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Cranberry Orange Bread

With an Orange Glaze
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

The Dough - The Dry

  • 190 grams all-purpose flour (1½ cups)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

The Dough - The Wet

  • 60 grams milk, room temperature (¼ cup) (see notes)
  • Zest of 1 large orange (reserve 1 tsp for glaze, below)
  • 62 grams fresh orange juice (¼ cup)

The Dough - The Mixing

  • 85 grams unsalted butter, softened (6 tablespoons)
  • 149 grams granulated sugar (¾ cup)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

The Dough - The Cranberries

  • 1½ cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and left to dry (12oz bag, pretty standard)
  • ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour

Orange Glaze

  • 113 grams confectioner's sugar (1 cup)
  • 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

The Bread

  • Preheat oven to 350℉ / 175℃
  • Butter a 1-pound loaf pan or 3 mini loaf pans. Then dust with flour, smacking out any excess.
  • In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients -- the flour (190g), baking powder (1 teaspoon), and salt (¼ teaspoon). Set aside.
  • In a measuring cup combine the milk (60 grams), almost all of the zest (reserve 1 tsp for the glaze), and the orange juice (62 grams). Set aside.
  • In your stand mixer bowl -- or a large bowl and use a hand mixer -- cream together the butter (85 grams) and sugar (149 grams). 2-3 minutes on high. Beat in the eggs (2) until incorporated. Add the vanilla (½ teaspoon).
  • Add the dry mix and wet mix in parts, alternating -- a little dry, a little wet, etc. on medium or low just until all added. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Toss the cranberries in ½ tablespoon flour and fold them delicately into the batter.
  • Spread the batter in your prepared pans (or pan). If using one pan, bake at 350℉ for 45-50 minutes. If using small pans, check at 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Bake for another 5 minutes if more time is needed.
  • Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the edge to release.
  • Let cool on a wire rack completely before glazing.

The Glaze

  • In a small bowl stir together the confectioner's sugar, orange juice, and reserved zest. Stir until smooth. Should be drizzle-able. If not, add in more powdered sugar to thicken or more orange juice to thin.
  • Using a piping bag (or just put the glaze into a sandwich bag and cut off a small corner), drizzle over the top of the loaves.
  • Let set before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • For the glaze, I often mix lemon and orange zest.  Adds a nice sharpness.
  • When adding this to the pan(s) you may think this looks like cranberries with just enough batter to hold them together -- you're not wrong.
  • We almost never have milk in the house, but we always have half-and-half.  And who doesn't want a little extra fat in their bread!?!?