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Perfect Cranberry Orange Bread: Easy Holiday Recipe

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This cranberry orange bread is the perfect holiday treat—tart, sweet, moist, and bursting with fresh cranberry and bright orange flavor. It’s simple to make, uses pantry staples, and fills your kitchen with the cozy aroma of December.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups (170g) fresh cranberries (or frozen, not thawed)
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest (from about 2 large oranges)
  • ½ cup (120ml) fresh orange juice
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil or butter)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for tossing cranberries)
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 2–3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (for glaze)
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, combine ½ cup fresh orange juice, 2 tablespoons orange zest, 2 large eggs (room temperature), ½ cup vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are okay—do not overmix).
  5. Toss the cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. Gently fold the cranberries into the batter with a spatula. The batter will be thick.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
  7. Bake for 55-65 minutes. At the 50-minute mark, start checking for doneness—a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment paper and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely (about 1 hour) before glazing.
  9. For the glaze: Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, and 1 teaspoon orange zest until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled bread. Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Toss cranberries in flour before folding into batter to prevent sinking. Use room temperature eggs and orange juice for best texture. Do not overmix the batter. Let bread cool completely before glazing to avoid a gummy texture. For frozen cranberries, do not thaw before using.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry orange bread, holiday bread, quick bread, cranberry bread, orange bread, Christmas bread, Thanksgiving bread, easy bread recipe

Find it online: https://shimmersnack.com/perfect-cranberry-orange-bread-easy-holiday-recipe/