Beetroot And Orange Loaf Cake
Beetroot and Orange Loaf Cake has been a household favourite for many years. In fact, when we were professional caterers, at least every fortnight, there would be at least 60 loaves of this going out to clients as it was requested often.
Beetroot is another Superfood, and the nutritional contributions from the beetroot and the walnuts mean you can enjoy this cake without too much guilt. And, it’s also dairy-free!
The Walnuts add a little crunch to the otherwise moist texture of this loaf cake; the moistness is achieved due to the use of oil instead of butter. The orange and juice imparted from the beetroot combine with the oil to create a cake that is light, fluffy, and soft.
Perfect with your morning cup of tea/coffee, as lunchbox filler, or when guests unexpectedly appear at your door, this Beetroot and Orange Loaf Cake is packed with flavour. The extra sweetness from the beetroot is evenly tempered by the acidity of the orange zest and combined with the texture from the walnuts this loaf cake is a lot more than meets the eye.
For me though the best part about this loaf cake is that it is almost impossible not to get perfect results each time, it just seems so user-friendly and easy to put together. Although the baking time is a little longer than usual we think you’ll agree that the Beetroot and Orange Loaf Cake is a sure-fire winner!
Beetroot and Orange Loaf Cake
Equipment
- Electronic digital scales
- 2 Loaf tins 21 x 11cm 8½ x 4¼ inches
- Electric Hand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 225 grams Grated Beetroot [8 ounces] wash, peel & grate a fresh beetroot
- 235 ml Rapeseed Oil [ 8.3 ounces] any good quality vegetable based oil
- 350 grams Sugar [1 3/4 cup] use 50 grams less if you are icing the top of the cake
- 3 medium Eggs
- 10 ml Vanilla Extract [2 teaspoons] Use a good quality product- it does make a difference
- 375 grams Flour [13 1/4 ounces] All purpose or T45
- 5 grams Bicarbonate of Soda [1 teaspoon]
- 1 gram Baking Powder [ a large pinch]
- 5 grams Cinnamon [1 teaspoon]
- 2 grams salt [ a large pinch]
- 60 grams Chopped Walnuts [1/3 cup]
- Zest of 1/3 of a large orange or to taste
For the glaze (optional)
- Play around with this to get the sweetness and the zest to your preference. Squeeze 1- 1½ Tablespoon of orange juice, and whisk in enough powdered sugar to form a loose paste
Instructions
- Gather and weigh your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 165c (325 F), line the loaf tins with baking paper.
- Grate the beetroot, zest the orange, crush the walnuts and set aside, separately.
- Cream the sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil
- In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Fold in the dry mix to the creamed mix - don't over mix.Add the crushed walnuts and the zest, just mixing through.
- Pour mixture into the prepared loaf tins and bake for approximately an hour- ovens vary in temperature and it may take a bit longer. I start testing after about 50 minutes; when the knife or skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready
- When the loaf cakes are ready, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, remove from the tins, and carry on cooling on the racks. This is the time to brush the glaze on the top of the loaf cake if you are using, then zest a bit more of your orange and sprinkle on top.I don't always use the glaze, and when I don't, I brush some freshly squeezed orange juice on the top of the loaf cakes when they come out of the oven.
