Holiday Orange Pistachio Loaf Cake

Thank you, Sunkist, for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are truly my own.

The holiday season is my favorite time of year! I love everything about it—the cooler weather, the decorations, and even that 1-inch of snow that we usually get every year in the South! But there’s one thing that I love more than all of those things and that’s the holiday food.

During this time of year, we usually spend our days baking and watching Christmas movies such as How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Actually, my kids have been watching this movie every week since Summer started! It’s one of their favorite movies, and I have to admit that it’s one of my favorite movies too!

How The Grinch Stole Christmas gave me the inspiration for this Holiday Orange Pistachio Loaf Cake! The vibrant green color comes from a few drops of food coloring, but the incredible burst of orange flavor comes from the Sunkist® Navel Oranges! 

A little bit more about navel oranges…

Navel oranges are named for the small, navel-like formation on their blossom end. They’re refreshingly sweet, juicy, and they have a pleasant floral aroma. Navel oranges are available from November through June. We love them because they are easy to peel and contain no seeds.

For more information about navel oranges, head over to https://www.sunkist.com/citrus/oranges/ 

How to Make Holiday Orange Pistachio Loaf Cake

This recipe is extremely easy to make and it doesn’t even require the use of a mixer! Simply, start by combining the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Next, add in the eggs, vanilla Greek yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, oil, and a few drops of green food coloring, and mix until smooth. I love using Greek yogurt in my loaf cake recipes because it helps to give the cake a rich, moist texture.   

Pour the batter the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter. To help prevent excessive browning, loosely drape a piece of foil over the cake in the last 10 minutes of baking.

Allow loaf cake on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes before drizzling it with the orange glaze and topping it with orange and pistachios. Yum!

If this holiday cake doesn’t put you in the holiday spirit, then I don’t know what will ?. So, go ahead and make this recipe with the kiddos and enjoy it while watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Happy Holidays!  

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Holiday Orange Pistachio Loaf Cake

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 and ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons orange zest plus more for garnish
• ¼ cup freshly-squeezed Sunkist® Navel Orange juice
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons crushed pistachios for topping
• 6-8 drops green food coloring

Orange Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed Sunkist® Navel Orange juice or more if needed for the perfect consistency

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Next, add in the eggs, vanilla Greek yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, oil, and a few drops of green food coloring, and stir until smooth and combined; be sure not overmix.
• Pour the batter the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter. To help prevent excessive browning, loosely drape a piece of foil over the cake in the last 10 minutes of baking.
• Allow loaf cake on a wire rack for at least 20-30 minutes before drizzling it with the orange glaze.

To Make the Orange Glaze:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth and combined. If needed more orange juice or powdered sugar until the desired consistency is reached. Evenly drizzle glaze over bread and add some orange zest and pistachios on top before slicing and serving.