Best Cranberry Orange Bread (Moist & Perfect for Gifting)
Print RecipeUltra-moist cranberry orange quick bread loaded with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest. Bake in an 8½×4½ or mini loaves for holiday gift-giving. Even better on day two!
Servings: 12 slices
equipment (affiliate links
Ingredients
- 2 c. (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour (RECOMMEND WEIGHING)
- ¾ c. (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ c. (180 g) orange juice fresh is best from about 2 large oranges
- ¼ c. (57 g) salted butter melted & slightly cooled
- 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1½ c. (150 g) cranberries (fresh or frozen) do not thaw if frozen
Orange Glaze
- 1 c. (120 g) powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp orange juice start with 2 Tbsp
- Pinch of orange zest
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg, orange juice, melted butter, orange zest, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until combined – batter will be thick.
- For fresh cranberries, cut ½ them in half. Frozen - just add to batter frozen (no need to thaw). Fold in cranberries.
- Spread batter into prepared pan(s). For a pretty center crack, run a buttered knife ½-inch deep down the middle.
- Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, then (without opening the oven) lower temperature to 350°F and continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean:
- → 9×5 or 8½×4½ pan: 25–40 more minutes
- → Mini loaves: 20–30 more minutes
- Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Whisk powdered sugar with 2 Tbsp orange juice and zest. Add more juice drop-by-drop until it ribbons slowly but is still opaque. Drizzle over cooled loaf and let set 15 minutes before slicing.
- Best served the next day when flavors have fully melded!
Notes
- Frozen cranberries work perfectly and are often better than fresh. If using fresh, cut half of them half before adding to the batter.
- For gift-giving: bake in 4 mini-loaf pans (about 5¾×3-inch) – 25–35 minutes total.
- Storage: room temp 3 days, fridge 1 week, freezer 3 months.
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 202IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg
