Chocolate Buttermilk + Blood Orange Loaf Cake with Cacao Nibs
If February isn’t officially the month of blood oranges, it should be. I have been thinking of any and every way to use them lately. Not only are they so beautiful, but they add such a lovely sweet and tart flavor to both sweet and savory recipes alike. I absolutely love pairing them with chocolate, like I did with these fudgy brownies over on Jojotastic so I decided to do it again! This time in the form of a simple, moist and perfectly tender loaf cake. This chocolatey and not-too-sweet loaf cake is studded with the soft crunch and pleasant bitterness of raw cacao nibs and the sweet and tart glaze on top is the perfect counter-balance. It’s the perfect snack or sweet treat, too! Please let me know if you make this and share if you do using #allpurposeflourchild and be sure to tag me @all.purpose.flour.child too so I can see! I love seeing your creations!
Chocolate Buttermilk Blood Orange Loaf with Cacao Nibs
makes 1 9 x 3 inch loaf
2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring loaf pan
1/2 c cocoa powder (I love Valrhona)
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t Himalayan pink salt
1/2 c unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature, plus more for buttering loaf pan
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 c blood orange juice (from about 3-4 medium sized blood oranges)
2 T blood orange zest (from about 2-3 medium sized blood oranges)
3/4 c buttermilk, room temperature
1/4 c + 1 T cacao nibs, divided
1 blood orange, washed and thinly sliced
glaze
1 c powdered sugar
2 T blood orange juice
1 T blood orange zest
pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Butter and flour a 9 x 3 inch loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium-high for about a minute or so, until light and fluffy and pale. Add in the eggs and beat again on medium-high for about 5 minutes, until fluffy and light in color. Add in the vanilla and mix again to combine. In a glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and orange juice and zest. With the mixer on medium-low, add in about a third of the flour mixture, allowing to mix until mostly incorporated then add half the buttermilk mixture, and repeat with another third of the flour mixture, repeating until both mixtures are gone. You should start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until batter is smooth and everything is fully incorporated. Add in the 1/4 cup cacao nibs and mix to combine. Pour the batter into the buttered and floured loaf pan, smoothing out the top. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before glazing.
While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by whisking together all the glaze ingredients. Glaze should be thick but pourable, about the consistency of honey. When cake is cool to the touch, remove from loaf pan and place on a cooling rack. Drizzle the glaze over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of cacao nibs on top and fresh slices of blood orange if you’d like. Allow glaze to set then slice and enjoy!
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