Spiced Mandarin Orange Loaf Cake

Spiced Mandarin Orange Loaf Cake

Serves 8-10 slices

INGREDIENTS: 

For loaf cake:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Zest from three mandarins
Zest from a lemon
3 tbsp mandarin juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup plain greek yogurt 

For glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbsp mandarin orange juice
Mandarin slices 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
  2. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf tin with non stick cooking spray or grease with butter. Line the sides with parchment paper and set aside. 
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside. 
  4. In a medium bowl fitted with a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add in one egg at a time until incorporated.
  5. Add in mandarin zest, lemon zest, mandarin orange juice and vanilla extract until incorporated. 
  6. Add in half of the flour mixture on a low speed. Add in the greek yogurt and mix until just combined. Add in the remaining half of the flour mixture and mix until the batter is just combined. 
  7. Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf tin. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and removed cleanly. Let loaf cool for 20-30 minutes before removing from the tin and topping with glaze.
  8. For the glaze: in a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tbsp of mandarine juice at a time until desired consistency is reached. Pour glaze over loaf and top with mandarin slices.