The Baked Bite: Blood Orange Poppyseed Loaf

Ingredients:

For the loaf:

• Avocado/coconut oil and arrowroot powder, for dusting the pan

• 1/2 cup of almond milk

• 1 & 1/2 tsp lemon juice

• Zest of 1/2 orange

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1/2 cup Classic Monkfruit sweetener

• 4 large eggs

• 1/4 cup avocado oil

• 1 tbsp poppyseeds (optional)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1 & 3/4 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup coconut flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

For the glaze & garnish:

• 2 blood oranges

• 3/4 cup powdered Monkfruit

Winter is a great time to experiment with different kinds of citrus, especially if you’re missing the brightness and sweetness of summer berries and stone-fruits. And while I love a good lemon poppyseed loaf, there is something more unique about highlighting an orange flavor. Plus, blood oranges make a stunning pink glaze - which is show-stopping if you serve this to friends and family.

This loaf is also gluten, sugar, and dairy-free - so if you or your friends opt not to eat those ingredients, this loaf is perfect. I like experimenting with different kinds of flours, dairy-substitutes, and sugar alternatives - and this loaf happened to come together perfectly without traditional baking ingredients. Enjoy!

Notes:

• This recipe is perfect for a 9 x 5 loaf pan, but you could double it and make a bundt cake or divide it in two for a smaller loaf pan.

• If you’re going to eat this over multiple days, I do not recommend garnishing with the orange slices, as they can sour the glaze if you leave them for too long.

Making the Loaf:

1. Add the almond milk and lemon juice to a small bowl. Stir together and set aside.

2. Put a little avocado oil on a paper towel and rub all over the bottom and sides of a 9x5 loaf pan. Then, using a spoon, drop in arrowroot powder to the loaf pan. Then tap and shake the pan until the arrowroot powder fully dusts the bottom and sides of the pan. If you have ever butter and floured a pan, this method is the same - just using oil and arrowroot powder instead.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Add the orange zest, lemon zest, and Classic monkfruit to a large bowl. Rub together with your fingers until well combined and fragrant.

5. Add eggs to the sugar and zest mixture, and whisk until pale and foamy.

6. Add milk and lemon juice mixture, oil, poppy seeds (optional), vanilla, and salt to the mixture and whisk until smooth.

7. Add the flours, baking powder, and baking soda to the bowl, and whisk until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

8. Pour the mixture until the prepared loaf pan and put into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, and then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Return to the oven for 30 more minutes, for a total of one hour, or until a skewer inserted all the way to the bottom comes out clean.

9. When you remove the loaf from the oven, place the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, dump the loaf out onto a flat plate or serving platter. Then turn it back over so it is right side up. Allow the cake to cool completely, and then drizzle the glaze over the top completely (instructions for making the glaze is below). Allow to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour, so the glaze sets. Then, add the slices of blood orange on the top to garnish.

10. Store in the fridge for up to five days. If you are going to eat the loaf over multiple days, I do not recommend garnishing with the slices - as they can sour the glaze if left overnight.

Making the Glaze:

1. Juice one of the blood oranges into a medium bowl. Then add the 1/2 cup of the powdered Monkfruit and whisk together. If the glaze looks too thick, then you can juice 1/2 of the second blood orange and add to the mixture. If the glaze looks too thin, add the remaining 1/4 cup of powdered Monkfruit. Add a pinch of salt.

2. Slice the second blood orange into thin slices. You will use this to garnish the loaf once the glaze sets.