Easy Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
Around this time of year I love making quick breads. They’re simple to put together, but you can customize them for any time of the year with your favorite fruits and different flavors. For this time of year, cranberries and oranges are perfect, they go great together and they are made for a quick bread such as this. Quick breads are great because as the name says they are quick, require no yeast, no rising time, usually you can put them together in 10 minutes or less, bake and enjoy. So if you love the flavors of cranberries and orange together then this bread is for you.
Cranberry Orange Bread
Flour – Simple all-purpose flour is all you need for this recipe. Baking Powder – Used as a leavening agent it helps the bread rise. Baking Soda – It reacts with the acidic ingredients in the batter and helps the bread to rise just like the baking powder. Salt – A dash of salt balances the sweetness. Sugar – Granulated white sugar is used to add a touch of sweetness. Butter – I always use unsalted butter in all my baking recipes, however, if you salted butter is all you have, you’ll have to adjust the salt amount in the recipe. Milk – I always use whole milk or 2%, but any type of milk you have on hand is fine including dairy free varieties. Orange Juice – Use fresh orange juice for the best flavor. Orange Zest – Adds lovely hints of natural orange flavor Eggs – You will need large eggs to help bind the batter. Cranberries – You will need fresh or frozen cranberries.
Orange Glaze
Powdered Sugar – The same as icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar. Orange Juice – Use fresh orange juice for the best flavor. Orange Zest – Adds lovely hints of natural orange flavor
This quick bread recipe is one of the fastest types of bread to make! Hence, the name! And this recipe holds true. From start to finish you can have ready to eat cranberry orange bread in just an hour!
Preheat The Oven And Prep The Pan
First, preheat your oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) so that it is ready for baking once the batter is made. Then spray an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. You can also grease it with oil if you prefer.
Prep The Cranberries
Before you add the cranberries to the batter they need to be prepped for baking. To do this, just sprinkle them with a teaspoon of flour and toss them to coat. Then set the coated cranberries aside for a later step. Prepping the cranberries is done to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the bread. Also, if you are using frozen cranberries there is no need to thaw them out.
Combine The Dry Ingredients
Now, on to batter making! To begin, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Combine The Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, orange juice, milk and orange zest until well combined.
Make The Matter
Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold them together using a rubber spatula. But do not overmix. Once there are no more large lumps, stop stirring. Finally, gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
Bake The Bread
To bake, evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pan. Then transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake the bread for about 45 minutes to an hour. When the bread is done a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean. If it doesn’t come out clean you need to continue baking the bread and test it again.
Cool And Serve
When done baking, allow the bread to cool for a few minutes on a wire rack then drizzle with orange glaze. Then slice it and serve it with a cup of coffee if you like.
What’s Quick Bread?
A quick bread is a bread that uses leavening agents other than yeast to rise. That means that we’re going to bake this more like a cake, with baking powder and baking soda. That means no kneading, no rolling, no resting (till it bakes of course) and a way more reliable finished product for our baking novices!
The Key To A Moist Loaf
The all important rule of thumb when making these sweet breads is to let them rest after baking. Some swear by leaving them overnight, others by just 1 hour, either way you need to make sure it gets some alone time! Usually this doesn’t work too well for me, but go ahead and try.
Storing Leftover Cranberry Orange Bread
Once the bread has cooled completely wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to 6 days.
Freezing
Wrap the cooled bread tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, then place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
If you froze the cranberry bread, thaw it out at room temperature for about an hour, unwrap it then transfer it to a baking sheet or loaf pan and bake for about 5 to 10 min at 350°F (177°C) or until heated through.
Other Delicious Quick Breads To Try
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf Pumpkin Cinnamon Bread Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf Old Fashioned Lemon Bread Chocolate Banana Bread Cranberry Orange Muffins
