Orange Pound Cake

A couple of people asked me for this recipe, so here it is! It's scrumptious!

Ingredients
1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated orange zest (6 oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter and flour 2 loaf pans.
Cream butter and 2 cups of sugar in a bowl.
Mix in eggs, one at a time; add zest.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
In another bowl mix 1/4 cup orange juice, buttermilk and vanilla.
Add flour and buttermilk mixture alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with flour.
Divide between 2 pans and smooth the tops.
Bake for 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Remove cakes from loaf pans.

Make syrup while cake is baking.
Syrup consists of remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup orange juice.
Cook these two together over low heat till the sugar is dissolved.
Spoon syrup over cakes and then allow them to cool completely.

Optional but recommended:
After cakes are cooled completely whisk 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice with 1 cup powder sugar. Glaze top of cakes.

Savour every bite!