This Easy Blood Orange Drizzle Cake is a twist on a classic lemon favourite. It is super simple to make, uses only handful of ingredients and is wonderfully tangy and moist. Perfect dessert or accompaniment to afternoon tea!
My love affair with blood oranges continues, although (sadly) the season is now slowly coming to an end. Funny enough, this late in the season, I finally got some of that gorgeous “blood” hue in my oranges I didn’t have earlier on. Even though it doesn’t affect the flavour at the slightest and they were delicious throughout, I just love how beautiful they look in their full glory. Consider this Easy Blood Orange Drizzle Cake as my grand finale to what’s been a fantastic and full of Vit C and citrus goodness winter season!
This recipe is based on very traditional, all-in-one method for the lemon drizzle cake I’ve been making for years. It has recently dawned on me (when enjoying yet another tasty blood orange) that I should really try taking advantage of this gorgeous juicy fruit in the drizzle cake. The result of my little swap was absolutely delicious and I simply had to share this recipe on the blog.
Do not fret if you don’t have access to blood oranges. Simply substitute them with any type you can get your hands on. I find Navel Oranges (widely available) the closest in sweetness. They also don’t have any seeds which is always a bonus.
Helpful tips when baking Easy Blood Orange Drizzle Cake
As much as I love cakes baked with butter I must say that when it comes to cakes that use “all-in-one” method you cannot beat baking spread. You can of course use butter here as well if that’s your preference.
Make sure that as soon as your cake is out of the oven you make a lot of little wholes with the skewer (as per my step-by-step photos below) and pour your blood orange syrup over them while the cake is still nice and hot. This will ensure maximum absorption and keep your cake so beautifully moist! Once you’ve done that, let your cake cool completely in a tin and only then turn it out onto a plate.
Easy Blood Orange Drizzle Cake – Step-By-Step
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- 1. Cake mixture
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- 2. Ready for the oven
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- 3. Straight out of the oven, use the skewer to make little holes all over the cake
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- 4. This will help for all the gorgeous blood orange syrup to be absorbed
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- 5. Syrupy blood orange and sugar glaze
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- 6. Pour the syrupy glaze over the cake and allow it to cool in the tin for maximum syrup absorption
Easy Blood Orange Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
Blood Orange Drizzle Cake
- 225 g caster sugar
- 225 g self-raising flour sieved
- 225 g baking spread or softened unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- zest of one blood orange
- 100 ml milk
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
Topping
- juice and zest of one blood orange
- 100 g caster sugar
Loaf tin (23x11cm / 9x4inch) or 20cm/8inch round cake tin
Instructions
Blood Orange Drizzle Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / gas mark 4.
- Prepare a loaf tin or alternatively round cake tin (as per above) by greasing it and lining with greaseproof paper.
- Put caster sugar, baking spread, eggs and blood orange zest into the mixing bowl. Next add sieved flour and baking powder followed by milk. Mix using paddle attachment of your food processor or with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until all the ingredients are combined and your mixture looks smooth.
- Pour your cake mixture onto prepared loaf or cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for approx. 50 min until the skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
- Prepare your syrupy topping by mixing caster sugar with juice and zest of one blood orange until sugar dissolves in the juice.
- Take your cake out of the oven and put it on the cooling rack.
- Using the skewer, prick the top of your cake all over to make little holes.
- Spoon syrupy topping gently all over the cake allowing for it to get through the little holes. Make sure you use up the entire mixture.
- Let the cake stand in the tin until completely cooled. Remove it from the tin, slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate and should be treated as a guideline only.
- Feel free to use softened unsalted butter instead of baking spread if you want.
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature and the flour is sieved.
- The syrupy topping should be poured over the cake as soon as it's out of the oven for maximum absorption.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on 20 March 2018 and updated in March 2019 with some more useful info, updated Pin and recipe card.
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I’m linking my Easy Blood Orange Drizzle Cake with the following pages:
Cook Blog Share hosted by Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy and Monika at Everyday Healthy Recipes
Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Corina at Searching for Spice
Brilliant Blog Posts hosted by Vicki at Honest Mum Blog
Bake of the Week by Helen at CasaCostello and Jenny at MummyMishaps
Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily at A Mummy Too
Amy Kozusko says
This cake is delicious! I added poppy seeds to the batter and increased the liquid in the syrup to the juice of one and a half blood oranges, and it turned out great. My syrup didn’t get all the way to the bottom of the cake like I’d expected, but it was so tasty, it didn’t matter. Thanks so much for sharing!
joskitchenlarder says
Oh wow Amy, I’m so pleased you made my cake and enjoyed it too! I really like the poppy seeds added to the batter twist. 🙂 As for the syrup sinking all the way to the bottom, the sooner you pour the syrupy glaze over the cake once it’s out of the oven the better as warm cake acts as a real sponge and soaks it in beautifully resulting in a really moist cake. Perhaps next time you might want to try making slightly bigger holes with the skewer, that might help too. I’m glad you enjoyed the cake though and your feedback really made my day! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by! x
Janice says
I made your blood orange drizzle cake and it is awesome! The cake is light and tender and the sweet drizzle is so delicious, a new favourite for me.
joskitchenlarder says
Oh wow, I’m so pleased to hear you liked it! Thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂 It is such a quick and easy bake isn’t it and does make the most of lovely blood oranges!
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
What a great idea Jo, I love drizzle cake and being a recent convert to blood oranges too I can well imagine how yummy it is! I love that beautiful colour of red/deep pink of the blood oranges you’ve used. Thankyou too for linking up with #BakingCrumbs,
Angela x
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Angela! 🙂 It makes a bit of a change from the lemon version and is as delicious! I will surely miss blood oranges but now I know there are definitely worth waiting for. They are such a treat during winter months! Pleasure to link up as always! x
[email protected] says
That blood orange is beautiful! I love your step by step pictures!
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Patrick! 🙂
jenny walters says
Gosh this looks good Jo, really good!Pinned!x
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Jenny! 🙂 Can’t beat a good drizzle cake. xx
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
This looks so delicious. I love a loaf cake and your blood oranges look so pretty.
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Cat! 🙂 The most recent ones I baked this cake with were particularly red, really pretty indeed. 🙂
Corina Blum says
This cake sounds so tasty Jo and it looks beautiful with the blood oranges. I love drizzle cakes as they are usually so delicious and moist so thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Corina! I can’t believe I haven’t baked drizzle cake with blood oranges earlier. I got there in the end though lol x
Jenny Paulin says
this is such a beautiful looking cake Jo . the colours of it are so lovely. I bet it is so moist and packed fall off flavour too. that you for sharing with #Bakeoftheweek x
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Jenny! ? It is a lovely cake and the citrus smell once you pour the syrupy topping over the hot cake is out of this world too ? x
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
What a great idea. I’m sure the great flavour of blood oranges would be fabulous in a drizzle cake. None of the blood oranges I have got this year have been that red but they still taste amazing. Thank you for linking to #CookBlogshare
joskitchenlarder says
Thanks Jacqui! ? I think citrus fruit was made for drizzle cakes ? or the other way perhaps lol It’s such hit and miss with blood orange colour but thankfully flavour is always there ?
Louise (Cooking with Kids) says
My mouth is watering reading this post ?. I love drizzle cakes and this one looks amazing. Thanks for sharing
joskitchenlarder says
Thank you Louise 🙂 Drizzle cakes are such great classics, aren’t they and it would be a shame to only make them with lemons lol 🙂