Blood Orange Olive Oil Loaf

This blood orange olive oil loaf works as a delicious snack or breakfast treat! Perfectly sweetened with cane sugar and honey, citrusy from fresh orange juice and zest, and moist from greek yogurt and olive oil. Then, topped with a luscious blood orange glaze.

Celebrate winter citrus

Winter citrus is plentiful this time of year. You’ll find blood oranges, cara cara oranges, naval oranges, grapefruit, Meyer lemons and more easily at the grocery store. I love the brightness and zing these fruits add to dishes and desserts. Plus, they look so pretty and vibrant, much needed this time of year.

I prominently feature this beautiful winter fruit in my blood orange olive oil loaf. The fresh citrus takes this cake to the next level, providing freshness and brightness to this decadent treat.

The cake features olive oil and greek yogurt, making it light and moist. I sweetened the cake with a touch of pure cane sugar and florals rich honey. Finally, I added fresh orange juice and tons of zest, which balances the rich, sweet flavors of the greek yogurt, honey, and olive oil.

This cake provides a touch of sunshine during these dreary months. A must bake this winter!

Ingredients in this blood orange olive oil loaf

Here’s the main ingredients needed for this loaf:

• winter citrus, of course! I use fresh zest and juice from a naval orange in the batter and blood orange juice and zest in the glaze. Both add that necessary brightness to wake this whole loaf up and make it shine!
• whole wheat pastry flour, must be this exact flour to create a light crumb and not a dense cake (do not use regular whole wheat flour as it’s not milled as fine and will result in a less pleasant texture).
• cane sugar and honey, together adds a robust, rich, floral sweetness.
• greek yogurt, for some healthy fats and to keep the cake light but moist.
• vanilla, just a splash to bring extra sweetness and brightness to the batter.
• olive oil, I love it’s rich, robust flavor and keeps this cake nice and moist.
• eggs, provides structure to the cake and additional moistness from the yolks.
• baking soda and powder, a combination helps this cake rise perfectly.
• salt, a necessary ingredient for any dessert. Just a touch helps bring the other flavors to life.

How to make this loaf

• Get organized. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line and grease an 8×4 loaf pan. Grab a large mixing bowl, a small bowl, whisk and spatula. You’re ready to bake!
• Massage the zest. This sounds like a funny step, but this allows the orange zest to release more flavor. Simply combine the cane sugar and zest in a large mixing bowl and gently massage together with your fingers. This allows the zest to release its natural oils and become more fragrant and delicious.
• Mix together wet ingredients. To the zest and cane sugar mixture, add in the eggs, olive oil, honey, greek yogurt, orange juice, vanilla, and almond extract and whisk until all combined. 
• Add the dry. Add in the dry ingredients on top and mix lightly together before fully combining with the wet ingredients. 
• Pour into loaf pan. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with turbinado sugar. The sugar helps create a golden brown sugar crust which adds a nice crunch when you bite into it.
• Bake. At 350 for 40-45 minutes. Be careful to not overtake. When the edges and top are golden. brown and a toothpick inserted come out clean, it’s done!
• Glaze. I like to do the glaze in two steps. First, I top the loaf with half the glaze when it’s still slightly warm. This allows the glaze to seep into the cake a bit and make it more moist. I glaze it again with the remaining glaze when fully cooled so it hardens and create a top icing layer.
• Enjoy! Cut into slices and devour. This is best 2-3 days after baking. I love to pair it with a cup of coffee or glass of milk. Delish!

Why You’ll Love this Blood Orange Olive Oil Loaf

• Made in one bowl. This cake only takes on bowl to mess, so minimal clean up in the end. Yes!
• Lightened with wholesome ingredients. I used whole wheat pastry flour to add more fiber, nutrients, and minerals than found in regular white flour. The cake is mainly sweetened with unrefined honey. Greek yogurt adds healthy fats. Also, olive oil is high in healthy plant nutrients and can help boost heart health. Thus, the cake is still indulgent but lightened with some better for you ingredients.
• Perfect for dessert or breakfast. The cake is bright and perfectly sweet so works great as an afternoon snack. But the cake is not overly sweet, so works great for breakfast too!

Other delicious treats

• Healthy Blueberry Cheesecake Parfaits
• Peanut Butter S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Vegan Chocolate Mousse
• Chocolate Raspberry Jam Bites

Enjoy!

This blood orange olive oil loaf combines a moist, light crumb with bright, citrus flavors to create a balanced and delicious treat.

If you make this blood orange olive oil loaf, please leave a comment below.  I absolutely love to hear from you guys and your thoughts on my recipes. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or pin it on pinterest, because sharing is caring!

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Blood Orange Olive Oil Loaf

This blood orange olive oil loaf combines a moist, light crumb with bright, citrus flavors to create a balanced and delicious treat.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

Loaf

• 3 tablespoons cane sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons orange zest zest from two oranges
• 2 eggs room temp.
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt full fat
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla
• 3/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping, optional

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-4 tablespoons blood orange juice
• 1 tbsp. blood oranges zest
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line and grease an 8×4 loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cane sugar and orange zest and massage the two together so the zest releases some of its oils. This allows for the zest to become more fragrant and flavorful.
3. Add in the eggs, olive oil, honey, greek yogurt, orange juice, vanilla, and almond extract and whisk until all combined.
4. Add in the dry ingredients on top and mix lightly together before fully combining with the wet ingredients.
5. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top with turbinado sugar. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.
7. Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the ingredients in a small bowl. Start with 2 1/2 tablespoons blood orange juice. If too thick, add a little more orange juice until it reaches a pourable consistency.
8. While the cake is still slightly warm, pour over half the glaze. This allows the glaze to soak into the cake and make it extra moist.
9. When the cake is fully cooled, add the other half of the glaze.
10. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

I tested this recipe with whole wheat pastry flour, which is milled finer than regular whole wheat flour, so creates a tender crumb. I cannot guarantee results if you use a different flour. 

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