Orange Zucchini Loaf

Orange gives this zucchini loaf a delicious accent flavour and is delicately spiced with cinnamon and allspice. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 oz vegetable oil

zest of 1 orange

2 oz fresh squeezed orange juice

1 1/2 cups unpeeled shredded zucchini

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

2 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

First shred the zucchini on a box grater, then roll it up in a clean dishtowel and wring out the excess liquid. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside. In another bowl mix the sugar, oil, zest, orange juice and eggs together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions. Stir in the zucchini. Grease an 8 X 4" loaf pan and pour the batter in. Bake at 350°F for 60-65 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on rack for 30 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely before slicing. Serves 8 

Adapted from noplatelikehome.com

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Pear Zucchini Loaf

Juicy chunks of pear and a bunch of good-for-you zucchini that no one will know is in there!

This recipe makes 2 - 8 X 4" loaves or 24 muffins 

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled, diced firm pears

3 cups shredded zucchini, unpeeled and lightly squeezed out

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup tahini paste (or 1 cup oil and no tahini)

1 tbsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp salt 

Prepare the pans you choose to use, either oil and line the bottom of loaf pans or paper liners for muffins. Combine the zucchini, sugars, eggs, oil, tahini and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together. Then add the wet ingredients to dry mixing just until combined. Fold in the pears and pour the batter into pans. Bake at 325°F for 60-65 minutes for loaves, 22-25 minutes for muffins. A cake tester should come out clean. Cool 10 minutes. 

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Zucchini Banana Loaf and Muffins

Inundated with zucchinis? Freezer full of super ripe bananas? Then this recipe is for you! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

2 tbsps wheat germ

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 1/2 tsps baking soda

2 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2 ripe, medium size bananas, mashed

2 tsps vanilla

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup raisins 

Mix the two flours, oats, wheat germ, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt together. In a separate bowl beat the eggs, one at a time, until light. Add the sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, banana and vanilla. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together mixing just until combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini and raisins. Pour into prepared pans, either greased and floured loaf pans or paper lined muffin tins. Bake loaves at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or muffins for 22-25 minutes. Check with a cake tester for doneness. Makes 2 - 9 X 5" loaves or 16 medium muffins. Or if you like, 1 loaf and 8 muffins.

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Clementine Sweet Mincemeat Loaf

This cake is fruity and moist and is a lovely substitute to traditional heavy Christmas fruitcake. Candied clementines give it an extra sweet decadence. Added bonus is it uses up the leftover sweet mincemeat from making mincemeat tarts!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 1/2 cups sweet mincemeat (if short on mincemeat add a few raisins)

1 cup mixed peel

2 clementines, zest and juice

 

Candied clementines:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 clementines

Start with making the candied clementines because they take a bit of time to make. Slice the clementines as thinly as possible. Mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the clementine slices and reduce heat. Simmer for 2 hours. The clementines will appear translucent.

Carefully lift the slices out of the saucepan and onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 200°F oven for 45-60 minutes until just tacky to the touch. Once out of the oven turn each slice over onto a clean spot on the paper and let cool completely. Reserve the remaining syrup in the pot.

For the cake, cream the butter and brown sugar together, then add the eggs one at a time. Mix the sweet mincemeat, mixed peel, clementine zest and juice together and add to the butter mixture. I was short on leftover mincemeat so I added 1/4 cup of raisins. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the wet ingredients. Grease and line an 8 X 4" loaf pan and turn the batter into the pan. Bake at 325°F for 1 1/4 hours or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10-15 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Leave it upside down.

Using a silicone brush, glaze the entire loaf with the reserved clementine syrup. Place the clementine slices in a (more decoratively placed than I) pattern on the loaf and glaze over the slices and loaf.

Love that shine!

Cool completely before slicing.

Adapted from: patisseriemakesitperfect.co.uk

Link to my Two Bite Sweet Mincemeat Tarts:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2021/12/two-bite-sweet-mincemeat-tarts.html 

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Lemon Loaf Cake

Lemons were on sale this week so I tried this not-too-sweet cake with lots of lemon zing! Pucker up! 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour, sifted

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup milk

2 large eggs

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Syrup:

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp water

zest and juice of 1 lemon

Glaze:

1/2 cup icing sugar

zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp lemon juice

Start by oiling a 9 X 5" loaf pan and lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.

Sift the flour and add the baking powder and salt.

In a large mixer bowl cream the butter and sugar together until it turns light yellow. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add 1/2 the milk and 1/2 the flour. Once combined add the rest of the milk and flour along with the zest and lemon juice. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake at 325°F for 60-65 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Add the syrup ingredients to a small saucepan and warm to melt the sugar. When the cake is baked, leave it in the pan and poke it through to the bottom several times with a skewer. Pour the warm syrup over letting it absorb into the cake.

Cool 20 minutes then remove from the pan, take the parchment off and let cool completely on a rack.

When the cake is cooled mix up the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top. You can sprinkle more lemon zest on top before it sets.

Then go ahead and enjoy a slice!

Original recipe from: lovefoodies.com

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Cranberry Sauce Loaf

Check your fridge... you might still have some leftover cranberry sauce lurking in the back somewhere! Or make up some fresh cranberry sauce and go for this lovely loaf. I always keep a bag of frozen cranberries in the freezer just in case. You can find a recipe link for my sauce recipe at the end of this post.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 cup Greek yogurt or regular yogurt with 1 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup cranberry sauce (store bought or homemade)

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yogurt and sugar together. I used regular mango flavoured yogurt with lemon juice. You can try different flavours or stick to vanilla. Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the yogurt mixture. Add the flour etc. to the wet and mix just until well combined.

Pour 1/2 the batter into a parchment lined 8 X 4" loaf pan with parchment long enough to help lift the loaf out when baked. Dollop 1/2 the cranberry sauce then add the remaining batter. 

Top with the rest of the cranberry sauce and swirl back and forth with a skewer. Resist swirling too much.

Bake at 350°F for 65-75 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on rack 1 hour, then carefully lift out of the pan using the parchment "handles".  Remove the parchment paper and cool completely on rack about 2 hours before slicing. 

It's got a beautiful spongey texture!

Recipe for homemade Cranberry Sauce:

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2015/10/orange-cranberry-sauce.html

Adapted from: aheadofthyme.com

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Cranberry Date Nut Loaf

If you need a break from all the super sweet stuff over the holidays, just sit down with a cup of coffee and a slice of Cranberry Date Nut Loaf smeared with butter. 

Ingredients:

3 cups hot coffee or boiling water

2 1/4 cups chopped dates

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tbsps vegetable oil

4 tsps vanilla extract

4 cups flour

4 tsps baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups chopped walnuts

1 cup dried cranberries

Start by chopping the dates. It says chop, but I find snipping them with kitchen scissors easier. Then pour hot coffee over them in a bowl and let stand for 15 minutes.

Beat the sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla together in a large bowl on medium high speed for 3 minutes. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder together. Add this and the dates with their liquid to the sugar mixture alternating until all is combined. Stir in the walnuts and cranberries.

Oil baking pans before pouring the batter in. I used 8 - 3 X 2" minis and 4 - 3 X 5" small loaves. 

Bake at 350°F

Minis will take about 30 minutes and the small loaves will need 45 minutes to bake.

The internal temperature should read 190°F. Cool 10 minutes before removing and cool completely on racks.

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Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

This week will be all about pumpkin! First up... pumpkin gingerbread loaf with a hint of orange. This one was made with homemade pumpkin purée but you can also used canned.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2/3 cup orange juice or water

1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned or homemade)

1 1/2 tsps ginger

2 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsps vanilla

1 tsp maple extract

zest of 1 large orange

mixed seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil and flour 2 - 9 X 5" loaf pans.

In a large mixer bowl mix the brown sugar, white sugar, vegetable oil and eggs together. Then add the orange juice, pumpkin purée, ginger, cinnamon and allspice. 

NOTE: If you want to use homemade purée simply wash your pumpkin, pierce it with a skewer a few times, place on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 45-60 minutes. You'll know it's done when you can pierce it easily with a fork. Cool, scoop out seeds then scoop out pulp and blend in a food processor. Or used canned. Add the extracts and orange zest.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions and mix just until combined. Pour into prepared pans and if you like sprinkle with seeds. I did one with and one without.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Check with a cake tester. It should come out clean except for a couple of crumbs. 

Cool 15 minutes on a rack before turning out to cool completely. Then slice and enjoy!

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Apple Loaf with Jam Swirl

While waiting for the weather to warm, why not have a sweet little nosh... perfect with your next cuppa tea!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup jam (I used strawberry and blueberry this time)

1 1/2 tbsps cornstarch

1 1/2 tbsps fresh lemon juice

zest of 1/2 a lemon

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

2 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced apples

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

2 tbsps sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Start by making the jam swirl. Combine the jam, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest in a small saucepan. Use whatever flavour you like. Or use up some jam that has been in the fridge a while, even combining bits left in jars for a new flavour! On medium heat, cook the jam mixture about 5 minutes until thickened. Then cool in fridge 30 minutes.

Spray a 9 X 5" loaf pan with oil then line with parchment, leaving "handles" on the side for lifting later. Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside. In a mixer cream the butter with the brown and white sugars and mix until it comes together. Add the eggs and vanilla then the milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 or 3 additions. Stir in the diced apples by hand. 

Pour 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop in a little more than 1/2 the jam mixture and swirl through with a spatula.

Pour in the rest of the batter, then the rest of the jam and swirl again. Combine the cinnamon sugar topping and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. (Well sort of clean, the jam will stick but you don't want to see any batter 😊) Cool about 20 minutes in the pan then use the parchment handles to lift out of the pan and onto a cooling rack. You may want to let it cool a bit longer before removing the parchment altogether.

Isn't it GORG!! 

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