Description
This Orange Cranberry Bread is a moist and flavorful quick bread bursting with fresh citrus zest and tart cranberries. Perfect for breakfast or a sweet snack, this loaf combines the refreshing taste of orange juice and zest with the festive pop of cranberries, all baked to golden perfection in a simple 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- â…“ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 large orange)
- ½ cup whole milk or buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Beat Sugar and Eggs: In a separate bowl, beat the granulated sugar and eggs together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender crumb.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Stir in the orange zest, fresh orange juice, melted butter, milk or buttermilk, and vanilla extract into the sugar and egg mixture. Mix well until fully combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and gently stir until just combined; be careful not to overmix to avoid a dense bread.
- Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold the fresh or frozen cranberries into the batter. To prevent cranberries from sinking to the bottom, optionally toss them in a tablespoon of flour before adding.
- Transfer to Pan: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the bread begins to brown too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
- Cool: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps it set and prevents breaking.
- Optional Glaze: For added sweetness and a hint of citrus, drizzle the cooled bread with a glaze made by mixing powdered sugar with a little fresh orange juice.
Notes
- Using buttermilk instead of whole milk adds a tender texture and slight tanginess.
- Tossing cranberries in flour before folding helps keep them suspended in the batter instead of sinking.
- Allow the bread to cool before slicing to ensure clean slices.
- The optional orange glaze adds a lovely sweet citrus finish but can be omitted for a less sweet loaf.
- Fresh cranberries provide a nice tartness, but frozen work well too—just do not thaw before adding.
