Orange Creamsicle Loaf

I've been thinking about how I spent summers as a child and how I enjoyed the occasional orange creamsicle outside on a hot summer day.  Fast forward to today-- it's a bit rainy here in NY but before we really get into this hot weather, I wanted to create an orange creamsicle loaf that can be enjoyed by all and is reminiscent of that childhood favorite.  I used a flour from the NYC greenmarkets, Soft Frederick Winter Wheat, which has the perfect combination of texture and flavor for this recipe.  I also used vanilla extract straight from Rodelle. Rodelle is a socially responsible company that makes amazing products. It's sold in many grocery stores around the country.

Let's get right to the ingredients and directions....

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of orange juice concentrate (frozen)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 stick of butter, melted

1/4 cup of sugar

2 Tsp of baking powder

1 Tbsp of vanilla extract

1 orange, zest

Orange Cream Glaze:

2 cups of confectioner's sugar

2 Tbsp Heavy cream

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Orange zest, as much or as little as you'd like

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan (9"x12") with parchment paper.  In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate (thawed a little), vanilla extract, melted butter, eggs and stir until the ingredients combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add to the loaf pan and place into the oven for 35 minutes or longer, depending upon your oven. You'll want to stick a toothpick into the loaf to figure out if the loaf is ready. If the sides of the loaf seem to be cooking a bit quicker than the middle, place foil along the sides of the loaf pan and this will slow down the cooking process to prevent burnt edges.  You can make the glaze right on the stovetop, while the loaf is finishing up.  Add the confectioner's sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and orange zest and stir continuously, until the sugar has broken down and created a liquid.  Brush over the top and sides of the loaf and allow the loaf to harden, while cooling on a plate.  Enjoy, once cooled, and feel free to add some vanilla ice cream on the side.  The loaf can be kept in wax or parchment paper and foil for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  It's actually quite delicious directly from the fridge. I highly recommend that you try it with one slice of loaf!