Cranberry Orange Bread (Print version)
Moist quick loaf studded with tart cranberries and bright orange zest, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
# What goes in:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - ¾ cup milk
08 - ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (from 1–2 oranges)
10 - ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Mix-ins
12 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, large ones halved
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
# Cooking steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, vegetable oil, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract, then whisk until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently just until combined — avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
05 - Gently fold in the cranberries and chopped nuts, if using, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
07 - Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.
08 - Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- The orange zest blooms in the oven and fills your whole house with this warm, sunny perfume that makes people wander into the kitchen asking what is happening.
- Cranberries do that magical thing where they burst into tart little pockets without needing any fuss or special technique.
02 -
- Folding the batter too long develops gluten and turns your beautiful quick bread into something closer to a rubbery brick, stop the moment flour disappears.
- Tossing cranberries in a light dusting of flour before folding them in keeps them from all sinking to the bottom during baking.
03 -
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before pouring it into the pan, this gives the flour time to hydrate and produces a more tender, even texture.
- Use a microplane for zesting rather than a box grater, you get finer zest that distributes flavor throughout the entire loaf without bitter white pith.