Easy, zesty Blood Orange Cake

This Blood Orange Cake makes the most of the unique flavour of Blood Oranges. These oranges are only in season for a short time but they brighten up the dull winter months of January and February. They are the most flamboyant citrus fruit, with skin coloured purple and orange like an Athena poster sunset and a deep red flesh. Even their pink juice is pretty!

There are a number of different varieties of Blood Orange but, in general, they have a stronger and sharper taste than ordinary oranges which makes them a fantastic flavouring in cakes and puddings. This Blood Orange cake is a twist on a traditional Lemon Drizzle Cake and makes the most of the fruit’s intense, orange sharpness. I have decorated my cake with dark red Candied Blood Orange Slices which add an intense marmalade flavour.

Due to their pigments, Blood Oranges also contain greater amounts of anti-oxidants than other oranges. I think that they are best used in dishes where they can add colour as well as flavour. Traditionally, they are used in winter salads in Sicily, combined with fennel, and also to make ruby coloured orange sorbet. Blood Orange juice is also a great addition to cocktails giving them a pretty pink colour combined with a citrus kick of flavour.

If you cannot get hold of blood oranges, you can use ordinary oranges as a substitute.

Other loaf cakes

I love baking and have lots of easy baking recipes for cakes, biscuits (cookies) and muffins. I especially like making loaf cakes. They are quick, easy, versatile and do not require any extra icing or decoration (unless you want to do it). If you want a basic everyday cake, look no further than a loaf cake. They are also a great base for experimenting with flavours which is a big reason for me to love them. Here are some of my favourites.

Cherry and Almond Cake – traditional favourite which combines sweet glace cherries with ground almonds
Coconut Cake – a full-on celebration of coconut made with dessiccated coconut and coconut cream
Ginger and Pear Cake – fresh pears in a loaf cake flavoured with ginger
Gingerbread Loaf Cake – old-fashioned gingerbread cake made with treacle and brown sugar
Earl Grey Cake – a simple cake flavoured with Earl Grey tea and citrus
Latte Cake with Salted Caramel – a mild coffee cake topped with swirls of salted caramel – a caramel latte in the form of a cake!
Lavender Cake – delicate and delicious floral cake flavoured with lavender
Lemon Drizzle Cake – a classic cake for all the right reasons – an easy hit of lemony deliciousness!
Lime Drizzle Cake with Coconut – a simple coconut-flavoured cake flavoured with fresh lime and lime drizzle
Rhubarb Crumble Cake – rhubarb crumble in cake form – simple cake containing fresh rhubarb and with a streusel topping
Rosemary Cake – a simple, unusual cake flavoured with fresh rosemary
Rum Banana Bread – absolutely the best way to use up those squishy bananas
Thyme Cake – another simple cake flavoured with fresh thyme

Blood Orange Cake recipe

Blood Orange Cake

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Author: Tastebotanical
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 1 loaf cake 1x
Category: Cake
Method: Baking
Cuisine: English

Print Recipe

Description

This Blood Orange Cake is very simple to make and uses seasonal Blood Oranges which have an intense flavour and beautiful purple and orange colour.

Ingredients

Scale

125 g butter
175 g caster sugar
2 eggs
175 g self-raising flour
4 tablespoons of milk
1 blood orange
100 g icing sugar

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Instructions

Set your oven to 180 degrees centigrade or Gas Mark 4.
Grease a 450 g loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
Cream the butter with the sugar. (I usually soften the butter for about 30 seconds in the microwave first as it makes it much easier!)
Gradually add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture. If it looks as if it is going to curdle, add some of the self-raising flour.
Once the eggs have been incorporated add the rest of the self-raising flour.
Add the milk and the grated zest of your blood orange.
Spoon the cake mixture into your prepared loaf tin.
Put the tin in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
While the cake is baking, combine the juice from your blood orange with 100 g of icing sugar to form a thick syrup.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour the syrup over the top.
Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely before removing. If you try and take it out while it is still warm it may fall apart as it will be very moist due to the syrup.
You can just leave it there – and I usually do! However, if you want to decorate the cake further, you can add some Candied Blood Orange Slices.

Notes

Blood Oranges are in season in January and February. If you cannot find any in the shops, you can use ordinary oranges.