Bright and bursting with citrus, Orange Bread brings the taste of sunshine to your breakfast! Call it a bread or an orange loaf cake if you prefer--either way this recipe is big time hit!
Cream butter and 2 cup sugar in a mixer for 5 minutes. On medium speed, beat in eggs, one at a time. Add orange zest from all 4 oranges (about 1/3 cup).
In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. In another bowl, mix 1/4 cup OJ (juice of 1 orange), yogurt and vanilla. Add flour and yogurt mixtures alternately to mixer in 3 additions.
Pour into two greased loaf pans. I line my pans with parchment paper on the bottom, then grease pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes.
While bread is baking, cook remaining 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup OJ (juice of 2 oranges) on low until sugar dissolves. Cool cakes ten minutes in pan. Remove from pans to a wire rack. Spoon syrup over cakes. Cool completely.
To glaze, mix 2 cup powdered sugar with 1/4 cup OJ (juice of 1 orange) with whisk. Pour over cake and allow to dry. Store in refrigerator or freeze.
Notes
To freeze, wrap loaf of bread in foil first then place the loaf in a freezer bag for storage. It'll keep well this way for a couple of months, but I usually eat my second loaf within a few weeks.