I am obsessed with bergamots, they are my favourite citrus by far, possibly my favourite fruit. They have a tart acidic flavour you would expect from a citrus, with a floral notes that create a unique flavour unlike anything else.
Bergamot seem to be getting a bit more attention in the food world recently, hopefully we aren’t too long away from seeing them actually be sold in green grocers and the like. If you ever come across them, buy some! Then make this easy loaf cake, you won’t regret it.
Homegrown bergamots 2025
Bergamot Loaf Cake
Ingredients:
175ml milk
fresh bergamot or lemon
175g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
125ml canola/sunflower/vegetable oil
For the icing:
125g icing mixture
1-1.5 tbsp fresh bergamot or lemon juice
Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
In a jug pour in the milk, then halve the bergamot and squeeze in about a teaspoon of juice. Mix together and set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder, sift in the bicarb soda and whisk to combine.
Then in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soured milk, sugar, eggs and oil. Finely zest the bergamot halves and add that too, gently whisking to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and gently whisk until the batter is smooth.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden in colour and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in its tin for a few minutes, before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled make the icing. Start by juicing the remainder of the bergamot. Then combine the icing sugar and 1 tbsp of the fresh bergamot juice in a medium bowl. If more liquid is needed for the icing to make it smoother, gradually add a little more bergamot juice. The icing should be smooth, spreadable and a little thick - too runny and it won’t stay on the cake.
Spread the icing over the cake allowing it to drizzle over the sides. If you can wait till the icing has set before cutting do, everything will be neater and cleaner when cutting, but honestly I rarely do this!
Any leftover bergamot juice can be frozen for future baking projects or anything you might have used lemon juice for (like salad dressings).
