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 the batter 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 8x3-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!
Related recipes you might like:
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Blackberry Loaf Cake
This is a muffin recipe baked in a loaf pan. It is extraordinary!
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (10g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (65ml) vegetable oil (I use sunflower)
- 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 or 2 oranges
- 1 ½ cups (180g) blackberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350ºF / 180ºC.
- Butter or spray an 8x3-inch (20x7cm) loaf cake pan and line with a piece of parchment paper if you want.
- In a large bowl mix dry ingredients: sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and sugar.
- Mix to combine.
- Add blackberries and mix lightly.
- 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.
- Add zest.
- Add all of the wet ingredients at once to dry ingredients.
- Mix until you barely have streaks of flour, but do not overmix. It will be lumpy and not completely mixed.
- Be careful also not to mash the blackberries.
- 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.
- Let cool on wire rack for about 20 minutes and carefully unmold. Let cool completely.
- You can glaze it, but I find it’s amazing plain. Your call.
- Keep wrapped in film.
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.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛
- Calories: 373
- Sugar: 28.3 g
- Sodium: 324.9 mg
- Fat: 14.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.7 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 64.1 mg
Keywords: muffin loaf, blackberry loaf
natalie says
Just made this recipe with a mix of blueberries and blackberries, and it is so yummy! I added a bit of fresh orange juice to it and i think think it made it too moist because part of the cake was stodgy and sunk:/ Nonetheless, it is so good paired with an orange glaze!
Paula Montenegro says
Glad you liked it Natalie! Yes, I agree with the juice part. What you can do next time to add more flavor is brush a cold syrup on top when you take them out of the oven, like I do with the Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. Have a great day.
Deborah Horger says
Baked this 2 days ago, and liked it so well that I baked 2 more loaves today. Substituted almond milk, because it's what we have, used 2X the amount of blackberries and added chopped walnuts. Delish!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to hear that Deborah! And great to know it can hold so many more blackberries!
Julie Pickard says
Really easy and very tasty.
I was worried that the mixture was too wet and thought I had done it wrong but it was perfect. I'll be doing this again.
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Glad you liked it Julie!
Kathryn says
I made this but swapped out the blackberries for dewberries. I live in TX, and dewberries grow wild in the spring. Usually, we only make cobblers with them, but I wanted to find some different ways to use them. It turned out so good!! It did take twice as long to bake, but that may just be my oven. I’ll definitely be making this loaf again! Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Love that it turned out great Kathryn! I love it too, much better than muffins because it keeps better. Have a great week!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
What a delicious looking orange blackberry loaf! I love that you also included a loaf to muffin conversion for those of us who are more muffing inclined. 😉
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks Claire!
Amanda says
Blackberries are one of my favorite fruits, especially this time of year, and this loaf is the perfect way to enjoy them! It makes for such a nice brunch side. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Anne Lawton says
This bread is just perfect for all of the berries that are in season now. It looks so moist and delicious!
★★★★★