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Bergamot Loaf Cake

Easy Bergamot Loaf Cake

Kath July 9, 2025

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 bergamot with leaves

Homegrown bergamots 2025

Fresh Bergamot
Easy Bergamot Loaf Cake

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). 

Bergamot Cake
Easy Bergamot Cake
In Cakes & Slices Tags Bergamot, Loaf Cake, Mixer Free Recipes, Citrus, Easy Baking
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melting moment sandwich biscuits on pink plate

Bergamot Melting Moments

Kath July 13, 2022

I think melting moments (or yo-yos as they are sometimes known) are such a cheery biscuit. They are wholesome and comforting in a tasty and sturdy way, and are something I think adults and kids alike would enjoy. And they are quite simple to make as well. 

You only need four ingredients, and I thought the longest part of the whole recipe was rolling out the dough into balls to form the biscuits - which honestly wasn’t that long, but the rest of the steps are really quite quick. 

My love for bergamot is probably well known by now, and since we have many to use at the moment these melting moments had to be flavoured with bergamot. However you can use whatever citrus you like instead. 

This recipe is slightly adapted from one I created last year for The Healthy Baker, which you can check out if you want a slightly different take on the traditional melting moment.

melting moment sandwich biscuits on pink plate

Bergamot Melting Moments

Ingredients:                                       

300g unsalted butter, softened

120g icing sugar/mixture

Finely grated zest of 1/2 bergamot

450g plain flour

Ingredients for the filling:

80g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar/mixture

3 tsp fresh bergamot juice

Finely grated zest of 1/2 bergamot 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 145 degrees Celsius, and line three large baking trays with baking paper. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and bergamot zest until creamy.

Add the flour to the creamed butter, and mix on low speed until a dough forms. 

Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on the prepared trays (you should end up with 40-44 individual dough balls/biscuits) leaving a little space in between each. Then lightly press down each ball with the back of a fork so they flatten out a little. Dip your fork in flour if it is sticking to the dough.

Bake for 25 minutes. They will be cooked when the undersides of the biscuits are lightly golden. To ensure an even bake, rotate the baking trays in the oven around half way through. 

Allow to cool on their trays.

Once the biscuits have cooled make the filling by beating all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or by using a hand held mixer. Mix until light and fluffy and everything is well combined. 

Pair up the cooked biscuits, and turn one from each pair over so the underside is facing up. Spread or pipe the filling on to the underside of one biscuit in each biscuit pair, then gently sandwich the paired biscuits together. 

Leave the biscuits for half an hour or so for the filling to firm up a bit (you can do this in the fridge in warmer weather). Biscuits will store well in an airtight container for a few days. 

Makes 40-44 individual biscuits and 20-22 sandwiched biscuits. 

In Biscuits/Cookies Tags Bergamot, Melting Moments, Biscuits, Citrus, Biscuits/Cookies
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Fluffy Bergamot Cake

Fluffy Bergamot Cake with Buttermilk

Kath July 14, 2021

This cake came about in the same way many others do in my kitchen. I had certain ingredients to use, and I really just wanted to bake something quick and easy that was also going to be very tasty. 

I have a few homegrown bergamots and some bought ones too at the moment, so I am constantly thinking about how I could use them. I love bergamot season, it is honestly my favourite citrus. I love the floral notes of it, and how it has the ability to lift a dish or a cake to another level flavour wise. 

I also had some Pepe Saya Buttermilk. I made an online order with Pepe Saya, as many other Sydney-siders when Pepe Saya offered 20% off for those of us in lockdown. I really like baking with this buttermilk, but I also like using it as I like having a dedicated milk to use for baking. This way the milk bought for tea and cereal etc won’t get used up as quickly as I’m not using it for baking. Which is helpful particularly as we are still in lockdown, and unnecessary trips to the shops and just well, unnecessary. 

I had planned to use some of the buttermilk for baking, and freeze any leftover for future use. However after making this particular bergamot cake once, I now have so many ideas for using it I’m not sure any will end up frozen. 

The bergamot cake is a little different to the other citrus cakes I usually make as I often make citrus cakes with an oil based recipe that uses yoghurt. I love cakes made this way as they are simple, reliable and tasty. This new Bergamot cake is still those things, however the texture mostly thanks to the buttermilk, its so fluffy it seems like a cake you’ve put a lot more effort into. 

I also think the lightness comes from the fact that I mostly bake with margarine rather than butter. Pretty much all my recipes say to use butter, as I know that’s what most people will use when baking. But I much prefer the lightness that a good margarine can give a cake. Whatever you use, it will still be a good cake and a nice fluffy one if you use buttermilk. 

I used a rectangular cake/slice tin for this cake as baking it in this shape will mean a quicker cook time. But you can of course use a 20cm round tin, however the cook time will be at least double what is stipulated in the recipe. 

Fluffy Bergamot Cake
Fluffy Bergamot Cake

Fluffy Bergamot Cake with Buttermilk

Ingredients: 

125g unsalted butter, softened or flavourless margarine*

165g caster sugar

finely grated zest of one bergamot/lemon

2 eggs 

250g self raising flour

125ml buttermilk (e.g. Pepe Saya)


Ingredients for the Icing: 

170g icing mixture

1-2 tbsp fresh bergamot/lemon juice

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and grease and line a 30x20cm rectangular slice or lamington tin with baking paper. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and zest with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the flour and the buttermilk and slowly mix until combined. If the mixture is a little lump, mix using a whisk.

Tip the mixture into the prepared tray and smooth the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cake spring backs when touched lightly and a skewer comes out clean. The cake will be lightly golden when done. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing, mix 1 tbsp of the bergamot/lemon juice with the icing mixture in a medium bowl. Continue to add more juice, a little at a time until you have a smooth icing that you can spread over the cake - a slightly thinner consistency is good for this cake as there is more surface area to spread over, if the icing is too thick it might not cover the entire cake!

*if using margarine, use straight from the fridge no need to soften like butter. 

Fluffy Bergamot Cake
In Cakes & Slices Tags Bergamot, Buttermilk, Citrus, cake, Easy Baking, Mixer Free Recipes
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Bergamot Marshmallows

Bergamot Marshmallows

Bergamot Marshmallows + A New eBook!

Kath July 26, 2019

To celebrate the release of my second eBook, Cosy Winter Bakes, I decided to share another seasonal Winter recipe that I love to make. 

I think I have mentioned before that I have always loved marshmallows. So many flavour combinations are possible. And when our bergamot tree is fruiting I am always trying to think of something different to make with them. I love making the same cakes and biscuits with our bergamot each year as I look forward to their season so much, however this year after making the Bergamot Loukoumia from Georgina Hayden’s book Taverna, I thought I would have another go at using bergamot in confectionary. 

View fullsize Homegrown Bergamots
View fullsize Homegrown Bergamots

I was pleasantly surprised that the bergamot flavour in the marshmallows worked, for some reason I wasn’t 100% sure it would. The flavour actually gets better a couple of days after the marshmallows have been made and cut. 

These marshmallows are super fluffy, and end up being very white in colour as bergamot juice does not have a really strong colour and all homemade marshmallows turn quite opaque as they are whipping anyway. You could add some yellow or green food colouring as the marshmallow is whipping, but I personally prefer to avoid using artificial colours as much as possible in my baking.

I took a few of these, along with some of the passionfruit marshmallows that are in my eBook, to work and I was quite surprised that my colleagues tried the bergamot ones and liked them. Bergamot is quite an unknown citrus, but that didn’t stop everyone trying them! I was super happy about this as not only is bergamot such a delicious flavour if you are willing to give it a go, but each marshmallow recipe makes quite a few marshmallows and with two batches at home I really needed to give some away!

Also, if anyone knows were to easily buy beef gelatin in Sydney (or online), please let me know! These marshmallows are not suitable for anyone who keeps kosher or halal and I would love to make sure they are in future!

For more seasonal cakes, confectionary and cookies check out my new eBook Cosy Winter Bakes! 

View fullsize New Recipe eBook - Cosy Winter Bakes
View fullsize Bergamot Marshmallows with a White Hot Chocolate
BUY EBOOK!
Bergamot Marshmallows
Bergamot Marshmallows

Bergamot Marshmallows (Gluten + Dairy + Egg Free)

Ingredients: 

275g fresh bergamot juice

50g gelatine powder

115ml water

820g white/granulated sugar 

320g glucose 

50g potato flour/starch

50g icing sugar (pure or confectioners)

cooking spray

Method: 

Spray a slice tin or lamington tray (at least 30x20cm) with the cooking spray and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, briefly mix together the bergamot juice and the gelatine powder. Leave for now, ensuring the whisk attachment is fitted and everything is ready to go once your sugar syrup is ready.

In a medium/large saucepan place the water, then the sugar, then the glucose. Place over high heat and cook until the syrup reaches 120 degrees Celsius on a candy thermometer.

With the mixer on low, gradually pour the sugar syrup into the bergamot mix. Whisk on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture turns a more opaque colour. The mixture will also start to thicken. Then increase mixer to high speed for about 8 minutes, until the marshmallow has tripled in volume and has thickened. 

Pour marshmallow into the prepared tray, tapping it down on the bench to remove any air bubbles and to ensure it is sitting in the tray evenly. 

Leave to set overnight before cutting (room temperature is best, preferably covered with a food net or cover).

Once the marshmallow is ready to cut, in a small bowl whisk together the potato flour and the icing sugar (sift if necessary). 

Dust some of this mixture onto your clean work surface. Remove the slab of marshmallow from the tin, use a spatula to pull the sides away from the tin and tip it onto the dusted work surface. 

Dust more of the icing sugar mix over the top of the marshmallow slab, and around the sides. Using a large sharp knife, cut into cubes, by cutting the slab into rows, then cutting rows in the other direction. Dust your knife regularly with the icing sugar mix, and continue to dust the marshmallows as they are cut.

Ensure every part of the cut marshmallows are covered in the potato flour and icing sugar mix. Toss them around on the bench to remove any excess.

Store in an airtight container. The marshmallows will keep for about 3 weeks. 

Bergamot Marshmallows

Reference: Heilala Vanilla Sweetness Vanilla Bean Mallow

Homegrown Bergamots

Homegrown Bergamots

In Confectionary Tags marshmallow, Bergamot
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Earl Grey Shortbread

Earl Grey Shortbread

Earl Grey Shortbread (Caffeine Free)

Kath August 14, 2018

This recipe has been on my mind for a long time. Like years. I always have lists going of things I want to make, and Earl Grey Shortbread is always on there. 

I was originally inspired by some Earl Grey Shortbread from Fortnum & Mason that a friend gifted me after a holiday in the UK at least three years ago. As all Fortnum & Mason products are (in my opinion), they were stunning and a great example of traditional shortbread and really showcased the bergamot flavour so distinctive to Earl Grey. 

I did try to recreate them once, using very finely crushed earl grey tea leaves. However without a good mortar and pestle and with no additional bergamot to add to lift the flavour, they fell far short of what I was trying to recreate. 

I left the recipe alone for quite some time, deciding maybe it was for the best since I can’t have caffeine anyway. I was attempting something that I probably wouldn’t be able to eat. 

Now however, after growing my own bergamots and sourcing some online, the possibility to create a caffeine free version of this biscuit arose. Much to my excitement the addition of fresh bergamot zest to a simple shortbread recipe worked a treat, and replicated the Fortnum & Mason version in flavour quite well. 

You can of course (very) finely crush some Earl Grey tea leaves to add to the mixture (I would say 1tsp added when creaming the butter and sugar), for the tea speckled look. And fresh bergamot zest could also be substituted for 1-2 drops of a good quality (food grade) bergamot essence.

Earl Grey Shortbread Caffeine Free
Earl Grey Shortbread Caffeine Free

Earl Grey Shortbread (Caffeine Free)

Ingredients: 

160g unsalted butter, softened

60g caster sugar 

finely grated zest of one small/medium bergamot

250g plain flour 

 

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius, and line two large baking trays with baking paper. 

Place the butter, sugar and zest in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until well combined. 

Add the flour, and mix on low until a dough starts to form. 

Lightly flour your work surface, and tip the dough out. Bring together with your hands then roll out to about 1-2mm thick with a rolling pin. 

Cut out fluted rounds with a 5cm cutter and place on prepared trays. Re-roll scraps of the dough until it is all used up. 

Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, turning the trays around halfway through to ensure even cooking. 

Allow to cool on the trays or transfer to a wire rack. 

Makes about 50 biscuits.

Bergamot Shortbread
Bergamot Shortbread
In Biscuits/Cookies Tags Earl Grey, Bergamot, Shortbread, Biscuits, Fortnum & Mason
2 Comments
Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Kath July 16, 2018

I call this a citrus yoghurt cake, rather than specifying any particular citrus, as I think almost any variety of citrus would be great in this cake. I have flitted between classic lemon and then bergamot, and both work really well. If you have read a little of my blog or follow me on Instagram, you won’t be surprised to hear the bergamot version is my favourite! Bergamot anything would be my favourite, but thats not to say the classic combination of lemon and yoghurt would be playing second best. Not at all. A mixture of lemon and lime would also be nice, and even going for a blood orange when they are in season would be great. 

I will be making this cake a few more times this Winter, as it is my favourite thing to bake with citrus and we have an over supply here at home. We got at least 30 or 40 lemonades from our tree, 4 very large bergamot and I also bought 10 bergamot online from Mountain Yuzu - as the name suggests their main crop is yuzu, however they are also the first people I have come across that grow and sell fresh bergamot in Australia (much to my delight!).

The reason I really like this cake, is that the combination of the oil and yoghurt gives the cake a moist crumb that really retains the juicy-ness of the fruit. Whichever citrus you choose to use will be the hero here, and nothing else but a cup of tea is necessary to enjoy a slice (or two!). 

View fullsize Homegrown Bergamots
View fullsize Homegrown Bergamot
Bergamots from Mountain Yuzu

Bergamots from Mountain Yuzu

Bergamots

Bergamots

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients: 

210g plain flour (The Healthy Baker Low FODMAP Flour works well here too)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

300g caster sugar

250g plain Greek style yoghurt

125ml vegetable oil 

2 eggs 

2 tbsp fresh lemon or bergamot juice

zest of two medium lemons or bergamots 

 

For the Icing: 

210g icing sugar (confectioners)

3 tbsp fresh lemon or bergamot juice 

 

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius, and grease and line the base of a 23cm round cake pan. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the caster sugar, yoghurt, oil, eggs, citrus juice and zest. Whisk until combined, then add the flour mixture a third at a time whisking until just incorporated after each addition. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes or until golden in colour and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. If not cooked after 30 minutes, continue to check the cake at 5 minute intervals until it is done. 

Allow the cake to cool in its tin for a few minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t worry if the middle of the cake has dipped a little, it will still be perfectly cooked inside. 

To make the icing, whisk the icing sugar and 2 tbsp of the citrus juice together, adding more juice to get the right consistency if needed. You want the icing to be smooth, but not overly runny or it won’t cover the cake evenly. Spread the icing over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides a little. 

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Reference: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/lemon-yogurt-cake-recipe-apricot-cherry-compote/

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

Citrus Yoghurt Cake

In Cakes & Slices Tags Citrus, Bergamot, Lemon, Low FODMAP, Mountain Yuzu, Yoghurt
2 Comments
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