Description
This Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze is a delightful, moist loaf loaded with fresh cranberries and bright orange flavors. It's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a sweet snack, featuring a tender crumb and a zesty orange glaze that adds a lovely sweet-tart finish. Ideal for holiday gift-giving or cozy mornings, this bread stays moist for days.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup milk (room temperature)
- Zest of 1 large orange (divided)
- 1/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (rinsed and patted dry)
- 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Orange Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice (or to reach desired consistency)
- 1 tsp orange zest (reserved from the orange above)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a loaf pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
- Prepare Cranberries: Toss the fresh cranberries with 1/2 tablespoon of flour to coat them lightly. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bread during baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Add Eggs and Orange Flavor: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Then mix in the orange zest and orange juice.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture and 1/4 cup room temperature milk alternately to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
- Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold the floured cranberries into the batter to distribute evenly.
- Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Bread: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Orange Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and reserved orange zest until smooth. Adjust the orange juice to achieve your desired glaze consistency.
- Glaze the Bread: Once the bread has cooled, drizzle the orange glaze evenly over the top and allow it to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh cranberries and make sure they are dry before adding to the batter to avoid excess moisture.
- To keep the bread moist, store it wrapped in foil or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- You can substitute milk with a non-dairy alternative like almond or oat milk to make it lactose-free.
- The orange glaze can be omitted or substituted with a simple powdered sugar glaze if preferred.
- If fresh cranberries are unavailable, frozen cranberries can be used but do not thaw before mixing.
- Ensure eggs and milk are at room temperature to help the batter mix evenly and rise well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 326 kcal
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 64 mg
