Name: Blood Orange Loaf Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter; 1 1/4 c. sugar; 2 eggs; zest of one blood orange; 1 1/2 c. flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 Tablespoons blood orange juice; 1/3 c. milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 c. powdered sugar; 2 1/2 Tablespoons blood orange juice

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Sweet Blood Orange Cake is made in a loaf pan and then is topped off with a sweet and tart blood orange glaze and fresh blood orange slices.

Blood oranges are one of my favorite oranges. They tend to be a little bit sweeter than traditional oranges and have a hint of raspberry in them.

So when I got a box of tropical fruit from Melissa’s Produce that included several blood oranges I couldn’t wait to bake with them. I figured I would eat a few as a snack and bake with the rest of them.

I had a ton of ideas but when it came down to it I really just wanted to make a cake. While I could have made a double layer cake and frosted it I didn’t have a lot of time so I went with something easier.

This Blood Orange Loaf Cake is easy to make in a loaf pan. Instead of frosting and decorating it there is just a simple glaze on top with a few slices of blood oranges.

Ingredients:

butter
sugar
eggs
blood oranges
flour
baking soda
baking powder
salt
milk
vanilla
powdered sugar

To make the blood orange cake cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and mix well. Mix in a bit of blood orange zest.

In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a third bowl mix together the milk, vanilla, and blood orange juice.

Add half the flour mixture and half the milk mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well. Add the remaining flour and milk mixture to the butter mixture.

Pour the batter into a loaf pan. Top the cake with thinly sliced blood oranges and bake in the oven for an hour. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar with blood orange juice and mix until smooth. Spread over top of the cooled cake.

Can I use regular oranges?

Of course. You can use any type of oranges including Cara Cara, navel oranges, or Mandarin oranges. Each one has a slightly different flavor profile and the glaze on top will be different colors.

Can I put frosting on the cake?

Sure! If you prefer a frosting to a glaze make a traditional buttercream but instead of adding milk add in the blood orange juice then frost as you would a cake.

Can I bake this in a cake pan?

Yes! You can bake this in an 8 inch cake pan. Check the cake after 30 minutes to see if it’s done.

This cake is moist and bursting with citrus flavor of the blood oranges. It reminds me a of good flavored pound cake with a twist. The citrus gives it a fresh pop of flavor.

More Blood Orange Recipes:

This cake is delicious served on its own. Because of the fresh flavor and the glaze on top it doesn’t really need anything extra. If you are looking for something addition you can top it with a bit of whipped cream or a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream.

While it’s great to serve as a dessert you could also serve it at tea time with a pot of citrus tea.

If you’ve tried my Blood Orange Loaf Cake or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on: