Cranberry Orange Bread
Updated
Updated
This easy Cranberry Orange Bread is a buttery and moist loaf cake, with orange zest and tangy cranberries throughout, then topped with a silky sweet orange-infused glaze. I love how the beautiful contrasting colors make it perfect for a holiday dessert table!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItThis post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
5 STAR REVIEW
Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
I took notes from my popular lemon blueberry bread and put an orange and red holiday twist on it. Orange and cranberries simply love one another—truly one of the best holiday and winter flavor combinations ever, and this Cranberry Orange Bread is a perfect example!
This simple loaf cake is super moist and tender with cranberries and orange in every bite. A slice of this bread is delicious all on its own, but I’ve added a drizzle of orange-infused sweet glaze to take it up a level.
The contrasting colors are beautiful, making this loaf perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch, or as part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table after your family feast.
Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup half-and-half
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup cranberries, divided, fresh or frozen. If using frozen, add them to the batter without thawing (note: this may increase the baking time slightly.)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on two sides.
- In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the orange zest, eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla. Beat in the flour, baking powder, and salt, until combined.
- Pour half of the batter in the prepared pan, tapping it on the counter to evenly spread it out. Scatter half of the cranberries over the top. Repeat with the remaining batter and cranberries.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for at least one hour, then remove loaf from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and orange juice and pour over the cooled cake. Let set, slice, and serve!
Video
Notes
- Dust with powdered sugar. Instead of a glaze, simply dust the baked, cooled loaf with powdered sugar.
- Have a smaller loaf pan? I always bake this cranberry bread in a 9×5 loaf pan, but if you have an 8x4x2 pan, it will still work. Note that since there’s less surface area, the loaf may be a bit taller and take a few extra minutes to bake.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How To Make Cranberry Orange Bread Step by Step
Prepare the pan: Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on two sides.
Make the batter: With an electric mixer, beat ½ cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in 1½ tsp of orange zest, 2 eggs, ¾ cup of half-and-half, and 1½ tsp vanilla. Beat in 1¾ cups flour, 1¼ tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt until well combined, but not overmixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything as needed.
Pour batter in pan and bake: Transfer half of the batter to the prepared pan, tapping it on the counter to so it spreads evenly. Scatter half of the cranberries over the top. Repeat with the remaining batter and the last bit of cranberries.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 1 hour, then remove the loaf from the pan to cool completely.
Make the glaze: Whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tbsp milk, and 1 tbsp orange juice together.
Pour over the cooled bread.
Set and serve: Let set, slice, and enjoy!
How to Store
Baked and cooled, this cranberry orange bread can sit (tightly wrapped) on the countertop for 2-3 days. After that, you’ll want to refrigerate it, which will extend its life several days longer.
You can also freeze this bread. Wrap the loaf in plastic, then again in foil, and transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and let it come to room temperature before serving.
What to Serve With Cranberry Orange Bread
When it comes to holiday breakfasts, I love to go all out and prepare a scrumptious brioche French toast casserole, along with a hearty crescent roll breakfast casserole, and then offer something on the lighter side, like my peach yogurt parfaits.
I made two loaves yesterday for Thanksgiving. It’s delicious and I’ll make it again but I’ll double the amount of cranberries next time. Thanks Amy- I LOVE your recipes and your videos on Instagram.
I made this for our family last year and for a close neighbor, everyone loved it! I just made it again for tomorrow morning. I’m certain it will be just as delicious as last year!
Made this recipe today for the holidays. Delicious!
This was simply wonderful!!