Mary Berry Orange Loaf Cake

58 min Added by Julian

Baked well, moist and yummy

https://britishchefstable.com/mary-berry-orange-loaf-cake/

Ingredients

  • ½ cup margarine (or butter, I won’t judge)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest (about 1 large orange)
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional, if you’re a nut person)

For the glaze:

  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup white sugar

How to Make It

Prep the scene:

Grease a 9×5-inch loaf tin with butter or cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). If your oven runs hot like mine, maybe check in early.

Stir up your dry bits:

In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and walnuts (if using). Set aside. Try not to forget this step like I always do.

Beat the wet stuff:

In a bigger bowl, cream the margarine and sugar until it’s light and fluffy-ish. Use a hand mixer if you’ve got one, or just a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the orange zest and juice. It might look a bit curdled here. That’s fine. Carry on.

Fold it all together:

Tip the dry mix into the wet and stir gently until it’s just combined. Don’t overmix — this isn’t bread dough and we don’t want tough cake.

Bake it:

Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Smooth the top. Bake for about an hour. Mine usually takes 58 minutes, but every oven’s a bit of a diva, so keep an eye around 50. If it’s browning too quickly on top, lay a bit of foil over it.

Make the sticky glaze:

While the cake’s baking, gently heat the orange juice and sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Don’t boil it — we’re making syrup, not jam.

Soak and cool:

When the cake comes out, don’t take it out of the tin yet. Poke a few holes in the top with a skewer and pour the warm glaze over slowly so it soaks in. Let it sit in the tin for 10–15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Or just slice it warm and live your best life.