Orange-Soaked Bundt Cake

This cake is moist and delicious. You'll need a thin skewer to poke holes in the cake. Serve the cake garnished with slices of peeled oranges macerated with a little sugar and rum.

The syrup & glaze used here is also available as a standalone recipe: Orange Syrup & Glaze (Bundt Cake).

Ingredients

For the cake

• 10 oz. (2-1/4 cups (60 ml)) all-purpose flour;
• 2 cups (480 ml) sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp (5-2.5 ml). baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) baking soda
• 6 oz. (12 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) canola or other mild-flavored oil (check for freshness before using)
• 1-1/2 Tbs (15-7.5 ml). finely minced lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• 1 Tbs. (15 ml) vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) strained fresh orange juice
• 5 large eggs

For the syrup & glaze

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 Tbs. (15 ml) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbs. (30 ml) dark rum
• 1 cup (240 ml) confectioners' sugar, divided

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pam a 12-cup (2.88 L) bundt pan.
2. To make the cake, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and soda into the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until fine crumbs form.
3. Change to the whisk attachment. With the machine running on medium speed, whisk in the oil, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and orange juice.
4. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then increase the speed to high and whisk the batter until light, about 3 min., scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 50 min.
6. To make the syrup and glaze while the cake bakes, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, butter, rum, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl.
7. When the cake is done, set the pan on a rack to cool for 5 min. With a thin skewer, poke the cake all the way through to the bottom of the pan in about 100 places.
8. Pour 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the syrup over the cake and let stand for 1 hour before removing the cake from the pan. (At this point you can wrap the cake in plastic and hold for up to 3 days at room temperature; in fact, the flavor only improves.) Cover the remaining syrup with plastic and store at room temperature.
9. When ready to serve, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) confectioners' sugar into the remaining syrup. Set the cake on a rack over a baking sheet and pour the glaze over the cake. Let stand for at least 10 min. before slicing and serving.