My Sunday plans for blueberry pancakes were vetoed in favor of French toast. Best laid plans, and all that. Plan B was a blueberry cake with lots of orange zest, and an orange glaze. Adding orange zest to the batter compliments the blueberries and gives the bread a wonderful flavor. Sunday afternoon when the house was quiet, and I had a slice of this bread and a cup of coffee – Plan B wasn’t so bad after all.
- 5 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- 2 tablespoons flour
1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan and line the long sides with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to egg mixture in batches, alternating with the milk.
4. Toss the blueberries and 2 tablespoons flour together. This helps the blueberries from ending up at the bottom of the pan.
5. Fold the berries and orange zest into the batter, and pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. Cool in pan on a baking rack for 30 minutes. Take bread out of pan and let cool completely.
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1. In a small bowl, whisk the confectioner’s sugar and orange juice together. Drizzle over cooled bread.
