This Blood Orange and Cranberry Loaf Cake is the perfect afternoon tea cake. It’s full of citrus flavour, loaded with tart cranberries and drizzled with a sweet pink glaze.

So many of my recipes have been inspired by the ingredients that I happen to have on hand. I don’t tend to impulse purchase clothes or handbags – I impulse buy fruit. And then of course, I have to come up with an idea to use it up. It’s my toxic trait – picking up a bunch of rhubarb with no plan for what to make… but it has led to many of my very favourite recipes like Banana Biscoff Cheesecake Muffins and Apple Miso Crumble.

This time it was Blood Oranges – homegrown and lovingly gifted from my Nanna. No way could I let those beauties go to waste! I just knew that whatever I made absolutely needed to have a pink glaze. Luckily I had a bag of frozen cranberries in my freezer!

I seem to be very inspired by Northern Hemisphere fall at the moment. I use dried cranberries so often that I buy them in bulk bags from Costco, but I had never used fresh or frozen ones before. Of course I had to taste test one on its own and was a lil shocked by how tart and sour it was! But they baked up absolutely beautifully in this delicious loaf cake and added a gorgeous colour to the glaze.

What is a loaf cake? 

A loaf cake gets its name purely from the fact that it’s baked in a loaf shaped tin. But in my mind, loaf cakes have a glaze or are served unadorned. Round cakes usually have some variety of icing. Loaf cakes seem to also be able to stand up to a more dense mixture, for example a pound cake. Or as I most like to do – a cake with enough structure to be studded with fruit without it all sinking to the bottom. The sour cream in the batter keeps it moist without making the batter too thin. I absolutely love the texture that it creates. 

I loved this cake in a loaf shape, but there are no rules here. You can of course make it in a round cake tin or even as cute little cupcakes. To me, loaf cakes also make the perfect afternoon tea cake.

Got friends coming over? This cake can be put together in about an hour or so with just a hand-held mixer, a bowl and a zester. Add the pretty pink Cranberry and Blood Orange Glaze and cut into generous slices as your guests arrive. Believe me when I say this cake is perfect with a cup of  your favourite tea. If you can find a tea on the same flavour spectrum with some fruity cranberry, pomegranate or orange even better.

I used the base recipe from another cake I’ve blogged before, which shows that it can be adapted with ease. If the original Blueberry, Lemon and Thyme Cake is the spring/summer version, then this Blood Orange and Cranberry Loaf Cake has serious autumn/winter vibes. But you could use definitely this recipe with other flavourings and fresh or frozen berries too!

Related Post: Strawberry Cake

Print

Blood Orange and Cranberry Loaf Cake

This Blood Orange and Cranberry Loaf Cake is the perfect afternoon tea cake. It’s full of citrus flavour, loaded with tart cranberries and drizzled with a sweet pink glaze.

Course Afternoon Tea, Cake, Dessert

Keyword Afternoon Tea, Autumn, Cake, Snack, Winter

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 110 g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup 135g sour cream
• 1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Zest of 3 blood oranges
• Juice of 1 1/2 blood oranges
• 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen (not dried)

Blood Orange and Cranberry Glaze

• 1/4 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen (not dried)
• Juice of 1 1/2 blood oranges
• 1 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan forced (350°F). Grease and line a loaf pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and sour cream and beat until combined. Add the eggs and mix in one at a time until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and blood orange zest. Beat until combined, being careful not to overmix. Add the fresh or frozen cranberries and gently mix in with a spatula.
3. Pour the cake batter into the loaf pan and bake for around 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the loaf pan.
4. In the meantime, make the glaze. In a blender or Nutribullet, blend together the cranberries and blood orange juice. Strain through a sieve and reserve the juice. Sift the icing sugar in, starting with 1 cup and stir to combine. Continue to add icing sugar 1/4 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I used 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar total.
5. To serve, drizzle the glaze over the top of the cooled cake to cover completely. Serve in thick slices with a cup of your favourite tea.
6. You can store the cake unglazed in an air-tight container for 1-2 days or until you’re ready to serve. Once glazed, this cake is best eaten within 2 days.