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. The beautiful contrasting colors make it perfect for a holiday dessert table!
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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. This Cranberry Orange Bread is a perfect example of that!
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 a drizzle of orange-infused sweet glaze takes it up a level.
The contrasting colors are beautiful, perfect for holiday breakfast or brunch, or as part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table after your family feast.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cranberry orange bread recipe.
(Don’t miss the printable recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Unsalted butter – Bring the butter to room temperature so it’s easier to blend.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Orange juice and zest – Fresh orange juice is added to the glaze, while the zest is included in the batter for a bright, citrusy component.
- Large eggs – These provide the batter with structure.
- Half-n-Half – Adds necessary moisture and richness. It can be found next to the heavy cream in most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can easily make your own – it’s simply equal parts whole milk and heavy cream.
- Vanilla extract – A little splash for added flavor.
- Flour – All purpose flour, spooned and leveled for accurate measuring.
- Baking powder – Helps the cake rise.
- Salt – Ensures the other flavors aren’t flat.
- Cranberries – Our star ingredient! Fresh or frozen can be used (see note below.)
- Glaze – Powdered sugar, milk, and orange juice make a simple wonderful glaze.
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
How To Make Cranberry Orange Bread Bread
This moist cranberry orange bread comes together in just a few easy steps.
(Don’t miss the printable recipe card below for all the detailed instructions.)
- 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 the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the orange zest, eggs, half-n-half, and vanilla. Beat in the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything.
- Pour batter in pan. 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. Bake at 350F for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Let cool in pan for at least 1 more hour, then remove loaf from pan to cool completely.
- Glaze, set, and serve. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and orange juice and pour over the cooled cake. Let set, slice, and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Measure the flour correctly. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it with the back of a knife, instead of scooping it out of the container with the measuring cup.
- Don’t over-mix. As with any quick bread, be careful not to over-mix the wet and dry ingredients or the end result could end up too dense. Just mix enough to incorporate everything.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Instead of a glaze, simply dust the baked cooled loaf with powdered sugar.
- Have a smaller loaf pan? We 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.
Video: Cranberry Orange Bread
Proper Storage
- Countertop and Fridge. 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.
- To Freeze. 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 come to room temperature before serving.
More Cranberry Desserts:
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Cranberry Fluff
- Apple Cranberry Crisp
- Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
- Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Upside Down Cranberry Cake
- Cranberry Crumb Bars
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Cranberry Orange Bread
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. The beautiful contrasting colors make it perfect for a holiday dessert table!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup half-n-half
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 & 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cranberries , divided
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees 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-n-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
Fresh or Frozen cranberries. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe. If using frozen cranberries, add them to the batter without thawing (note: this may increase the baking time slightly.)
Half-n-Half. It can be found next to the heavy cream in most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can easily make your own – it’s simply equal parts whole milk and heavy cream.
Dust with powdered sugar. Instead of a glaze, simply dust the baked cooled loaf with powdered sugar.
Have a smaller loaf pan? We 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
Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 519IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg
This was simply wonderful!!