Individual Orange Butter Cakes Recipes

INDIVIDUAL ORANGE AND POPPY SEED POUND CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour four 5 3/8 x 3 1/4 x 1 7/8-inch loaf pans. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and unsalted butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice, grated orange peel and vanilla extract (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture. Fold in poppy seeds.
• Divide batter equally among prepared pans (about 1 1/2 cups each). Place pans in oven. Bake until tops of cakes are brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pans to rack. Cool cakes 10 minutes. Cut around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto wire racks and cool completely. (Cakes can be prepared up to 1 week ahead. Wrap in aluminum foil; store cakes at room temperature.)

INDIVIDUAL ORANGE BUTTER CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350°F Lightly butter six 1-cup ramekins or custard cups.
• Working with 1 orange at a time, and using a sharp knife, cut a slice off both ends of the orange to reveal the flesh. Stand the orange upright on a cutting board and, using the knife, thickly slice off the peel and pith in strips, following the contour of the fruit. Holding the orange in one hand, cut along either side of each section to release it from the membrane, letting the sections drop into a bowl.
• Sprinkle 2 Tbs. of the brown sugar in the bottom of each prepared ramekin. Pour 1 Tbs. of the melted butter into each ramekin, evenly covering the sugar. Divide the orange sections evenly among the ramekins, placing them in a single layer. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the 8 Tbs. (1 stick) butter, the granulated sugar and orange zest. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in the cream and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated. Spoon the batter over the oranges, dividing it evenly among the ramekins.
• Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Run a knife blade around the edge of each cake to loosen it from the ramekin. Working with 1 cake at a time, invert a small dessert plate over the ramekin, then invert the ramekin and plate in a single quick motion. Lightly tap the bottom of the ramekin with the handle of the knife to loosen the cake, then lift off the ramekin. If any orange sections stick to the ramekins, use the knife tip to loosen them and replace them on the cakes. Serve the cakes warm or at room temperature with the crème anglaise poured over the top.