Orange Bread: The Soft Cake That Elevates Your Breakfast!
If you’re looking for an easy, quick, and incredibly fragrant dessert, Orange Bread is the recipe that should not be missing from your cookbook. This cake, with its soft and moist texture, has a secret: it is prepared using the whole orange, peel included! The result is an intense and authentic aroma that fills the house during baking, transforming the environment into an explosion of citrus scents.
Perfect to start the day with energy or for a delicious snack, Orange Bread is also extremely practical: all the ingredients are blended together, minimizing preparation time and dishes to wash. Say goodbye to large quantities of butter and oil; the vegetable oil used in this recipe, combined with the pulp and peel of the orange, ensures unparalleled softness and a cake that stays fresh for several days. Prepare it once, and it will become your kitchen staple!
Secrets for a Perfect Orange Bread
The success of your Orange Bread largely depends on the quality of the orange. Always choose an organic and untreated citrus fruit, as you will be using the peel as well. Wash it thoroughly and cut it into pieces, removing only the seeds. This practice not only intensifies the flavor but also helps keep the batter exceptionally moist. When you blend the orange with the oil, ensure you obtain an as homogeneous as possible cream: any coarse pieces could alter the final texture of the cake.
Another essential tip is to beat the eggs well with the sugar: this step is crucial to incorporate air and ensure the cake’s fluffiness. Finally, when adding flour and baking powder, stir gently, preferably by hand with a spatula, to avoid deflating the mixture and maintain all the incorporated air. The magic of this dessert lies in its simplicity, which hides a surprising goodness and versatility that will allow you to experiment with new variations.
Below are other desserts with oranges:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 452.77 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 60.04 (g) of which sugars 36.00 (g)
- Proteins 5.42 (g)
- Fat 23.07 (g) of which saturated 3.49 (g)of which unsaturated 18.64 (g)
- Fibers 0.98 (g)
- Sodium 19.65 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 260 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 orange (juice)
- 1 orange (whole with peel)
- 170 g sugar
- 130 ml vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 10 g baking powder
- 200 g all-purpose flour
Tools
- Mixer Moulinex DJ5201 Moulinette Essential, 4 Sharp Blades, Chops, Mixes and Minces, Chopper, 400 ml Bowl Capacity, 300 W, White
- Loaf Pans GOURMEO Loaf Pan – Rectangular Silicone Bread Pan – Cake Bread Sweet Mold – 300 g Dough – Oven Baking up to 230 °C – 22 cm
Orange Bread Steps
Wash the orange: Choose an organic orange with untreated peel. Wash it well, dry it, and cut it into pieces, removing only any internal seeds. Do not peel.
Preheat and prepare: Turn on the oven to 350°F and grease/flour a loaf pan or a 20-22 cm cake tin.
Blend the orange: Place the whole orange pieces in the bowl of a blender (or food processor) along with the vegetable oil. Blend until you get a smooth cream with no coarse pieces.
Create the base: In a separate bowl (or directly in the mixer if it’s large enough), beat the eggs with the sugar until they become light and fluffy.
Combine the mixtures: Add the orange and oil cream to the beaten eggs, mixing gently.
Add the dry ingredients: Sift the flour together with the baking powder and gradually incorporate them into the batter, stirring with a spatula to avoid lumps.
Baking: Pour the mixture into the mold and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Use a toothpick test before removing from the oven.
Orange Glaze
While the cake cools, prepare the glaze to make it shiny and even more fragrant:
In a small bowl, put the 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
Add the juice of half an orange one teaspoon at a time.
Mix vigorously until you get a thick but fluid consistency (it should ‘write’ when falling from the spoon).
Pour the glaze over the cake when it’s still warm or cold.
The extra touch: If you want an even more intense flavor, you can poke holes in the surface of the hot cake with a toothpick before pouring the glaze; this way, the juice will penetrate inside, making it irresistible.
Storage, notes, variations for orange bread
For an even more intoxicating aroma, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon to the batter.
Notes on Baking: If the surface darkens too much during baking, cover the cake with aluminum foil.
Storage: Orange Bread stays soft for 3-4 days at room temperature, well wrapped in plastic wrap or under a cake dome.
Delicious Variations:
With Chocolate: Add 50-80 g of dark chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
With Dried Fruit: Add a handful of raisins or chopped almonds for a crunchy note.
Gluten-Free: You can try replacing the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour mix, adding a teaspoon of xanthan gum for better structure.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use a non-organic orange?
It is strongly discouraged, as the peel, if not organic, may contain wax or non-edible chemical treatments.
My cake turned out a bit bitter, why?
This might be due to the excessive presence of the white part (albedo) of the orange, which should be carefully removed if it’s too thick.
