Description
Try our Orange Cranberry Bread recipe and add a zestful twist to your baking routine! This moist quick bread is flavored with orange zest and juice and packed with sweet-tart dried cranberries.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup (213g) packed light-brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 bag (12 ounces) dried cranberries
Optional Topping:
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper and grease the parchment.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the lightly beaten egg and packed light-brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the room-temperature whole milk, melted butter, fresh orange juice, and orange zest.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk or stir with a spatula until just combined. Do not over-mix; a few lumps are okay.
- Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold in the dried cranberries until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Check for doneness starting around 45 minutes.
- Prevent Over-Browning: If the top of the bread begins to brown too quickly during baking, loosely tent the loaf pan with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan. Let it cool completely on the wire rack before slicing.
- Add Topping (Optional): Once the bread is completely cool, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
- Serve: Slice and serve.
Notes
- Measuring Flour: For accuracy, weigh your flour or use the spoon-and-level method (fluff flour, spoon into cup, level off).
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature eggs and milk helps the batter mix evenly.
- Orange: Use fresh orange zest and juice for the best flavor.
- Cranberries: This recipe uses dried cranberries. If you substitute fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw), the bread may be more moist and might require a longer baking time.
- Do Not Overmix: Overmixing quick bread batter can make it tough. Mix just until the flour disappears.
- Baking Time: Oven temperatures and pan materials vary, so start checking for doneness around the 45-minute mark.
- Storage: Store leftover bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.