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Orange Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf

5.0 out of 5 from 1 rating

A bright orange cake-donut loaf layered with buttery streusel and finished with a thick vanilla bean glaze.

Prep
30 min
Bake
55-90 min
Total
About 2 hr 30 min, including cooling and glaze setting
Yield
One 9x5-inch loaf

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Ingredients

Classic Streusel

  • 115 g (about 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) all-purpose flour
  • 80 g (about 6 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 85 g (about 6 tablespoons) cold butter, cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Orange Donut Loaf

  • 253 g (about 2 cups + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 15 g (about 2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon) cornstarch
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 220 g (about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
  • 117 g (about 1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon) neutral oil
  • 170 g (about 2/3 cup + 1 teaspoon) plain unsweetened yogurt, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange emulsion
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 108 g (about 7 tablespoons) milk, room temperature

Vanilla Bean Glaze

  • 275 g (about 2 1/4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, plus more to taste
  • 60 g (about 1/4 cup) milk
  • Optional: 15 g (about 2 7/8 teaspoons) fresh orange juice, replacing 15 g of the milk
  • Pinch fine sea salt

Before Baking

  • Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Pan used

I personally prefer a light-colored aluminum pan for these loaves. Here is the one I use. Not sponsored. I don't earn a commission from this link.

Glass holds heat longer, so the edges can overbake before the center is done. If you use glass, loosely tent the loaf with foil early, as soon as the top starts to brown. The foil helps protect the top, but it does not stop the sides or bottom from baking too quickly.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and fully line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt for the streusel. Add the cold butter and vanilla bean paste. Work together with your fingertips until a mixture of fine crumbs and large buttery pieces forms. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and lightly moistened.
  4. Whisk in the oil, yogurt, vanilla bean paste, orange emulsion, orange juice, and milk until completely smooth.
  5. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg over the wet ingredients. Whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
  6. Spread just under half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  7. Sprinkle half of the chilled streusel evenly over the batter.
  8. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the streusel until completely covered.
  9. Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the top, leaving plenty of large buttery pieces.
  10. Sprinkle generously with clear coarse sanding sugar before baking.
  11. Bake at 350°F for 55-90 minutes. Check the loaf at 45 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the streusel is browning quickly.
  12. 12

    Before you take the loaf out

    Baking time is a guide, not a deadline.

    Check the center: Insert a skewer or toothpick into the cake in the center, avoiding the streusel layer.

    Ready to come out: The center no longer jiggles and the tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs. No wet batter.

    Keep baking: Thick, paste-like batter: bake 3-5 minutes more. Wet batter: bake 7-10 minutes more. Then test the center again.

    The 205-210°F (96-99°C) range is an extra check. Batter on the tester still means keep baking, even at that temperature.

    An underbaked center can collapse as the loaf cools.

  13. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully lift the loaf onto a wire rack. Let it cool until warm but no longer hot.
  14. Whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, 60 g milk, and salt until completely smooth. For a more citrus-forward glaze, replace 15 g of the milk with 15 g fresh orange juice. Taste and add more vanilla bean paste if desired, up to 1 tablespoon total.
  15. Spoon or pour the glaze generously over the warm loaf once it no longer feels hot, allowing it to run naturally down the sides.
  16. Allow the glaze to set before slicing.

obsessedcakes.com/recipes/orange-old-fashioned-donut-loaf