Martha Stewart's Pound Cake Tastes Like a Creamsicle, but Has a Secret Fiber-Boosting Ingredient
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Getty Images / Roy Rochlin Getty Images / Roy Rochlin
Remember those vanilla ice cream-filled orange ice pops from childhood? Perhaps you ran after the ice cream truck to order one or snacked on one straight from the freezer mid-afternoon during a scorching summer break day if your parents were in a good mood…
Well Martha Stewart is bringing back all those nostalgic flavors in a dessert that will melt in your mouth, not in your hands: Orange-Barley Pound Cake.
Although this recipe is a classic from her Martha Bakes PBS TV show, it's very fitting that she's resurfacing it now on Instagram. Not only did the TV host/entrepreneur/Snoop BFF/green thumb owner/entertaining ace discuss cakes of all kids in her most recent cookbook, Martha Stewart's Cake Perfection: 100 Recipes for the Sweet Classic, from Simple to Stunning: A Baking Book (buy it: $13.99 on Amazon), but she's also speaking to our souls as we inch out of winter citrus season and into spring dessert territory.
Wouldn't an orange-flavored pound cake be perfect for Easter? Jelly beans and Peeps, you have some serious competition...
Related: Martha Stewart Swears By These 3 Things for Easier Cookie Baking
In its classic form, pound cake is quite craveable, if you ask us. But in addition to the vanilla that harkens back to the ice cream filling of the creamsicle, there are three secrets that make this springy pound cake recipe stand out from the dessert table competition:
Cream cheese. The batter calls for 4 ounces of cream cheese to make the crumb super-dense and luscious, plus add a subtle tang, according to Stewart.
Orange liqueur. The easy orange glaze will surely put everyone in good spirits. It's spiked with just a splash of orange liqueur (like Grand Marnier; $39.99 for 750 milliliters, Drizly) to complement the orange juice and zest that are also incorporated into the cake recipe.
Barley flour. A 4:3 ratio of all-purpose flour to barley flour (such as Food to Live Organic Barley Flour. Buy it: $22.49 for 4 pounds on Amazon) creates a unique texture. Since the barley flour is lower in gluten than all-purpose, it results in a "delicate crumb," Stewart says.
That barley flour also amps up the nutrition a bit. Per cup, barley flour offers 15 grams of fiber, compared to all-purpose flour's 3 grams of fiber. That's a pretty substantial difference, so even if you just have a slice or two of the pound cake, you'll easily sneak in an extra gram or two of fiber. (Which, ICYMI, is something 95% of Americans fall short on.)
If you, too, think this sounds like a post-dinner winner, snag Stewart's Orange-Barley Pound Cake recipe here. Then keep your sweet tooth satisfied with 20 more spring cake ideas.
