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    Home » Breakfast

    Healthy Orange Loaf Cake

    Posted: Oct 24, 2020 · Updated: Feb 12, 2021 by Tonje

    168 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This lovely, healthy orange loaf cake is hearty, filling and has a lovely citrus flavor. Perfect as a healthy treat or breakfast option!

    Orange loaf cake on a wooden board.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Top tips
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • Leftovers
    • Frequently asked questions
    • You might also like these recipes
    • Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about it in the privacy policy.

    I love to make a nice loaf cake for a Sunday brunch at home, and this is one of our favorites, especially during fall and winter. It's hearty and healthy, but moist and delicious, making it the best of both worlds in my opinion.

    This loaf is made using cake batter, and no yeast, so it's really quick and easy to prepare. It only takes a total of an hour to make, including baking time!

    To keep a strong orange flavor, we use freshly squeezed juice and zest from 2 oranges, as well as some orange extract. Use high quality oranges for a fantastic orange cake you'll make again and again.

    Ingredients

    Whole wheat flour: White whole wheat flour is more nutritious and more filling than all purpose flour, however either flour will work well!

    Oranges: We use both the orange juice and the orange zest.

    Honey: To sweeten the bread. You can also use agave nectar or maple syrup instead!

    Baking powder and baking soda: Both of these are required to give the loaf the best rise.

    Eggs: Eggs bind the other ingredients together.

    Vanilla & orange extract: Extracts add flavor to the bread. These are a recommended addition, but can be omitted if you don't have them available. Keep in mind that your bread might be a little plain without!

    Olive oil: Makes the bread really moist and delicious!

    The ingredients needed to make the cake laid out on a table.

    Instructions

    Preheat your oven to 360 °F / 180 °C / 160 °C fan oven.

    Zest the oranges, then cut them in half and squeeze out the juice. I like to use a fine grater like this one to zest, and this lemon juicer works perfectly to squeeze the juice!

    Add the orange juice, honey, eggs, olive oil, vanilla extract and orange extract to a mixing bowl, and stir to combine.

    Combine white whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and orange zest in a separate bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the wet.

    Stir to incorporate all ingredients. Be careful not to over mix the batter at this point - it's perfectly okay if there are some patches of flour here and there.

    Step by step instructions showing how to make orange loaf cake.

    Cover a loaf pan with parchment paper baking sheets, then pour in the cake batter.

    Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove it from the oven, and leave it to rest in the bread pan for about 5 minutes, before you remove the pan and leave the cake to rest on a cooling rack until it's cool enough to serve.

    Top tips

    • Make sure to buy oranges that aren't coated in wax. The zest of waxy oranges is really bitter and not very well suited for baking. Organic oranges are typically not waxed.
    • If you're unable to find unwaxed oranges, you can omit the zest and add a little extra orange extract.
    Sliced orange loaf with oranges on the side.

    Serving suggestions

    You can serve slices of orange bread as a treat without any toppings, however I like to slice it and top it with some of my favorite spreads. Butter, cream cheese, blueberry jam and peanut butter all tastes great on this loaf.

    As this is a healthy and filling bread, it's well suited as a breakfast alternative. I also love to serve a slice with my afternoon tea as a treat, or even as dessert. It's really versatile, and has so many possible uses.

    If you want to serve the orange loaf cake as a treat, you can even add one of the add-ins suggested below. My favorite is added dark chocolate chips!

    Close up of slices of orange loaf.

    Variations

    With add-ins: You can add any optional add-ins such as raisins, sultanas, chocolate chips, dried cranberries and roughly chopped nuts for a flavor variation.

    Mixed citrus: Feel free to combine the juice and zest from oranges with other citrus fruits such as lemons or blood oranges.

    Egg free: Use an egg replacement, or flax eggs for an egg free orange bread.

    Vegan: Substitute the honey with agave nectar or maple syrup, and the egg with an egg substitute (I like this one!) to make a vegan loaf.

    Leftovers

    You can store leftover orange loaf in a sealed container or a paper bag in your pantry for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.

    Defrost your bread in the refrigerator overnight, and serve it at room temperature, or reheat it in a microwave for a few seconds if you prefer to serve it warmed.

    If you have two bread pans, you can easily double the recipe and make two orange loaves at the same time. Enjoy one immediately, and freeze the other one for later! This is a great recipe to use up a surplus of oranges.

    Healthy orange loaf cake on a wooden chopping board, with two slices sliced off.

    Frequently asked questions

    What does orange zest mean?

    Orange zest is finely grated orange peel. Use a fine grater to peel the other layer of the oranges directly.

    You might also like these recipes

    • Healthy Banana Bread with Blueberries
    • Healthy Lemon Blueberry Muffins
    • Dried Orange Slices
    • Healthy Banana Oat muffins with Raisins
    • Blueberry Overnight Oats
    • Flaxseed Oatmeal

    Recipe

    Healthy Orange Loaf Cake.

    Healthy Orange Loaf Cake

    This lovely, healthy orange loaf cake is hearty, filling and has a lovely citrus flavor. Perfect as a healthy treat or breakfast option!
    5 from 2 votes
    Created by: Tonje
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 slices
    Calories 173 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cup white whole wheat flour (250 g)
    • 2 oranges
    • 3 eggs
    • ½ cup honey (120 ml)
    • ⅓ cup olive oil (80 ml)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 360 °F / 180 °C / 160 °C fan oven.
    • Zest the oranges, then cut them in half and squeeze out the juice. I like to use a fine grater like this one to zest, and this lemon juicer works perfectly to squeeze the juice!
    • Add the orange juice, honey, eggs, olive oil, vanilla extract and orange extract to a mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
    • Combine white whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and orange zest in a separate bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the wet.
    • Stir to incorporate all ingredients. Be careful not to over mix the batter at this point - it's perfectly okay if there are some patches of flour here and there.
    • Cover a loaf pan with parchment paper baking sheets, then pour in the cake batter.
    • Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove it from the oven, and leave it to rest in the bread pan for about 5 minutes, before you remove the pan and leave the cake to rest on a cooling rack until it's cool enough to serve.

    Video

    Notes

    • Make sure to buy oranges that aren’t coated in wax. The zest of waxy oranges is really bitter and not very well suited for baking. Organic oranges are typically not waxed.
    • If you’re unable to find unwaxed oranges, you can omit the zest and add a little extra orange extract.
    • You can store leftover orange loaf in a sealed container or a paper bag in your pantry for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 337mgPotassium: 79mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 109IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword bread, cake, healthy, loaf, oranges
    Tried this recipe?Mention @hintofhealthyfood or tag #hintofhealthy!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Boni

      February 09, 2023 at 2:05 am

      5 stars
      Easy, delicious, and healthy. I made a lemon glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice and it was a great dessert. Leftovers for breakfast.

      Reply

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