Hey friends!  Guess who has yet another citrus-y situation to share with you?  And get ready for a few more in the coming weeks.  It's been so much fun experimenting with the different kinds of citrus this Winter, and blood oranges have 100% stolen my heart.

This recipe actually comes from one of my all-time favourite food bloggers ever, and you might be familiar with her blog, Adventures in Cooking.  I've been following Eva forever, and am constantly inspired by her stunning photography (which has been hugely influential in me finding my style), seasonal creations, and her passion for good food shared with kindred hearts.  She even has a new book coming out called First We Eat, which I cannot wait to read! (Not sponsored....LOLOLOL.  I just love her!)

Anyway, let's get on to the recipe.  A buckle is kind of like a coffee cake, but a little denser, and oh so delicious.  I used a smaller pan than Eva, and skipped the crumb topping in favour for more citrus slices on top, which maybe technically means mine isn't a buckle....but who cares!  It's delicious, and I can't wait to make it again with fresh blueberries in a couple months!

Blood Orange Buckle

slightly adapted from: Eva Kosmas Flores of adventures in cooking

yields: one 8-inch buckle or one 7-inch buckle

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup 

1 tablespoon blood orange juice

1 tablespoon finely grated blood orange zest

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 medium blood orange, very thinly sliced

2 small oranges, very thinly sliced

directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease an 8 inch pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.  I used a 7-inch springform pan here, and it worked well.  You could also use a larger pan, simply adjust your baking time slightly if you do use anything other than an 8-inch pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar at medium speed, until smooth and slightly fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of your bowl with a spatula to ensure it's completely mixed.

Add in the milk, blood orange juice, zest, and vanilla extract, and mix on medium-low until just combined.

Add in the flour in two batches, mixing until the batter is just mixed.  I like to finish by hand with a spatula as not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

Optional: sprinkle crumbs on top (see recipe below), and arrange very thinly sliced citrus slices on top.

Bake cake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out relatively clean.  Remove from oven when done, and allow to cool before carefully removing from pan and serving.  Best served warm.

Optional Crumb Topping

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

directions

In a small bowl, mix together flour, sugars, and cinnamon.  Cut butter in using a fork or pastry cutter, until butter is all in pea-sized chunks, and well coated.

Happy buckle baking!

-Kelsey