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Sweet and extremely moist, thispound cake gets rave reviews from my "Picky-Picky Hubby"
2 + 2/3 cups all purpose flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup poppy seeds
2 1/2 cups white sugar
4 teaspoons fresh, finely grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, soft
8 ounce cream cheese, soft
6 large whole eggs + 2 large egg yolks (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
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Put the sugar and orange zest in the food processor and pulse it for 20 seconds, set aside.
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With a stand mixer (using paddle beater) beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar and zest mixture and beat until light and fluffy (about another minute). Beat in the whole eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg. Beat in the 2 egg yolks and the vanilla.
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With your mixer on low, beat in the flour mixture, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times. Beat until smooth.
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Spoon the batter into TWO greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pans (or 8 mini loaf pans). Bake on center rack of a pre-heated 350F oven for 50 minutes (my oven takes 55 minutes) or 25-30 minutes for mini-loafs.
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Cool in pan (on a rack) for 20 minutes, then turn out. Glaze while still warm.
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ORANGE GLAZE FOR POUND CAKE
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
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Bring orange juice and sugar to a boil, over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and reduces to 1/2 cup (3 or 4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Keep brushing the tops and sides of the warm pound cake until all of the glaze is used up.
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NOTE: This pound cake has such a fresh clean taste and because it is just a little different, it would make a great gift for someone.
ENJOY !!!
