Orange Cranberry Bread

Three slices of cranberry loaf cake drizzled with white glaze.

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This orange cranberry bread has a tender crumb, bright citrus flavor, and tart cranberries in every slice. It’s easy to make without a mixer and finished with a sweet orange glaze. Use fresh or frozen cranberries, whichever you have on hand.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 5

Cooling1

Total Time2 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry bread, cranberry orange bread, cranberry orange loaf

Servings: servings

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

For the bread

1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
1 tablespoon orange zest from 1 large orange
⅓ cup orange juice
⅔ cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons butter melted, 85 grams
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups fresh cranberries or frozen, coarsely chopped

For the glaze

¾ cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons orange juice

Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
Add the sugar and orange zest to a medium mixing bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your hands until the sugar is fragrant and slightly damp.
Add the orange juice, buttermilk, melted butter, and egg to the orange sugar. Whisk until combined.
Set a sifter or fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda directly into the wet ingredients. Gently fold the batter with a spatula just until the flour is moistened. Do not overmix.
Fold in the chopped cranberries until evenly distributed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly into the corners.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Without removing the bread from the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for approximately 45 more minutes. After 35 minutes of total baking time, loosely tent the loaf with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. Cool completely before adding the glaze.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. If it is too thick to drizzle over the bread, add a bit more orange juice.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf. Let the glaze set before slicing.

Video

Notes

Chopping cranberries: A food processor makes quick work of those little rolling berries. Pulse in short bursts until coarsely chopped, stopping before they turn into a purée.

Frozen cranberries: Chop and add them while still frozen. Thawing releases extra juice that can streak the batter.

Glaze consistency: The glaze should be thick but pourable. If needed, add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it or a few drops of orange juice to thin it.

Storage: Once the glaze has set, store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer storage.

Freezing: For the neatest results, freeze the bread without the glaze. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw while wrapped, then add the glaze before serving.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

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