Moist and sweet, this simple cake gets a bright splash of flavor as it is baked with the zest of clementines and topped with a lovely honey and clementine juice glaze. The citrus adds just the right amount of vibrant zing to the mellow comfort of the cake. A slice (or two) is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of morning coffee or afternoon tea.

If you are in need of comfort or a boost, sometimes the solution is to create it. That is what I think of when I make this cake. It is fairly easy to put together and the scent of zesting and juicing the clementines instantly lifts the spirits, not to mention the wonderful aroma of the cake baking in the oven.

The recipe for this Sweet Clementine Loaf Cake is based on one I found on the Strawberries for Supper blog. I used whole milk plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, but otherwise stuck close to her recipe. The result is a moist cake with a sweet, golden glaze.

As I type this, I hear the tiny chirp of a tree frog from the front porch. It is finally warming up here in Michigan. The spring peepers and chorus frogs have been singing so loudly the past couple of nights. I love to fall asleep listening to their spring song. It has been a long time coming, this spring. It felt like the winter was extra long and the early spring was especially cold. Our redbud and cherry trees are just starting to get buds on them, promising glorious pink and white flowers soon.

We have spent some time in nearby nature sanctuaries this spring, looking for migrating waterfowl on small hidden ponds, listening to owls hooting back and forth at night, getting excited over the first wildflowers of the season to bloom in the woods. The photo below is of the sunrise over Lake Erie near Magee Marsh on a chilly, pristine morning.

This sweet clementine loaf cake is a warm and cozy thing to make on a spring morning or evening as nature is just starting to wake up from a long winter.

Sweet Clementine Loaf Cake

  • Servings: one loaf
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Ingredients:

1 cup of granulated sugar

3 clementines, washed

1 and 1/2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of whole milk plain yogurt

3 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons of honey

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, using enough parchment paper that some of it is hanging over the long sides of the loaf pan. This will make it easy to simply lift the cake out of the pan when it is done.

In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar. With a fine grater, zest the 3 clementines and add the zest to the bowl with the sugar. Set the clementines aside for juicing later.

With a fork or whisk, combine the zest with the sugar until the texture resembles damp sand. (It will smell lovely too!)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the yogurt to the bowl with the sugar and zest and stir with a fork or whisk to combine. Then add the eggs and whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds. Stir in the teaspoon of vanilla.

With a spatula or large wooden spoon, gradually add and stir the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients until all is just combined. Then pour the olive oil into the bowl and fold it in until it is incorporated. Stir until the batter is shiny and smooth.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake will crack at the top as it bakes.

While the cake is baking, you can prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan, add the honey. Juice the 3 clementines and add the juice to the small pan. Bring the juice and honey just to a boil and let it boil for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside until the cake is done baking.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven. With a pastry brush, gently brush the glaze onto the top of the cake while it is still warm. Try to brush the glaze as evenly as possible over the whole top of the cake, including the crack on the top.

When you are done the glazing, carefully lift the sides of the parchment paper to remove the cake from the loaf pan. Allow it to cool on a wire rack. When cooled, slice the cake and serve it with a cup of steaming coffee or tea. Enjoy!