Ingredients

• Pound Cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • ½ teas salt
  • 1 ½ cups butter
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • ¾ cup Orange Crush soda, though any brand of orange soda can be used

  Glaze Topping

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 or 3 tablespoons orange soda

  Candied Orange Slices

  • 1 orange, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar

Whipping Up the Cake

• Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan using butter or spray oil and a sprinkling of flour. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl.

  • In a separate bowl, beat the butter using an electric mixer, until it is fluffy and light. Gradually add in the sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

  • Incorporate the flour into the batter 1/2 cup at a time. Alternate adding in the flour with the soda ¼ cup at a time. Mix the ingredients well, until the batter is smooth.

  The batter will be a light peach color once all the ingredients have been blended and will bake into a pale colored cake. If you prefer a more vivid-hued final product, add in a few drops of food coloring to the batter for a vibrant orange cake.

  Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for at least an hour until the top is golden and firm and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Extra Orange Goodness

• The orange soda gives the cake a light orange flavor. For a more pronounced orange taste, add a few ingredients to enhance the cake.

  Use a teaspoon of finely grated orange rind as well as a ½ teaspoon of orange extract to bring out the flavor. Mix these ingredients in after the sugar has been added and before the flour has been incorporated.

  For a grown-up concoction, add in 2 1/2 tablespoons of orange liqueur into the batter as you are adding in the soda.

  To create a cake that is reminiscent of a Creamsicle Popsicle, blend in a teaspoon of vanilla extract as you are beating in the eggs.

Glazed in Orange

• Once the cake is baked, allow it to rest for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to fully cool.

  To create the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with the orange soda. Adjust the liquid to make a thicker or thinner glaze. A splash of fresh orange juice can be added for a more pronounced citrus taste.

  The glaze will be a barely there peach color. Enhance the glaze with orange food coloring or choose to offset the vibrancy of the cake with the paler glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled cake, and allow it to drip down the sides.

  Make the candied orange garnishes by boiling the slices in equal parts sugar and water. Boil the slices for 20 minutes until they are slightly translucent. Remove the pieces from the syrup and allow them to cool before using them to adorn the top of the cake.