Blood Orange Loaf Cake

I’m sort of obsessed with blood oranges, as you may have guessed after seeing my Olive Oil Sugar Cookies with Blood Orange Icing. As I am immersed in gray winter days, the shock of bright purple segments hiding under that rusty orange peel brings light and warmth into our little home.

This loaf cake is the perfect vessel for these oranges. It’s crammed full of zest, has a tender crumb, and is brushed with a blood orange glaze. The oil keeps the loaf light and moist, and the orange flavor is perfectly sweet-tart. There is some sun in this snow country after all.

This recipe is adapted from my first book, The Vanilla Bean Baking Book, it is a variation of the Lemon Bread on page 96. I like to use regular orange juice in the bread base, and blood orange juice in the icing so it turns a pretty pink shade, but you can mix and match as you see fit.

More Blood Orange Recipes:

• Blood Orange Old-Fashioned Donuts
• Olive Oil Sugar Cookies with Blood Orange Glaze
• Grand Marnier Orange Cake

Moist Blood Orange Loaf Cake

Servings: 10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 15 minutes minutes

This easy to make loaf cake is full of orange zest, has a tender crumb and is brushed with a blood orange glaze. The oil keeps the loaf light and moist, and the orange flavor is perfectly sweet-tart.

Sarah Kieffer

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups [249 g] all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup [120 g] sour cream at room temperature
• 1/4 cup [60 g] orange juice
• 8 tablespoons [1 stick or 113 g] unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup [250 g] granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon triple sec or other orange liqueur, optional
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Icing

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 to 3 tablespoons blood orange juice
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup [120 g] confectioners’ sugar

Equipment

• 9x4x4 inch Pullman pan

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Grease an 8 by 4 in [20 by 10 cm] loaf pan or a 9 by 4 by 4 in [23 by 10 by 10 cm] Pullman pan and line with a parchment sling.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and orange juice.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium until smooth. Add the sugar, zest, and salt and beat on medium until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well on medium after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed. Add the oil and vanilla and mix on low until combined. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low until almost combined. Add the sour cream mixture and mix on low to incorporate. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low until completely combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 45 to 60 minutes, until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to remove the bread from the pan, then let it finish cooling on the wire rack.
• While the bread is cooling, make the icing: in a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, 1 tablespoon orange juice, and the salt. Add the confectioner’s sugar a mix together, then whisk until well combined and smooth. Add more orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
• Pour the glaze over the bread when it is just warm to the touch. Let the bread finish cooling and the glaze set, then slice and serve. The bread can be served cold or at room temperature. Store leftover bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

I only use a little bit of olive oil in the bread, but the flavor goes a long way. You can use canola or vegetable oil instead.