Orange Cranberry Bread is moist and sweet, loaded with juicy fresh cranberries, orange zest, and topped with an orange sugar glaze. Enjoy this stunning sweet bread for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
In a large mixing bowl, combine zest of two oranges and the granulated sugar. Use your fingers or the back of the spoon to really mash the zest into the sugar and incorporate the fragrance from the zest into the sugar.
Beat in orange juice, oil, buttermilk,, eggs, and orange oil until thoroughly mixed.
Sift together dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder.
Prepare the cranberries by rinsing and thoroughly drying them. If using frozen cranberries, thaw completely, drain, and pat them dry.
Add the cranberries to the flour mixture and toss to coat the cranberries completely in flour. This helps them to stay suspended in the bread batter and not sink to the bottom of the loaf for nice even distribution.
Gently fold flour/cranberry mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir just until wet and dry ingredients are mostly stirred. It is fine to have some streaks of flour left in the mixture.
Pour batter into a greased or parchment lined 9x5 loaf pan.
Sprinkle sanding sugar over the top of the loaf if desired. (If you will be adding the glaze, skip this step or add sugar over the top of the glaze before it sets.)
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool.
Whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. Brush multiple layers of glaze over the bread and allow it to dry (about 30 minutes).
Notes
Sanding sugar can be sprinkled on top of the bread prior to baking; you could also add coarse sugar (demara sugar) for an extra bit of crunch. It’s a great option to make use of, especially if you’re planning to omit the glaze, and will hold up well if you decide to package and ship this bread to loved ones during the holidays!
Don’t forget to coat the cranberries in flour prior to folding them into the bread batter. Tossing in some flour (a tablespoon or so) ensures that the cranberries hold their position instead of sinking down into the batter. You’ll get a much more even distribution of cranberries in the bread this way.
The two oranges listed should be sufficient to get the right amount of orange zest and fresh-squeezed juice for this recipe. It won’t be overpowering but rather balances out the tartness from the cranberries.
I love using orange oil to get an extra boost of orange flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, you could quite easily make use of orange, vanilla, or even almond extract instead.