Blood Orange Black Sesame Crumb Cake

A simple cake for a busy baker

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I love baking that requires spending an entire weekend in the kitchen, slowly bringing together different components to make something really special; it’s what I call a ‘project bake’. This is the exact opposite. Something super simple, which is easy to pull together, no matter how much time you have on your hands. Why did I go simple this week? Plumbing problems!

If you’re not new around here, then you know we recently finished renovating our kitchen, and so you can imagine my dismay this week when we had to rip out some of the new tiled floor to look for a leak! Total nightmare. Because there was a great big hole in the middle of the kitchen for most of the week, my ability to bake was severely limited. This cake was tested in the moments when there wasn’t a plumber crawling underneath our house.

Loaf cakes are one of my favourite styles. They’re always easy to make, they serve a crowd, and they’re endlessly adaptable. This variant is a particular favourite because it is topped with a textural delight, a black sesame streusel. This turns it into a snacking cake on steroids. My definition of a snacking cake is a simple cake, like a loaf or single-layer cake, that is made with not much more than a simple glaze; it is also a cake that sits on your counter and calls to you every time you walk past. Streusel supercharges this; there is nothing better than stealing a little of the crumb topping. The cake is tender, made with sour cream, and fragrant from blood orange zest. The resulting cake is the perfect thing to enjoy over coffee for when your weekend wants to be as slow and relaxed as can be.

Since we are in the middle of citrus season, there are a few ways you can make this, depending on your preferred citrus. Black sesame pairs wonderfully with most citrus, so the world is really your oyster. Whilst orange or lemon both work and would be crowd pleasers, you could easily switch these out for grapefruit or bergamot for something a little more punchy.

P.S. I’ve written a brand-new book called ‘Chocolate Baking’, and it’s coming out very soon: March 5th in the UK and AUS + NZ, March 10th in the US and CA. If you don’t know, pre-orders are one of the best ways you can support the authors you enjoy. Pre-ordering a book tells the retailer that particular book has an audience, and it encourages them to order copies for their stores, which helps the book reach a wider audience. So, if you’re thinking of ordering a copy, doing so before release day is a huge help. Also, keep hold of your receipts, as I will be launching a huge pre-order giveaway in early Feb.