However, cakes can become dry if they are over- baked. Bake the cake on the middle rack at the recommended temperature and time or just until it is a pale golden colour and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Every oven is different - so start with the lowest baking time and check for doneness.
Ideally yes. Buttermilk reacts with baking soda which makes for a tender and fluffy batter. Its tangy notes are perfect to round out the flavour in many baked goods. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own by adding ½ tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and add enough milk to measure ½ cup which is the amount needed for this recipe. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
If you have store-bought buttermilk, here are a few recipes that can help you use it up before it expires: Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake, Cinnamon Biscuit Rolls, Lemon Cranberry Scones, Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing Tips
- The cake can be made a day ahead. Simply bake and cool it, store overnight at room temperature.
- To store any leftover loaf, wrap and seal the remaining pieces in parchment paper or place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 3 – 5 days.
- To freeze the whole loaf, wrap and seal the whole loaf in parchment paper then place it in a large zipper bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to label and date it. To thaw, remove loaf from wrapping, place it on a rack at room temperature to thaw for 2 – 3 hours.
Serving and Sharing Orange Coconut Pound Cake
To serve, slice thick slices of the loaf with a cake knife and place them, on a plate. Also, a pretty presentation for sharing pieces of the freshly baked loaf with family and friends is to wrap individual slices in parchment paper and tie the ends with string or ribbon.
Variations
- This loaf is made with navel oranges. If you prefer a different citrus fruit, you can make the loaf with blood oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes and it would be equally delicious!
- To garnish the loaf you can use unsweetened shredded coconut or flaked coconut or a combination of both which is what I did.
Recipe
Orange Coconut Pound Cake
Orange Coconut Pound Cake features real orange flavour and lots of coconut. A sweet orange glaze is drizzled over the cake and shredded coconut is sprinkled on top. It’s the perfect dessert for Easter, Mother’s Day, springtime, or simply an afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
Orange Coconut Pound Cake
- 2 medium oranges zested
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup butter softened to room temperature
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup buttermilk
Orange Glaze & Garnish
- ¾ cup icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded and/or flaked coconut for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a standard loaf pan by greasing the bottom and sides with butter or cooking spray, and if desired line with parchment paper.
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In a small bowl, stir together granulated sugar and orange zest to infuse the sugar with orange flavour. After zesting the oranges, juice them for the cake and glaze ingredients.
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In a large bowl with a firm spatula, beat the butter and orange infused sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, egg yolk and orange juice and beat well until smooth.
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In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coconut. Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour, beating in between each addition, just until combined. Batter will be thick.
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Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
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Bake for 40 – 50 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 15 - 20 minutes in the pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Mix the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the top of the cooled loaf allowing some to dribble down the sides. Sprinkle top with ½ cup shredded and/or flaked coconut.
Recipe Notes
- After zesting the oranges, juice the oranges and be sure to also reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice
for the glaze. - Make sure the butter, eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature.
- To avoid a dry loaf, bake the loaf for the recommended time just until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- The loaf can be made with different citrus fruits such as blood oranges, grapefruits, lemons or limes.
- To garnish the loaf you can use unsweetened shredded coconut or flaked coconut or a combination of both which is what I did.
Janet Ross says
Can persimmons be used with this recipe?