Cranberry Orange Bread (Print View)
Moist, fragrant loaf studded with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest — great for breakfast or a sweet snack.
# What You 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 vanilla extract
→ Mix-ins
12 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, large ones halved
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
# How-To Steps:
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 flour, 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 stir until well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
05 - Gently fold the cranberries and chopped nuts (if using) into the batter with a spatula, distributing them evenly.
06 - Spoon 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.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The orange zest perfumes the entire house, and people will ask what you are baking before they even see it.
- It comes together in one bowl scene with zero fancy techniques, making it perfect for a lazy weekend morning when you want something rewarding without the effort.
02 -
- Frozen cranberries can go straight into the batter without thawing, and they actually bleed less into the surrounding dough when kept cold.
- If you peek at the bread too early and the top is browning fast, tent a piece of foil loosely over the pan and keep baking until the center tests done.
03 -
- Toss the cranberries in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in, because this little trick keeps them from all sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
- Resist the urge to cut into the bread while it is still hot, because the crumb continues to set as it cools and slicing too early gives you gummy, compressed slices.