Will's orange, raisin and walnut loaf

There’s nothing like a cup of tea and a warm slice of fruit and nut loaf on a chilly day. Will Geisler of Buttercream Workshop, Martinborough tells the story behind an old favourite, and shares the recipe. Photo by Lucia Zanmonti.

This recipe is based on an old family recipe for an orange raisin walnut cake, –  my father’s favourite.. I learned to make it from my mother.  I took it to my first restaurant job at 17 (a fine dining restaurant in Vermont) and baked it for the daily “family meal” when it was my turn. I have made it, in one form or another, at every job I’ve had since.  It’s been enjoyed by everyone from fishermen at a chowder house in Maine and patrons of my coffee shop in New York, to the brunch crowd at a 5-star hotel in Miami Beach, and the brunch crowd at Medici Kitchen in Martinborough. I’ve even made it into a multi-layered gateaux for my current business, Buttercream Workshop. 

There’s a few fun things about this recipe.  First, it’s a great use of that mincer that you usually just use to grind your paua.  The raisins, walnuts and orange all get ground up together, and the texture is the best for the loaf. I’m fortunate to have inherited my grandmother’s mincer – these days, they can be hard to find.  A food processor works well too – just make sure to not chop up everything too fine. 

Secondly, this loaf uses an entire orange.  No need to peel.  I do slice off the “stem” end, and roughly cut it up into about 8 pieces.  If there are any seeds, I try to remove those.  But otherwise everything goes in. 

Thirdly, the original recipe calls for sour milk. You could actually use milk that has gone off, however I don’t recommend it. (This recipe originated in thriftier times).  For the cake version – usually baked in a fluted ring pan – I use milk soured with lemon juice.  For this recipe, since I wanted a slightly denser finish, I substituted yogurt, and I’m really happy with the result.

 Orange Raisin Walnut Loaf

 1 orange, with peel left on, cut into about 8 pieces
1 cup raisins
½ cup (one 70g packet) walnuts
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
125g butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup plain yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / 160 C Fan Bake.

2. Grind up orange, raisins and walnuts in a food mincer or in a food processor.  If using a food processor, be careful not to chop up everything too fine.

3. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt into a separate bowl.

4. Cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, and beat well until mixture is light and creamy. Fold in the chopped fruit and nut mixture, including any juice that resulted from grinding/chopping.

5. Fold in the yogurt and flour, alternating a little at a time, until all is just incorporated.  Spoon the mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 45 min to 1 hour.  Check the loaf after about 30 minutes – if the top is getting dark, cover it lightly with foil to keep it from burning.  Often loaves like this will appear to be done, but still be undercooked in the centre, so be sure to test by inserting a toothpick, skewer or knife near the centre and see if it comes out clean.