Set aside the powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of blood orange juice for the icing. Do not mix yet or it will dry out before the cake is ready.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. I used an 8x4 loaf pan, but a 9x5 is also suitable but will yield a shorter cake.
Combine the gluten free flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together to mix well. Set aside.
1 ¾ Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, 2 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
Combine the remaining ⅓ cup of blood orange juice with the sour cream. Stir until mostly mixed together. It may still have some lumps and that's okay.
½ Cup Blood Orange Juice, ¼ Cup Vegan Sour Cream
Add the orange zest to the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar to impart the orange oils. You will notice the sugar turning a slight orange color.
2 Tablespoons Orange Zest, 1 Cup Sugar
Add the orange sugar and butter to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
½ Cup Vegan Butter
Add the vanilla. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating for 60 seconds between each addition.
1 teaspoon Vanilla, 3 Eggs
Turn the mixer to the lowest speed. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the sour cream mixture. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Mix only until just combined. It's ok to stir the rest with a spatula if needed. Do not overmix.
Spread the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. If the top of the loaf starts to brown too quickly, loosely lay a piece of aluminum foil over the cake.
Remove the pound cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.
When the cake is cool, combine the powdered sugar with 2-3 Tablespoons of blood orange juice. Whisk it until it is smooth. Pour over the cooled caked and top with chopped pistachios (optional).
1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
Notes
TIP: Make sure to mix the batter only until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Over mixing can lead to a dense pound cake.STORAGE: Store leftover pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You may get an additional day of storage if you keep your container in the refrigerator, although the cake will be very dense when served cold.