Tender loaf cake with a balance of orange and spice, complemented by candied ginger and an orange glaze. This is the perfect winter coffee treat!

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There’s something so satisfying about stumbling upon a good recipe. I honestly was just trying to think of a way to use the jug of freshly squeeze orange juice and half dozen oranges my in laws gave us from their tree. And I wanted something easy. Yep, that’s been my thing lately.

I figure making it through 2020 alive was hard enough; why add more stress?

Speaking of, please be kind to yourself this holiday season. Try to speak up when you’ve reached your limit or need help or need love. YOU ARE WORTH IT. And, in the same vein, please be kind to each other. This has been a difficult year for everyone in different ways, seen and unseen. Maybe, just maybe, giving love and kindness will be therapeutic.

Okay, now about this orange spice loaf! It goes perfectly with coffee! Or tea! Or cocoa, whatever your drink of choice. But it’s a perfect morning snack or post-brunch dessert.

The candied ginger is entirely optional. I had quite a bit left over and felt it would go perfectly in this loaf (it did). But what really makes it is the balance of orange and spice. You could even kick up the spices a bit, but as-is this loaf has a great balance of sweet, spicy, and citrusy.

One final thing: I made a large batch because I have a large pan (8x5, but fairly deep). In the notes I give options for using a smaller pan. But most people I know have a 9x5 loaf pan, and I wanted a recipe that makes a nice and tall loaf so you get that classic coffee shop sized slice.

How to make candied ginger orange spice loaf

First, prep your orange zest and juice (juice not pictured because I got ahead of myself), melt your butter, and chop your candied ginger. Our homegrown oranges have very little zest, so it took me a few oranges to get 2 tablespoons. I also used about 3 large pieces of candied ginger.

Next, mix your dry ingredients, including your orange zest. This helps make the zest fragrant and more flavorful.

Whisk your wet ingredients, minus the eggs, until well blended. Then add the eggs. This helps prevent the melted butter scrambling the eggs. Whisk very well, until completely smooth.

Combine your wet and dry ingredients along with the candied ginger. Stir gently until combined. There will be some lumps from the ginger as well as some flour, so don’t worry about those. Pour into a prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.

While the loaf cools, make your glaze by whisking powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. You glaze the still-warm loaf right in the pan or remove it to a plate to glaze. Top with more chopped candied ginger, if desired (I opted out so my cute loaf design could be seen).

Thats it! Enjoy!

Notes for this recipe

Decrease recipe for an 8x4 pan

You could obviously keep this recipe as-is and pour the extra batter into muffin tins or a mini cake pan. But if you don’t have a 9x5 loaf pan or just want a smaller loaf, below is the conversion of ingredients for you:

1 1/2 cups (204g) flour, spooned and leveled
2/3 cup (133g) brown sugar
1/3 cup (67g) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
2 tablespoons (12g) grated orange zest
1 tablespoon (8g) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (3g) ground ginger
Dash of ground allspice
Dash of ground cardamom
4 tablespoons (56g) melted butter
4 tablespoons (56g) avocado or vegetable oil
2/3 cup (150g) full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream, room temperature
1/3 cup (77g) orange juice, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1-2 tablespoons (13-26g) chopped candied ginger

Don’t over mix the batter

As with any breakfast baked good, lumps are okay! I remember trying to make muffins when I was a kid and thinking I was so advanced because I mixed the batter until there were no lumps. Terrible idea. Once everything is combined, meaning no chunks of unmixed flour, then you’re good.

My loaf cake tools

Here are my must-have tools I use for making this loaf cake. Affiliate links provided.

Stand mixer or handheld mixer

Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)

8x4 loaf pan or 9x5 loaf pan

You might also like:

Candied Ginger Orange Spice Loaf

Print

prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 45-60 minutes
total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

for the loaf

2 ⅓ cups flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
¾ teaspoons ground ginger
a couple dashes allspice
a couple dashes ground cardamom
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
6 tablespoons avocado or vegetable oil
1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, room temperature
½ cup fresh orange juice, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger

for the glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons fresh orange juice (to your preferred consistency)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Optionally, you can line it with parchment paper, but it’s not necessary.
Prep your ingredients by grating your orange zest, juicing your orange, melting your butter, and chopping your ginger.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices together. Whisk in both sugars and the orange zest, until the zest is fragrant. Set aside.
In another, larger bowl, whisk together your melted butter, oil, yogurt, and orange juice until well combined. Whisk in your eggs until well combined and completely smooth (this helps prevent scrambling the eggs).
Add the flour mixture and chopped candied ginger. Stir gently until fully combined. It should still have some lumps in it, partly from the chopped ginger and partly from the flour, but it shouldn’t look separated, chunky, or dry in spots.
Pour into your prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden/dark golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Check early so it doesn’t over bake. If it starts to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil. Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes or so, or completely in the pan.
While the loaf cools, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. You can adjust the ratios until you’re happy with the consistency. I wanted a thicker glaze, which you can see in the above photos. A thinner glaze can be applied in layers as well, if desired. Pour over cooled (or slightly still warm) loaf, either in the pan or on a place or cooling rack. Slice and serve.

Enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days and enjoy with your morning coffee all week!