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BRING HOME THE FLAVOUR! (1) APPLY FOR A LOGIN (2) BUY SPICES (3) TASTE THE DIFFERENCE

Orange Donut Loaf

Orange Donut Loaf

Makala Beaver did not plan on becoming a pastry chef. She moved from Canton, NC, to Wilmington in 2020 to study aquatic veterinary medicine, landed in the middle of a pandemic, and held onto the restaurant job that was paying for it. Server, then bartender. Then the line. Next, running pastry at King Neptune in Wrightsville Beach!

The food allergies came first, though. Beaver grew up in a southern household where there was always room for dessert, and at some point her body stopped cooperating with how she had always eaten. She started rebuilding recipes at home to get it back. That work turned into a career.

Makala shares it best: "This orange old fashioned donut loaf recipe is inspired by two of my favourite things - donut sticks and orange cake. Donut sticks were always a staple between my dad and me. And my mamaw used to make me an orange applesauce cake every year for my birthday. So I thought, why not combine the two and make something even more nostalgic?"

Spicewalla Orange Juice Powder does the heavy lifting, and there's a technical reason it works. A batter built on rice flour and cornstarch runs on a narrow hydration window. More fresh juice or more zest means more liquid to counterbalance, and you start chasing the formula. Powder gives you citrus intensity without the water. Rub it into the sugar with the zest before anything else hits the bowl so the oils spread across every grain.

Beaver took Best Use of Dairy in a Dessert at this year's NCRLA Chef Showdown, and the Greek yogurt in this loaf explains the award!

Ingredients

For the Donut Loaf:

  • 220g sugar
  • 10g orange zest
  • 12g orange juice powder
  • 205g rice flour
  • 55g cornstarch
  • 2g xanthan gum
  • 7g baking powder
  • 1.5g baking soda
  • 4g salt
  • 1g nutmeg
  • 117g butter, melted
  • 170g greek yogurt
  • 15g vanilla bean paste
  • 30g orange juice
  • 100g milk

For the Streusel:

  • 90g rice flour
  • 25g cornstarch
  • 70g sugar
  • 1.5g salt
  • 2g orange juice powder
  • 75g butter, cold & cubed
  • 5g vanilla bean paste

For the Glaze: 

  • 275g powdered sugar, sifted
  • 15g orange juice
  • 5g orange zest
  • 2g vanilla bean paste
  • Pinch of salt
  • 30g-40g milk


Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with oil/butter and then parchment paper. 

  1. Make streusel by combining rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and orange juice powder. Add your butter and cut until crumbs form. Add your vanilla bean paste and mix until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. 
  2. In a small bowl, rub sugar, orange zest, and orange juice powder together until combined. Set aside. 
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the rice flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In another bowl, mix your butter, yogurt, and orange juice. 
  4. Add your sugar mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until combined. 
  5. Combine ⅓ of your dry mixture into your wet mixture. Then add ½ the milk. Repeat by adding  ⅓ of the dry, and the rest of your milk. End with adding the rest of your dry ingredients and mix until combined. 
  6. Let the batter sit for 20-25 minutes. 
  7. Pour into a greased and lined loaf pan, then top with your streusel. 
  8.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until your streusel is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before glazing. 
  9. For glaze, whisk together orange juice, orange zest, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Add powdered sugar and slowly add milk until you get the consistency you prefer. Spread/brush on cooled cake and let sit to set for 20-30 minutes. Cut and enjoy! 
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