Rhubarb & Orange Loaf Cake

I love to see the tender pink stems of new season rhubarb appear on the supermarket shelves. Rhubarb is easily of my favourite ingredients, and a go-to when it comes to cakes and desserts.

My other go-to is citrus flavours, so pairing both rhubarb and orange in this easy rhubarb and orange loaf cake is close to cake perfection for me.

Based on an old fashioned loaf cake recipe, this is a moist rhubarb and orange loaf cake. There is nothing dry about this cake, which means it stores really well for up to 5 days once baked. Not that it ever lasts that long in my house!

Recipe ingredients

• Rhubarb - I like to make this cake with fresh new season rhubarb, which is beautifully pink with tender stems. The further into the season you go, the rhubarb stems become greener, tougher and sourer, but still perfectly ok to use to make this cake.
• Sugar - I like to use caster sugar when baking as it has a lighter, finer texture. You could also use soft brown sugar if you prefer a deeper molasses flavour. I also use icing sugar (powdered sugar) to make the glaze icing.
• Butter - I've used unsalted butter so I add a pinch of fine sea salt to the cake batter to help balance the sweetness. If using salted butter you can leave out the salt.
• Eggs - I use 3 large free range eggs to bake this cake.
• Flour - I like to use self raising flour in this cake recipe.
• Raising agent - I use a little baking powder to help give the cake an extra lift.
• Orange - I use both the finely grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of oranges in this cake recipe, also also add juice to the glaze icing.

How to make Rhubarb & Orange Loaf Cake

• Preheat the oven to 190C/170CFan/375F. Line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment.
• Dice the rhubarb into small pieces and set aside.
• Place the sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until light, pale and fluffy.
• Now add the eggs, one at a time, beating really well after each egg. Add a tablespoon of flour with the last egg and beat until smooth (the flour stops the cake batter from curdling or splitting).

• Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and fold in the ingredients gently.
• Add 6 tablespoons of orange juice and fold that through the cake batter.

• Now add the grated orange zest and diced rhubarb and fold in gently.

• Carefully spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin.
• Place the cake into the hot oven and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes in the tin. Now remove the cake from the tin, and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

• While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing.
• Start by making some rhubarb and orange juice by gently stewing 100g of rhubarb in 100ml fresh orange juice. Place into a saucepan over medium heat and poach the rhubarb until soft.
• Reduce the mixture by half and pass the juice through a fine sieve and discard the stewed rhubarb.
• Now add 4-5 teaspoons of juice to the icing sugar, stirring the glaze to a smooth paste, until you have achieved the desired consistency.

TOP TIP: For a thicker icing use less juice, for a thinner drizzle use more juice.

• Once the cake is cool, drizzle or pour over the icing, depending on how much you want to add.

TOP TIP: Never try and ice a warm cake or the icing will melt and run straight off the cake!

Recipe variations

• If you just want rhubarb cake, leave out the orange zest and juice and instead add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 6 tablespoons of whole milk to the cake batter instead.
• For an orange loaf cake, leave out rhubarb and instead you could add some poppy seeds to the cake.
• The glaze/icing is based on a simple water icing made with water and icing sugar. For extra flavour I've opted to replace the water with rhubarb and orange juice but you could just use orange juice or even water if you are pushed for time.

Useful hints and tips

1. Take the butter out of the fridge a good couple of hours before you want to start baking as this will make the creaming process a whole lot easier.
2. An electric stand or hand mixer makes light work of creaming the butter and sugar together. You can also use a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease to beat the ingredients together.
3. I have used a loaf tin however you could use a round or square cake tin too. Just adjust cooking times accordingly.
4. Take time to sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda as this will ensure a light and smooth cake batter.
5. Make extra to freeze: When I’ve got the oven on, I’ve been known to double the recipe and make 2 loaves, one cake to enjoy now and the other to freezer for later. Just make sure you divide the batter equally between 2 loaf tins and don’t be tempted to put it all into one tin.
6. Allergy advice: soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my other cake recipes:

• Rhubarb & Ginger Cake
• Lemon & Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
• Easy Chocolate Loaf Cake
• Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake
• Classic Victoria Sponge

If you love baking then have a look at my Fun Baking with Kids, or Best Cake Recipes posts. Here you’ll find lots of hints and tips as well all my favourite baking recipes that are suitable for all ages and abilities.