I have fond memories of Valentine’s day morning growing up. My mom would always leave us a little Valentine’s Day gift, card, and box of chocolates outside our bedroom doors for us to find in the morning. Breakfast usually consisted of pink and/or heart-shaped pancakes and strawberry milk. I have kept up similar traditions with Thompson, and he is growing more attached to these holiday customs that I always loved.
This Valentine’s Day, however, we have had pink on our minds for another reason. Our family of three will be a family of four coming this summer, and we are evening things out by adding a baby girl into the mix. We couldn’t be more excited. Since even before I became pregnant, Thompson has been asking for a baby sister.
Hopefully this explains a little less consistency on my part in posting here and on instagram. As most women can attest, food, whether looking at or making or eating it, is just not appealing at all during the first part of pregnancy. Fortunately, I have been feeling a little bit more like myself, which I realized when I decided I really wanted to make this blood orange yogurt bread. It was the first time in a while I felt like I not only wanted to be in the kitchen, but also could enjoy the process.
This cake bread is moist without being heavy, and perfectly flavored with the sweetness and tanginess of blood oranges. I love the pretty pink color of the glaze, especially against the deep red of the candied slices. Speaking of, feel free to skip that step if you want a less sweet version of this bread. The bread doesn’t need them, or even the glaze, but they do make it extra special. I think it tastes just as good, or maybe even better, after a day or two, so this would be perfect to put together in advance for an easy Valentine’s morning treat.
- For the bread:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons blood orange zest
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice (from about 4-5 medium blood oranges)
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 2½ tablespoons fresh squeezed blood orange juice
- For the candied blood oranges:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 blood orange, washed well
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar and blood orange zest, rubbing together until fragrant and combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the prepared sugar and zest and coconut oil and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add yogurt and blood orange juice, mixing until well combined. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just barely combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl, add the grapefruit sugar and coconut oil, and blend until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and continue mixing until fully incorporated. Add the yogurt and grapefruit juice, again continue mixing until fully combine. Add the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool slightly.
- While cake cooks, make the candied blood oranges and glaze. With a serrated knife, slice blood orange as thin as possible. In a large shallow pan, combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water. Cook over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Add orange slices, arranging in a single layer. Lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, flipping slices once during the process. Remove from heat and let cool.
- For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons juice. Add a little more if mixture is too thick (you want it thick, but pourable). Pour onto the slightly cooled, but still a little warm, bread. Let cool completely. Once glaze is set up, arrange cooled candied orange slices on top.
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