A vibrant, zesty blood orange loaf cake, featuring poppy seeds and rich marzipan. Moist, aromatic, and perfect for a special treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Cake
01 - 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - Zest of 2 blood oranges
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - ⅓ cup marzipan, grated
10 - ½ cup blood orange juice (from about 2–3 blood oranges)
11 - ¼ cup whole milk
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ For the Blood Orange Glaze
13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2–3 tablespoons blood orange juice
# Method:
01 - Preheat your 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 the butter, sugar, and blood orange zest until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
05 - Fold in the grated marzipan until evenly distributed.
06 - In a separate bowl, combine blood orange juice, milk, and vanilla extract.
07 - Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the blood orange mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined—do not overmix.
08 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
09 - Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10 - Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar with blood orange juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Let set before slicing.
