Orange-Rosemary Mini-Loaf Cakes with Currants
Try this Orange-Rosemary Mini-Loaf Cakes with Currants recipe
Try this Orange-Rosemary Mini-Loaf Cakes with Currants recipe
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 3 cups, unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup, cold unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
- grated zest of 2 oranges
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice
- Carbohydrate 21.9813375003525 g
- Cholesterol 43.0295833506443 mg
- Fat 14.5457800046752 g
- Fiber 0.200666675567627 g
- Protein 1.9982716669257 g
- Saturated Fat 9.0212720862436 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -16 (98g)
- Sodium 163.071150004802 mg
- Sugar 21.7806708247849 g
- Trans Fat 1.08060008357442 g
- Calories 221 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray 4 mini-loaf pans. You'll have extra batter to make a few muffins, too.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, the minced rosemary and the orange zest, rubbing the zest and herbs into the sugar with your fingers.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, eggs, sour cream, cream and vanilla. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add the sugar-orange-zest-rosemary mixture to the flour and mix for about 30 seconds on a low speed.
- On low speed, add the cubed butter to the flour mixture; cut in for a few minutes, until the butter is the size of peas.
- Create a well in the center of the flour-and-butter mixture and pour in the liquid ingredients. Mix on a low speed until the flour is combined; just a few rotations. Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, gently stir the mixture to ensure that you’ve gotten all of the flour from the bottom of the bowl.
- Fold in the currants gently, just until mixed.
- With a large spoon, fill the mini-loaf tins about ⅔ full and place on a large cookie sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven until lightly, golden. I switch the cookie sheet around about half way through baking. A toothpick inserted into the center of a mini-loaf should come out clean when done. The mini-loaves bake in about 35 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from baking pans and cool for 20 minutes on wire racks.
Distinguishing Loaf Cakes from Muffins
Traditional pound cakes rely solely on creaming butter and sugar, whereas this formula builds structure through a combined fat-cut method similar to biscuit making. Cold butter is integrated into the dry ingredients until pea-sized pieces remain, which generates a tender crumb distinct from dense quick breads. Rubbing the fresh rosemary and orange zest directly into the granulated sugar first releases the essential oils thoroughly.
Scaling Batch Sizes Accurately
Yield adjustments require careful attention to chemical leaveners. Halving the recipe works cleanly with two eggs by using one beaten egg yolk and reserving the white, or by scaling liquid dairy proportionately against the three cups of flour. Baking times shift downward when moving from mini-loaves to standard muffin tins. Check smaller portions five minutes early.
Composing the Plate
Pairing these citrus-herbed cakes with unsweetened black coffee or sharp herbal tea balances the high sugar content. The bright acidity of the orange juice cuts through the richness of the heavy cream and butter base. Serve them at room temperature once the interior crumb has fully set.
