Blood Orange Loaf
From banana bread to a lemon pound cake, there are countless loaf recipes. And trust me when I say that I've made a majority of them. But none compare to this gluten-free Blood Orange Loaf! This loaf cake is the perfect baked good to serve for a Sunday brunch, breakfast treat, after school snack, or post-dinner dessert! With its moist inside and sweet blood orange glaze, it's the ultimate sweet treat.
Prior to this recipe, I had only had blood orange juice but had never enjoyed a blood orange loaf cake. Blood oranges are known for their crimson interior and berry-like flavor. Although they're in the orange family, they have a much sweeter taste, making them perfect for baked goods- or cocktails! Blood oranges are typically grown in California or Florida and are in season December-April. While they can be a little harder to find than regular oranges in grocery stores, they're essential to this recipe, and regular oranges won't do it justice.
What would a delicious blood orange cake be without the glaze? This simple glaze only needs four ingredients, and one of them is entirely optional! Start by sifting 1 cup of powdered sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Then, add the orange juice and vanilla extract. The optional ingredient is to add a bit of food coloring to create that signature pink color. I only used one drop of red food coloring as I don't like to add to use food coloring in my baking, but that's a personal choice! Feel free to use 1-3 drops, depending on how dark you want the color.
Blood Orange Loaf
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the Loaf
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free baking flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup white cane sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 room temperature eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons blood orange zest
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh juice from 2-3 blood oranges
- 1 tablespoon honey
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 drops of red food coloring
Instructions
For the Loaf
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a non stick bread pan with oil and lightly coat with gluten-free flour
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt
- Next, add the softened butter and sugar to a large bowl
- Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until combined
- Then, add the eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, Greek yogurt, orange juice and honey
- Mix until smooth, then slowly add in the dry ingredients
- Once thoroughly combined, pour the batter into the bread pan
- Bake for 45-50 minutes
- Finally, let the bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then loosen the edges with a knife, remove, and let cool completely on wire rack before adding the glaze
For the Glaze
- In a small bowl, sift the powdered sugar
- hen, add the orange juice, vanilla extract, and food coloring
- Once the bread is cool, pour the glaze over the loaf and garnish with orange zest
Tips
- Once the glaze is ready, and the loaf has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the whole loaf. You can use a spoon to smooth the loaf's top to evenly spread the glaze or just allow it to drip down the sides. Once the glaze is on the loaf, top with fresh orange zest and serve!
- While this loaf is delectable on it's own and doesn't need any toppings, you can always add a few if you would like! Some of my favorite toppings include sliced blood oranges or a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. If you're looking to make this sweet treat even sweeter, top with raspberries and whipped cream!
Comments
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