Winter is citrus season, oranges, mandarins, tangerines and Clementine can be seen on fruits stalls by the roadside. Besides the amazing flavours of these citrus treasures, they offer an incredible boost to our immune system with a solid dose of vitamin C, which is so important to keep all the cold and coughs at bay in this winter.

It is always great to be able to use fresh seasonal fruits in cooking as their fresh flavours take any dish to the yummiest level. So here I am, making a super moist, flavourful and mouth-watering orange bread. It is very easy and simple to mix, and needs about 50-60 minutes in the oven to bake. And the best part is you don’t have to wait to taste it as it doesn’t need any topping to add to its taste. Just slice off while it is still warm and enjoy the orange goodness of this easy bread. Of course, those who want to go the extra mile can make any frosting to top it off.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons orange zest

• 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed

• 4 oz or 113g butter, softened to room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar until pale and creamy. Whisk in orange zest, orange juice, butter and vanilla extract. Mix these together.

Add in the flour and baking powder, and then gently fold them in with a rubber spatula until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 19th, 2020