Orange Cranberry Loaf
This orange cranberry loaf is the perfect combination of zesty orange and tart cranberries. If you need a perfect bake for the holiday season or any time you want a bright, flavorful treat then this is your loaf!
While the orange and cranberries are highlights of the loaf the buttermilk gives it a tender crumb. It’s easy to make and looks beautiful with the cranberries sprinkled on top.
What You Need For This Cranberry Orange Loaf
If you have buttermilk, fresh cranberries, and an orange, then you’re only pantry staples away from this bread!
- all-purpose flour
- kosher salt
- baking powder
- granulated sugar (No sugar around? Check these options)
- large orange, you will need juice and zest
- buttermilk
- cooking oil
- eggs (Out of eggs? Here’s how to keep cooking without them)
- vanilla extract
- fresh cranberries
My Best Tips For Making This Bread
- Don’t overbeat quick bread batters. You want to stir them with a wooden spoon or a spatula. Overmixing ruins a quick bread.
- Do not sub in milk for the buttermilk, if worse comes to worse, add some lemon juice or vinegar to plain milk to make it acidic. You need the acidity to make this bread work. Read my Buttermilk Substitutions post for more great ideas if you’re out of buttermilk.
- You only need about one orange for this loaf. You will need the juice AND the zest. Zest it first and then juice it. It’s hard to zest a juiced orange.
- To keep your cranberries from sinking it helps to toss them with a Tablespoon of floor. I added it into the recipe but people always complain about the extra Tablespoon without actually reading the recipe. OR the post.
To Store This Quick Bread
Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing for best results. But if you want a real treat, let it cool slightly, slice it warm and slather it in butter.
To Store the bread wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil, or place it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For longer storage, wrap it securely and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Orange Cranberry Loaf
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 C sugar
- 1 TBSP orange zest about the amount from a large orange
- ¾ C buttermilk
- 1/2 C canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp orange juice use the fresh juice from the orange
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 C fresh cranberries divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside
- Using a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, orange zest, flour, and baking powder until combined
- Using another large bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice together
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until combined, stirring well but do not whisk in or beat it in
- Toss 1 cup of the cranberries together with the one Tablespoon of flour(this keeps them from sinking!)
- Fold into the batter
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan
- Sprinkle the ½ C of cranberries on top of the batter
- Bake in the oven for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Allow to cool completely and the slide it out of the pan
doesn’t say where the juice or vanilla go? I’m using frozen cranberries that I’ve defrosted and just going to put the oj and vanilla in the wet ingredients and hope it works
Oops that was accidentally left off the end of the directions : ) yes they go in the wet ingredients, I fixed that