Orange blackberry (muffin) loaf

Sometimes I get extra excited about a recipe, and this orange blackberry muffin loaf is one of them! Super easy, it’s the best muffin recipe I know with sweet blackberries and orange zest baked in a loaf pan. The results are superb!

I have my go-to muffin recipe and it’s simply the best ever. Also, I just realized it is not yet posted in this blog (the horror, I know).

But, I also realized that it is even better in loaf form. Hence this fabulous orange blackberry muffin loaf. It is amazing, really.

The best part is that it is an old fashioned muffin recipe. Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another bowl. Barely mix them together and that’s it. Not even a beater is needed. How is that for easiness?

What berries should you use?

You can use any berry, but I find that blackberries and blueberries work best (alone or mixed) with the orange zest in this type of recipe.

If you opt for lemon zest – that universal favorite! – raspberries are my favorite. But I know blueberries are the most popular.

If you want to use strawberries I prefer them fresh since frozen tend to be too watery and lose flavor, in my opinion. Lime zest will be my first choice, it pairs amazingly with strawberries, as you can see in this strawberry lime danish braid.

What type of pan should you use?

I use a loaf cake pan (or quick bread pan), but you can use a small tube pan. I don’t recommend bundt pans with too much detail since it will probably stick and not unmold well in certain places.

But do use a narrow pan; otherwise, it will take too long to bake the center of the cake and the sides will be too thick from overbaking. What you can use, if you don’t want a loaf, is a sheet cake pan so the cake is wide but not tall, and cut it in squares, similar to a snack cake.

The idea is to use a pan that will bake the center of the batter quickly without overbaking the sides and bottom.

Muffin to loaf pan conversion

It goes without saying that this recipe can be made in muffin form; it is a muffin recipe after all!
It is perfect for 12 regular sized muffins. Any recipe that yields twelve muffins is usually good for an 8×3-inch pan, or similar.

Not exactly what we’re talking about, but any cake recipe that yields one bundt/tube cake is good for about 24 cupcakes. Or two loaf cakes.

About butter and oil in muffin recipes

I make a compromise in terms of using all butter or all oil in this recipe.

Our much-loved butter gives it a great flavor but makes it heavier. Oil makes it less dense but lacks that rich flavor. So, half and half it is. You can use any type of oil, even olive oil which is probably my favorite one. Canola and coconut work well too.

So, I hope you give this recipe a try because it is phenomenal. And versatile in terms of zest and berries.
Enjoy the week my friends!

Other recipes you might like:

Lemon Blueberry Cake
Raspberry Apple Crumb Bars
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Lemon Blackberry Teacakes
Easy no-churn Strawberry Ice Cream

ORANGE BLACKBERRY MUFFIN LOAF

★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 slices 1x
• Category: Brunch
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This is a muffin recipe baked in a loaf pan. It is extraordinary!.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 cups (280g) all-purpose or cake flour
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1 tablespoon (10g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs (room tº)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, at room tº
• 1/4 cup (65ml) neutral oil (I use sunflower)
• 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 or 2 oranges
• 1 generous cup (150g blackberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost))

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven at 350ºF / 180ºC.
2. Butter or spray an 8×3-inch (20x7cm) loaf cake pan and line with a piece of parchment paper if you want.
3. In a large bowl mix dry ingredients: sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and sugar.
4. Mix to combine.
5. Add blackberries and mix lightly.
6. In another bowl mix eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and lukewarm melted butter. Do not beat but mix well until no streaks of egg whites remain.
7. Add zest.
8. Add all of the wet ingredients at once to dry ingredients.
9. Mix until you barely have streaks of flour, but do not overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed.
10. Be careful also not to mash the blackberries.
11. Pour into prepared pan, smooth top and bake for 30-40 minutes, until top is cracked, golden and tester inserted in center comes out clean.
12. Let cool on wire rack for about 20 minutes and carefully unmold. Let cool completely.
13. You can glaze it, but I find it’s amazing plain. Your call.
14. Keep wrapped in film.

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Notes

• You can use a different citrus zest and berry mix, such as lemon and blueberries or orange and raspberries. All work amazing.
• It yields 12 regular sized muffins if that is your jam.

Keywords: muffin loaf, blackberry cake, berry cake

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!