Cranberry Orange Bread (Printable Version)
Moist cranberry-orange loaf with fresh zest and tart berries, great for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
# What You'll Need:
→ 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 whole 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 pure vanilla extract
→ Mix-ins
12 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, large ones halved
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat 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. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently just until combined—do not overmix, as this can make the bread tough.
05 - Gently fold the cranberries and chopped nuts (if using) into the batter with a spatula, distributing them evenly.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
07 - Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.
08 - Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The tart cranberries and bright orange zest balance each other so perfectly that you will catch yourself eating slice after slice without realizing it.
- It comes together in one bowl plus one smaller bowl, which means cleanup is almost nonexistent and that alone is worth celebrating.
02 -
- Frozen cranberries are actually easier to work with than fresh ones because they hold their shape better during folding and do not burst as much in the batter.
- The bread tastes significantly better the next day after the flavors have had time to mingle and settle, so try to resist eating the whole loaf warm from the oven.
03 -
- Toss the cranberries in a small spoonful of flour before folding them in, because this little trick keeps them from all sinking to the bottom of the loaf during baking.
- If your orange is not very juicy, supplement with a little extra milk rather than using bottled juice, because fresh citrus flavor is the whole point of this bread.