Blood Orange Poppy Seed Loaf (Printable version)

Zesty blood orange loaf enriched with marzipan and poppy seeds—a vibrant treat for tea time or special brunches.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
05 - 8.5 ounces unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - Zest of 2 blood oranges
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2.8 ounces marzipan, grated
10 - 4 fluid ounces blood orange juice
11 - 2 fluid ounces whole milk
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Blood Orange Glaze

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons blood orange juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and blood orange zest until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
05 - Fold in grated marzipan until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
06 - In a separate bowl, combine blood orange juice, milk, and vanilla extract.
07 - Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with blood orange mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined—avoid overmixing.
08 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface.
09 - Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
10 - Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Whisk powdered sugar with blood orange juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake and allow to set before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The marzipan melts into the crumb and creates pockets of almond sweetness you won't see coming.
  • It stays moist for days because of the orange juice and grated marzipan working together like magic.
  • The ruby glaze makes it look like you spent twice the effort you actually did.
  • Poppy seeds add a gentle crunch that keeps each bite interesting.
02 -
  • Don't skip grating the marzipan, if you try to crumble it by hand it will form lumps that won't melt.
  • Room temperature ingredients blend faster and create a lighter crumb, cold eggs will make the butter seize up.
  • The cake is done when the top springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
03 -
  • Press the poppy seeds lightly into the top of the batter before baking for a prettier presentation.
  • If your blood oranges aren't very red, add a tiny drop of natural red food coloring to the glaze for that signature blush.
  • Let the cake cool completely before glazing or the icing will soak in instead of sitting on top.
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