Certain aromas quickly evoke the feelings of home, family, and celebration. The comforting smell of Orange-Cranberry Loaf in the oven will immediately take you there. Orange juice and orange zest are immersed in a moist, sweet cake that is sprinkled with tart cranberries for the perfect ratio of sweet-tart flavor. No matter the occasion, make this Orange-Cranberry Loaf and get your morning off to a fantastic, flavorful start. It’s good to be home, so let’s celebrate!
Ingredients
For the cranberry bread:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more, to taste, for greasing the pan
- 1 1/2 cups plus 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided, plus more, to taste, for dusting the pan
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 2 3/4 tablespoons orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry
For the orange glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed, plus more, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease an 8 1/2×4 1/2-inch loaf pan with the extra butter and lightly dust it with the extra flour. Make sure to tap out any excess flour.
Step 3 –In a medium bowl, add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and the salt and whisk to combine.
Step 4 –In a large glass measuring cup, add the milk, 2 3/4 tablespoons of the orange zest, and 1/4 cup of the orange juice and whisk to combine.
Step 5 –In a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, add 6 tablespoons of the butter and the granulated sugar and beat until starting to combine, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 6 –Reduce the mixer to medium-high speed and beat the butter-sugar mixture until just combined.
Step 7 –Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until well-combined.
Step 8 –Reduce the mixing speed to medium-low.
Step 9 –Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the egg mixture, alternating between the two. Add about 1/2 of each mixture with each addition and beat in between each addition until just combined. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl, as needed.
Step 10 –In a medium bowl, add the cranberries and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of the flour and toss to coat.
Step 11 –Add the floured cranberries to the batter and fold until just combined.
Step 12 –Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
Step 13 –Bake the loaf until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
Step 14 –Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack to cool, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 15 –Run a knife around the edges of the loaf and transfer the loaf to the wire rack to cool completely.
Step 16 –In a large clean bowl, add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, the remaining orange zest, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the orange juice and whisk until it becomes a smooth glaze that can be drizzled.
Step 17 –If the glaze is too thick, add the extra powdered sugar, a little at a time. If it is too thick, add the extra orange juice, a little at a time.
Step 18 –Transfer the loaf to a serving platter.
Step 19 –Evenly drizzle the orange glaze over top of the cooled loaf.
Step 20 –Slice and serve.
