Cranberry Orange Bread – Baker by Nature
6 min read
This festive cranberry orange bread recipe combines contemporary orange juice, orange zest, cranberries, and crunchy pecans! We love this topped with a candy orange glaze, however a dusting of powdered sugar can also be a scrumptious possibility. Recent or frozen cranberries each work nice!

Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze
At the moment we’re busting out our loaf pans and baking the perfect cranberry bread ever! Or, what I’m boldly calling. “my favourite recipe of the season”. This bread is tremendous moist, loaded with ruby crimson cranberries, studded with crunchy nuts, and lined in candy orange glaze.
I completely love cranberry recipes: from cranberry sauce to cranberry scones, cranberry muffins, and cranberry pie. So suffice it to say, this recipe holds a particular place in my coronary heart! And I’ve a sense when you attempt it, it’ll have a particular place in your coronary heart, too.

Why You’ll Love this Cranberry Bread Recipe
- Tremendous simple to assemble – the batter comes collectively in about 10 minutes!
- Loaded with taste because of orange zest, orange juice, and gorgeously tart cranberries.
- Topped with a thick and candy orange glaze!
- Made with contemporary or frozen cranberries, you can also make this year-round! I don’t counsel utilizing dried cranberries, however in a pinch, even these will work okay.
- Baked in a loaf pan, this cake is tremendous simple to bake and transport as wanted. In case you’re touring and searching for a particular recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas, this one will work splendidly!
- Straightforward to freeze – be at liberty to freeze the entire loaf or leftover slices.
- Good for Christmas breakfast, a Thanksgiving Day snack, or anytime you’re craving a festive deal with.


Elements for Cranberry Bread
- Bitter Cream: In case you can’t discover bitter cream, full-fat plain Greek yogurt will make the perfect substitute.
- Oranges: For the perfect taste, use contemporary orange juice and orange zest on this recipe.
- Oil: I exploit vegetable oil, however canola oil, olive oil, and refined melted coconut oil will all work superb. The type of oil you employ will barely change the flavour of the bread, however not a lot.
- Flour: A very powerful of the dry components, use the proper sort and quantity of flour known as for! I’ve solely examined this recipe utilizing all-purpose flour, and I can not advise on utilizing different flour substitutes.
- Spices: Floor cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt improve the flavors on this orange bread. The cardamom is optionally available, however you probably have it readily available, I extremely counsel utilizing it. It enhances the orange taste much more!
- Leavening Brokers: Baking powder and baking soda assist this bread unfold evenly within the loaf pan and rise. Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are contemporary!
- Butter: I virtually at all times counsel utilizing unsalted butter, however in a pinch, you could use salted butter. And omit the salt known as for within the bread recipe. You should definitely use room temperature butter! Chilly butter will clump up and gained’t evenly mix into the batter.
- Sugar: You’ll use granulated sugar and lightweight brown sugar within the orange bread. And confectioners’ sugar within the orange glaze. An optionally available ingredient is sparkling sugar, which you sprinkle on prime of the loaf earlier than baking.
- Eggs: Carry your eggs to room temperature earlier than including them to the batter! Massive selection eggs work finest on this recipe.
- Cranberries: Recent or frozen cranberries will work. I wish to slice them in half for the batter, however you may add a few entire cranberries to the highest of the loaf. It provides a stunning rustic look!
- Pecans: In case you don’t like pecans, be at liberty to make use of walnuts as a substitute. Or, you probably have a nut allergy, you could fully omit them.


Tricks to Make the Finest Cranberry Bread
- Use the suitable baking pan! A metallic or aluminized metal 9×5-inch loaf pan works finest! In case you use a glass or ceramic baking pan, you’ll want to extend the baking time. Begin with 8 to 10 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear.
- You probably have a digital kitchen scale, weigh each your dry components and moist components. In baking, precision is every little thing, so having the proper measurements makes an enormous distinction.
- Use room temperature components when known as for! I do know it may be laborious to attend, however chilly components don’t bond collectively, and utilizing them will negatively influence your bread.
- Cool fully earlier than slicing and serving! I like to chill the cranberry bread within the tin for at the least 10 minutes. Then switch it to a wire cooling rack to chill fully.

Recent or Frozen Cranberries?
If you’ll find contemporary cranberries, I encourage you to make use of them! However in case you can solely discover frozen cranberries, don’t fret. They work fantastically on this recipe, so long as you don’t thaw them first. You need to add the berries to the batter fully frozen!
So, what about dried cranberries? Nicely, I don’t personally advocate utilizing them. However in case you do, I’d solely use 1 cup. And rehydrate them in one thing like orange juice or heat water earlier than including them to the batter.

Instruments for this Recipe
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Cranberry Orange Bread
This festive cranberry orange bread recipe combines contemporary orange juice, orange zest, cranberries, and crunchy pecans! We love this topped with a candy orange glaze, however a dusting of powdered sugar can also be a scrumptious possibility. Recent or frozen cranberries each work nice!
Elements
For the Cranberry Orange Bread:
- 3/4 cup (171g) bitter cream room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest finely grated
- 1/3 cup (76ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 Tablespoons (42ml) vegetable oil
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon floor nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon floor cardamom optionally available, however scrumptious
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (53g) mild brown sugar packed
- 2 giant eggs room temperature
- 2 cups (200g) *cranberries reduce in half
- 1/2 cup (57g) pecans coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons glowing sugar optionally available
For the Orange Glaze:
- 1/2 cup (77g) confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
For the Cranberry Orange Bread:
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Preheat the oven to 350 levels (F). Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put aside till wanted.
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In a small bowl, stir collectively the bitter cream, orange zest, orange juice, and oil. Put aside till wanted.
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In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, baking powder and baking soda. Put aside.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a big bowl utilizing a handheld electrical mixer, beat the butter till easy. Add in each sugars and proceed beating till mild and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
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Add within the eggs, separately, beating properly after every addition.
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On low pace, add the dry components in 3 additions, alternating with the moist components in 2 additions, mixing simply till mixed. Don’t over combine.
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Flip the mixer off and use a rubber spatula to softly stir in cranberries and nuts. Don’t over combine.
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Scrape the batter into the ready pan and unfold evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the highest with glowing sugar (I wish to press just a few further entire cranberries and pecans on prime too, you probably have further).
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Bake for half-hour, then scale back the warmth to 325° F. Proceed to bake till golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clear, about 45 minutes longer.
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Cool the loaf within the pan for about 10 minutes, then prove onto the rack and funky at the least 1 hour earlier than glazing and serving.
For the Orange Glaze:
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In a big liquid measuring cup or bowl, mix the sugar, orange juice, and salt. The combination must be tremendous thick and simply barely pourable. If the glaze is just too thick, add extra orange juice, a teaspoon at a time. If the glaze is just too skinny, add extra confectioners’ sugar, a Tablespoon at a time.
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Drizzle (zigzag) the glaze over the cooled cake and permit it to set for 20 minutes. Then slice and serve!
Notes
*Fresh or frozen cranberries can be utilized, if utilizing frozen, do NOT thaw.