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orange cardamom almond bread

Orange cardamom bread with almond cream

This fluffy cardamom bread is flavored with orange zest and swirled with frangipane and sliced almonds. It's made with olive oil and honey for extra flavor and makes for a perfect celebration loaf!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Rest Time 3 hrs
Course Breakfast

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • stand mixer (optional)
  • 9 x 5 inch loaf tin

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1/4 cup (60g) water, lukewarm
  • 2 tbsp (42g) honey
  • 2 tsp instant or active dry yeast
  • 3 tbsp (37g) olive oil
  • 2 cups (240g) all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • zest of 1 medium orange
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Frangipane (almond cream)

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (56g) almond flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour

Egg wash and topping

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp milk or water
  • sliced almond or other crushed nuts

Instructions
 

Make the dough

  • In a medium bowl, mix together lukewarm water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is frothy and bubbly. If there are no signs of activity, your yeast may be dead. Start over with fresh yeast.
  • Add olive oil, flour, cardamom, orange zest, egg, and salt. Use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to knead at medium-low speed for 10 - 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and passes the window pane test. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can also mix and knead by hand. The dough should be slightly sticky, heavy, and smooth.
  • Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise for 90 minutes to 2 hours until doubled in size.

Make the frangipane

  • While the dough is proofing, make the frangipane. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the almond flour, mixing until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Mix in 2 tbsp of flour.
  • Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to chill until ready to use. Chilling the frangipane will make it easier to spread over the dough.

Shape and bake

  • Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release air and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 12 inch by 10 inch rectangle. If the dough is shrinking and you're struggling to roll it out, let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes to help the gluten relax.
  • Spread the surface of the dough evenly with the frangipane and sprinkle with almond slices or crushed nuts. Roll the dough lengthwise, so you have a 12 inch tube. Cut the tube in half and twist the two halves together, making sure that the filling side is facing up. Place the dough braid in the greased loaf tin.
  • Cover and let rise for another 90 minutes. When you press your finger into the dough, the indent should fill halfway. If it fills all the way, let the dough proof for longer. If it doesn't fill at all and stays indented, bake immediately.
  • Towards the end of the proof, preheat the oven to 375°F. Beat together the egg and milk to create an egg wash. Once the loaf is finished proofing, brush the top with egg wash, avoiding the frangipane. Sprinkle with sliced almonds or crushed nuts.
  • Place the loaf in the middle of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Check the loaf - if the top of the loaf is browning, tent with aluminum foil. Continue baking for another 15 - 20 minutes, for a total bake time of 30 - 35 minutes. The loaf should be golden brown and make a hollow noise when tapped. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes in the tin.

Notes

  1. A 9 x 5 inch loaf tin is slightly large for this recipe, so if you have a smaller tin that would work just as well.
Keyword almond, bread, cardamom, orange