An Orange Pound Cake Worth Sharing—Inspired by the Season

A slice of cake, and a little scroll through the week—let’s dive in.

Hello friends—hope your holiday was a happy blur of good food and good company. Mine was calm-ish, pleasantly easy, and exactly what I needed.

And now we drift into round two, powered by cookies, mashed potatoes, cheese boards, eggnog, and hopefully enough optimism to keep us going.

But more importantly—this cake. It’s a one-bowl Orange Ricotta Pound Cake originally from Giada De Laurentiis, via alexandraskitchen.com, but Alexandra made one genius tweak that keeps the cake moist for days.

I’ve made it so often this year I can’t keep track. It tastes light and citrus-y, and is very good for dessert, brunch, or any time—served plain or with whipped cream and fresh berries. A warm loaf would make a nice homemade gift for neighbors and friends too.

Here’s something that happened: I kicked off my Thanksgiving cooking marathon by accidentally spraying Trader Joe’s Disinfectant liberally over the fresh cranberries in the colander instead of Fruit & Veggie Wash. A strong move, even by my standards. Thankfully, a backup bag in the freezer saved the day, and we had a good laugh.

Also, pumpkin pie is hands down my favorite part of holiday eating—and this year I made an absolute winner from Sally’s Baking. It was excellent under an embarrassing amount of Cool Whip, which is how I prefer it.

This is random, but so is the fact that this rose bush is still blooming in my backyard even though it’s almost December. I just love the color.

It’s been strangely warm here out West—almost spring-like.

Only a few trees are holding on to their colorful leaves before winter finally steps in.

The upside is that it’s been perfect weather for long walks through the neighborhood, especially if you’re in the mood to kick a few leaves along the way.

Also, unclear why my feet appear to be size 47 in this photo.

The last of the fall leaves insisted on a solo shot. And honestly, they were right.

A little bit of warm sunshine finding its way in.

Wishing you a week that does the same.