It’s a new year, which means I get to share a bunch of whole new bakes! That’s not to say that I’ve completely abandoned cookie making (there are two biscotti recipes that I’ve got stored away to share and a requested recipe or two that I need to get working on), but it means that we get to focus on other bakes, which is exciting because I feel like I’ve been stuck in cookie-land for so long that these other baking muscles have been aching to be put to use!
One thing that hasn’t changed from last year to now is my obsession with blood oranges. They’re still delicious and they still present some of the most gorgeous bakes such as this Honey and Blood Orange Loaf. This loaf is light and fluffy with a soft texture. The only sugar used is honey which means this has just the right amount of sweetness.
Let me tell you the story behind this Honey and Blood Orange Loaf. When I first made my foray into baking, I started with cupcakes. They were all I would make and my personal favorite recipe came from London Bakes. The recipe was for a Sour Cream and Honey Cupcake with a Whisky Buttercream. I substituted the Whisky Buttercream for a Raspberry Buttercream (which was the first recipe I ever created from scratch & sadly did not write down) which brought about a wonderfully tart note that accompanied the softly sweet cupcakes so well!
The recipe, sadly, is no longer on the London Bakes blog, but I managed to find an old piece of paper with it written down. This recipe is adapted from that original cupcake recipe. The sour cream has been swapped out for Greek yogurt and cut in half to make room for the bright juice of blood orange and lemon. At the heart of it all, is the natural sweetness of the honey and the fruit.
The loaf is good on it’s own, but add the glaze and you get an extra kick of citrusy sweetness and that naturally pink hue that screams blood orange! (I’m not even a fan of the color pink, but it’s extra gorgeous when it comes from these oranges! It’s such an unexpected color).
Have a slice for breakfast or dessert, or make yourself a cup of tea or coffee in the middle of the afternoon. This Honey and Blood Orange Loaf is perfect at any time of the day when you want just a bit of sweetness in your life.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45-50 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 2 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled (250g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 blood oranges zest and juice (75mL or 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 lemon juice only (25mL or 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp)
- 1 small container non-fat, plain Greek yogurt (150g or 5.3oz)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 blood orange juice only
Ingredients
Honey & Blood Orange Loaf
Blood Orange Glaze
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- Make sure the oven rack is positioned in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease or coat a 8.5"x4.5" (or 9"x5") loaf pan with nonstick spray. Tip: To make removing the loaf a bit easier, line the pan across the long side with a piece of parchment paper (as seen in photos above). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the zest of 1.5 blood oranges. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or a glass, whisk together the juice of 1 1/2 blood oranges and 1/2 a lemon* with the non-fat, plain Greek yogurt until fully combined. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and honey. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and fluffy.** Add in the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the yogurt mixture. Start with 1/3 of the dry ingredients, 1/2 of the yogurt and continue to alternate, ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together, being careful not to overmix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes until the edges are firm and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with just a few crumbs. If using a 9"x5" pan, note that your loaf may take a couple of minutes less to bake.
- Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool completely in the pan set atop a wire cooling rack. Once cool, either turn over the pan or pull on the parchment paper to lift the loaf from the pan; set back on the cooling rack.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, milk, and the juice from the remaining half of your blood orange until fully combined. Pour or spoon over the top of your loaf and allow to set before slicing.
*If using different citrus fruits, keep in mind that you'll need a total of 1/2 cup (or 100mL) of juice.
**Mixture split or curdle? That's okay! It just means that your butter and eggs were probably at different temperatures. Just keep going. Once you add the flour it will all come together and will sort itself out during the bake.
I like to wrap my loaf cakes in wax paper before covering with plastic wrap or foil to help keep the moisture in. Store the loaf on the counter for two days or in the refrigerator for about 1 week (if it lasts that long!).