Description
This Best Orange Cranberry Bread is a moist, flavorful loaf bursting with fresh cranberries and zesty orange. Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert, it features a tender crumb enriched with buttermilk and oil, and is topped with a sweet orange glaze for a bright finish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bread
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until combined well. Set aside.
- Combine Sugar and Zest: In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar and orange zest using a spoon until the sugar turns light orange, to infuse flavor.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, canola oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
- Combine Mixtures: Add the dry flour mixture and the orange zest sugar mixture to the wet ingredients. Whisk gently until just combined; be careful not to overmix to keep the bread tender.
- Add Cranberries: Fold in the fresh cranberries using a wooden spoon or spatula until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 75 minutes. If the bread browns too quickly, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent burning. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Bread: Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Make the Glaze: While the bread cools, whisk together powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of orange juice in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Adjust juice amount to achieve desired consistency.
- Glaze and Serve: Once the bread is completely cool, drizzle the orange glaze evenly over the top. Slice and serve for a delightful treat.
Notes
- This recipe yields one 9×5-inch loaf which serves approximately 10 slices.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute buttermilk with a mix of almond milk and lemon juice.
- If fresh cranberries are unavailable, frozen cranberries can be used but do not thaw them before adding to the batter.
- Use a toothpick test to ensure doneness — the bread should come out clean with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- Store leftovers wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- The calorie estimate is based on one slice, which is one-tenth of the loaf.
- The glaze can be adjusted in thickness by adding more or less orange juice to suit your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
