I am still baking during lockdown and I’m enjoying making my tried and true recipe for orange rosemary drizzle cake. I’ve been testing similar recipes over the past few years and I’ve adapted them into one recipe I am very happy with. My Orange Rosemary Drizzle Loaf is my go-to recipe when I need a good dessert or am contributing to a charity bake sale (hopefully those days will come back soon).

I am avoiding supermarkets as much as possible. Fab local shop Meadows in Newnham has been a godsend, delivering fruit, vegetables, butter, milk, cheese, pasta, sauces, freshly baked goods, tea, chocolate and more, including some of the products in this recipe. The Washington variety oranges from Italy (supplied by La Sovrana), Cacklebean eggs from the Cotswolds and rosemary infused olive oil imported from Fattoria di Tullio in Abruzzo by Cambridgeshire’s Cucina di William really elevated this cake to new heights.

Those who have made my previous recipe for carrot muffins will know that I prefer using olive oil rather than butter as the bakes are lighter in texture. Rosemary and oranges make a great flavour combo, with the subtle hint of rosemary complementing the citrus.

Using an olive oil already infused with rosemary is a good shortcut but just olive oil works too, with the option to add finely chopped dried rosemary to the batter (or leave out the herb altogether if you’re not a fan).

Ingredients:
170g plain flour (1-¼ cup all-purpose flour)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda / baking soda
150g (¾ cup) golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
2 eggs
80ml (1/3 cup) rosemary infused olive oil or olive oil + 1 tbsp chopped dried rosemary
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of half an orange (use the zested orange)

For the drizzle:
50g (¼ cup) golden caster sugar or granulated sugar
Juice of the other half of the orange

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C for fan-assisted ovens) / 375°F.

Grease and line a loaf tin. Use butter or olive oil to grease.

Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl, then mix in the 150g sugar.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the olive oil. Zest the whole orange directly into the bowl, then cut the orange in half and squeeze its juice into the same bowl. Keep the other half for the drizzle. Whisk until smooth.

Add the mixture to the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix well. If using non-infused olive oil, gently fold in the rosemary at this point.

Pour the batter evenly into the loaf tin.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a small knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Prepare the drizzle during the 10 minutes the loaf is cooling the tin. In a small bowl, squeeze the juice of the other half of the orange into 50g of sugar and stir until the consistency of a loose syrup.

Use a fork or knife to gently poke holes in the loaf. Spoon the drizzle over the top of the cake.

Once the loaf has cooled and the drizzle is crispy, remove from tin. The loaf will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

A nice slice with a little crème fraiche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn’t go amiss!

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