Blood Orange Yogurt Cake

Winter is tough. Its cold, dark, and food-wise can be especially long and dreary if you aren't really into root vegetables or greens, like me (I mean...they're ok...but nothing that gets me excited). The one bright spot in winter - the thing that really keeps me going - is citrus. Grapefruits, tangerines, satsumas, and for a few short weeks...blood oranges. I love them all.


You know what else I love? This cake. I have made this once before on this blog, with Grapefruit (as per the recipe I got it from), and I completely fell in love with it and knew it would be awesome with Blood Oranges as well. In fact, you can probably substitute just about any citrus fruit you like.


 
So, when I saw an abundance of blood oranges at the market last week I decided it was time to make this delicious cake again (and I might make a grapefruit one again as well because its just that good). If you use something like a Microplane that gets some good zest from your oranges (I got myself one for christmas, yay!) this will be an intensely strong flavored cake. The glaze forms a sweet and adorably pink crust on the outside that contrasts nicely with the orange/yellow cake inside (note - cooking mine for the recommend time in a convection oven the crust got a little more brown than I liked, but it still tasted great and didn't seem overdone). The yogurt makes it light, fluffy and moist and its a perfect mix of sweet and tart. I loved every last bite of it.

Blood Orange Yogurt Cake
adapted from Ina Garten via SmittenKitchen
1 1/2 cups flour (recommend is all-purpose but I used German type 405 which is more similar to cake flour and it was great)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 c plain yogurt (I used greek-style with 10% fat)
1 c plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
1 or 2 tablespoons grated Blood Orange zest (honestly, this can really be to taste...the cake is very sweet and I find that more zest equals strong citrus-y tartness which contrasts nicely with the sugar)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice

For the glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350f/180c. Grease a loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, orange zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the olive oil into the batter, making sure it?s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup blood orange juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan or plate. While the cake is still warm, pour the blood orange-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and few tablespoons juice - it will make a delicious pinkish/reddish glaze - and pour over the cake.