Name: Blood orange pound cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 150g unsalted butter softened, plus extra for the tin; 250g caster sugar; 3 medium eggs at room temperature; 250g plain flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda; ½ tsp fine sea salt; 100g full-fat soured cream; 3 blood orange finely zested; 3 tbsp chopped pistachios to decorate (optional); candied peel to decorate (optional, see tip, below); 170g icing sugar sifted; 2-3 tbsp blood orange juice

150g unsalted butter
softened, plus extra for the tin
250g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
at room temperature
250g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
100g full-fat soured cream
3 blood orange
finely zested
3 tbsp chopped pistachios
to decorate (optional)
candied peel
to decorate (optional, see tip, below)

For the icing

170g icing sugar
sifted
2-3 tbsp blood orange juice

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and butter and line a 1-litre loaf tin.
step 2
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl for 8 mins until fluffy and very pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then the soured cream and zest. Spoon into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 45-50 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
step 3
To make the icing, combine the sugar and juice and spoon over the cake. Sprinkle over the pistachios and candied peel, if using (see tip, below). Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.