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Easy Cranberry Orange Bread Loaf Recipe

Easy Cranberry Orange Bread Loaf

A moist cranberry orange quick bread made with fresh cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, butter, and buttermilk. This loaf is delicious unglazed or finished with a simple orange drizzle.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread Ingredients
  • 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) Unsalted butter, softened or melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
  • 1 egg Large egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon Finely grated orange zest
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) Freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups (150–165 g) Fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried
Optional Orange Glaze
  • 1 cup (120 g) Confectioners’ sugar
  • 1–2 tablespoons Orange juice

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides so the baked loaf can be lifted out easily.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth, then mix in the egg, vanilla, and orange zest.
  3. Stir the orange juice and buttermilk into the butter mixture. It may look slightly curdled at this stage, which is normal and will not harm the finished bread.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir only until nearly combined. Fold in the cranberries gently, stopping as soon as no large streaks of flour remain.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55–65 minutes, checking with a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  6. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with foil during the final 15–20 minutes of baking. Cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely before slicing or glazing.

Notes

Rub the orange zest into the sugar before mixing for a stronger citrus flavor. For even cranberry distribution, toss the berries with 1 tablespoon of the measured flour. Frozen cranberries may be used directly from the freezer, but the loaf may need slightly more baking time.