About
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 1/2x4 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.
