Blood Orange Loaf Cake

Step 1

Cake

Step 2

Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F (Non-fan Assisted). Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin, and coat the inside with a few tablespoons of flour before tipping out the excess.

Step 3

In a bowl, massage the blood orange zest into the sugar for one minute, then add the eggs and then using a stand mixer or electric hand whisk, whisk the mixture together for 3 minutes on a medium speed, until thicker and paler in consistency.

Step 4

Pour in the cream and whisk again.

Step 5

Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape off any orange zest that may be stuck to the whisk. Add it back into the batter. Sift in the dry ingredients and gently whisk them in by hand.

Step 6

Whisk in the oil just until you have a smooth batter.

Step 7

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin. Pipe a thin line of soft butter down the centre and bake for around 65-75 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. The bake time may vary depending on your tin, so keep an eye on it.

Step 8

Blood Orange Syrup

Step 9

While the cake bakes, boil the syrup ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved and set this aside.

Step 10

Once the cake has baked, remove it from the tin and poke a few holes in it with a skewer. Soak it with the syrup, then pop it out of the tin and wrap the cake tightly in cling film and chill it overnight. This will help to improve the texture of the cake.

Step 11

Chocolate Namelaka (Optional)

Step 12

This cream is optional, but pairs really well with the blood orange flavours and can be piped on top as a decoration. Into a small bowl, stir together the powdered gelatin and cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Step 13

In a small saucepan, add the milk and glucose and bring it to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the glucose.

Step 14

Once hot, remove it from the heat and stir through the bloomed gelatin to dissolve it.

Step 15

Slowly pour the hot milk, over the melted chocolate, adding it in three additions, and stirring vigorously with a spatula. Initially it may look quite oily, but as you add the remaining milk it will become smooth.

Step 16

Pour in the cold cream and blend it to combine (or whisk if you don't have a hand blender).

Step 17

Pour it into a bowl and cover the surface with a sheet of clingfilm. Refrigerate it overnight.

Step 18

Glaze & Finishing

Step 19

Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F. Into a bowl, sift in the icing sugar.

Step 20

Whisk in enough lemon juice to create a thick, glue like consistency - start with the juice of about 1/2 lemon.

Step 21

Then add a small squeeze of fresh blood orange juice to give a pop of colour. The consistency of the glaze should be slightly runny.

Step 22

Remove the cake from the fridge and paint the glaze all over the outside of the cake, then place it on a baking tray and pop the cake in the oven for 1-2 minutes, just to set the glaze.

Step 23

Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.

Step 24

Recipe note - If you are decorating the cake with the chocolate namelaka then there is no need to add the glaze as the citrus lemon flavour doesn't pair as well with the chocolate cream. Simply remove the namelaka from the fridge and whisk it up using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until you have a medium stiff peak. Pipe this onto the cake.