Orange Black Tea Loaf Cake with Honey Citrus Glaze

Loaf Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter (1.5 sticks), room temp
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest (approximately 1-2 oranges)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 4 bags of black tea

Glaze:

• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp milk steeped with black tea
• 3 Tbsp juice of an orange
• 1 cup powder sugar

Heat 1/3 cup milk on stove or in microwave until warm. Add 4 black tea bags to steep for 5 minutes while you complete the next steps.

Preheat oven to 325° F. Prepare Honeycomb Loaf Pan with baking spray and use a pastry brush to evenly coat the details of the pan. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium high speed. Add in butter and beat until combined. Scrape down sides and add in sugar. Mix for at least 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing between each addition. Mix in orange zest, vanilla, and 3 Tbsp of milk steeped with black tea.

Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined, making sure not to overmix. Pour into prepared loaf pan, filling no more than 3/4 full. Press batter out to the edges of the design evenly with spatula. Tap gently on the counter to remove air bubbles and let sit for 5 minutes to settle in the pan.

Bake for about an hour or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of cake. Let loaf cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

For glaze, whisk honey, orange juice, 1 Tbsp milk tea and powder sugar in a bowl until smooth. If you want your glaze thinner, add more milk. If you prefer your glaze thicker, add more powder sugar.

Once loaf is cooled, pour glaze over the loaf. Use a pastry brush if needed to be sure glaze soaks in the sides and all the crevices of the loaf.