Glazed Orange Cranberry Bread
Quick bread has never been so fresh and delicious! From the very first bite, this Glazed Orange Cranberry Bread is like an explosion of flavor. This lovely sweet loaf is like tasting a fresh orange and gets even better when the tart pop of a fresh cranberry bursts in your mouth.
I’ve amped up the flavor in this quick bread recipe by using only fresh ingredients, and one secret ingredient. This zesty and heavenly bread is topped with a beautiful orange glaze that leaves you wanting more. Although the glaze is optional, I highly recommend it! Learn what makes this orange cranberry bread recipe so special by visiting my Blog Comments & Tips below.
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RECIPE
(Check out my Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe Updated: 4/2/22
GLAZED ORANGE CRANBERRY BREAD
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper.
- To a medium mixing bowl, add 2 cups all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and Chinese five spice (optional). Whisk to combine and set aside.
- To a small bowl, add granulated sugar, and orange zest (we love this zester), and mix until thoroughly combined and sugar becomes slightly tinted. Add sugar mixture to the flour mixture, whisk to combine, and set aside.
- To a small bowl or measuring cup, add milk, and plain Greek yogurt, stir to combine, and set aside. It will become very liquidy.
- Wash and drain cranberries, and gently pat with paper towels to remove most of the excess water. Once mostly dry, add cranberries to a small bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon all purpose flour. Mix with a spoon to evenly coat berries with flour, and set aside.
- Using a juicer or reamer, squeeze orange juice from the zested orange, and set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk/yogurt mixture, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange juice. Mix on low speed until combined, and then turn off stand mixer. Add the flour/sugar mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until just combined (stopping in between to scrape bottom and sides of bowl).
- Remove bowl from mixer and add coated cranberries to the batter. With a silicone spatula, gently fold in the cranberries to evenly distribute throughout the batter. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, tap pan on the counter to release any large air bubbles, and bake for about 60 minutes (see Note #4).
- Once bread is done, place loaf pan (leave bread in pan) on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes. Then grab both sides of the parchment paper and gently lift bread out of the pan and set bread directly on a wire rack to cool for about 30-60 minutes. While bread is cooling, make the glaze. NOTE: If not glazing, cool completely (about 2-3 hours) before serving or storing.
- To a small bowl, add confectioners sugar (powdered sugar). Grate 1 teaspoon orange zest, add to the sugar, and whisk to combine. Add ONLY 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice (reserve the third tablespoon for later). Whisk well to combine. If the glaze is too thick for your liking, add 1 more tablespoon of orange juice to the mixture, and whisk until smooth.
- After 30-60 minutes of cooling, the bread should still be warm (but not hot) to the touch. Place a large piece of foil directly under the wire rack (to catch the glaze run off). With a silicone pastry brush, gently brush about ⅓ of the glaze over the top of the bread. Once coated, set the remaining glaze aside and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Once bread has cooled completely (about 1-2 more hours), pour or spread glaze all over the top of the loaf and allow it to drip over the sides (see Notes section #4).
Notes
- Aerating Flour: It's easy! If you don't know how, just watch the video for Tip #1 on our Tips & Tricks page for how to aerate flour.
- Using lower fat milk and Greek yogurt will yield fewer calories. However, using whole milk and 2% or 5% Greek yogurt, will make your bread a bit more moist. The extra fat adds moisture to your quick bread.
- Substitutions: Use ½ cup buttermilk to replace milk and Greek yogurt. Visit our Blog Comments & Tips below for how to make homemade buttermilk.
- Ovens will vary, so depending on your oven it may take 55-70 minutes to bake. Bread should have a pale golden top when done. If bread starts to brown too much in the oven, loosely tent with foil. To test for doneness, use a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf, and it should come out with a few crumbs.
- Coating the bread with part of the glaze while it’s still warm, will allow the glaze to soak into the top layer to make it extra moist and tasty. The final layer of glazing will be like an icing. Don’t let the dripped glaze that is on the foil go to waste. Once cooled, scrape it off and place in a small glass storage container. To serve, spread the extra glaze onto a slice, for some extra orangey sweetness!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
294.32Fat (grams)
10.23Sat. Fat (grams)
1.02Carbs (grams)
47.33Fiber (grams)
1.33Net carbs
46.01Sugar (grams)
28.61Protein (grams)
3.96Sodium (milligrams)
145.23Cholesterol (grams)
31.48Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. If slicing into 10 servings, there are approximately 353 calories per serving.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Note: If you prefer to use buttermilk, visit my Blog Tips & Comments below for tips on substitution measurements and how to make homemade buttermilk.
Quick Bread
STEP 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper.
STEP 2
To a medium mixing bowl, add 2 cups all purpose flour (aerated), 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine salt, and ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice (optional). Whisk thoroughly to combine and set aside.
Note: To prevent a dense or dry quick bread, learn How to Aerate & Measure Flour in Tip #1 of my Tips & Tricks page.
STEP 3
a) Using a Microplane zester, grate 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1-2 oranges).
b) To a small bowl, add 1 cup granulated sugar, and orange zest.
c) Mix with a spoon until thoroughly combined.
d) It’s thoroughly mixed once the sugar becomes slightly tinted and a very pale orange.
Add this sugar mixture to the flour mixture, whisk to combine, and set aside.
STEP 4a
To a small bowl or measuring cup, add 3 tablespoons milk (2% or whole), and 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (0%, or 2%, or 5% - see Notes below).
Notes:
Milk Fat Content: Using lower fat milk and Greek yogurt will yield fewer calories. However, using whole milk and 2% or 5% Greek yogurt, will make your bread a bit more moist. The extra fat adds moisture to your quick bread.
For Substitutions: Use ½ cup buttermilk to replace milk and Greek yogurt. Visit our Blog Comments & Tips for how to make homemade buttermilk.
STEP 4b
Stir to combine, and set aside. Mixture will be very liquidy.
STEP 5
Wash and drain 2 cups fresh cranberries, and gently pat with paper towels to remove most of the excess water. Once fairly dry, add cranberries to a small bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon all purpose flour. Mix well with a spoon to evenly coat berries with flour, and set aside.
STEP 7
a) To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk/yogurt mixture, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice.
b) Mix on low speed until combined, and then turn off stand mixer.
c) Add the flour/sugar mixture to the wet ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer, and mix on low speed until just barely combined (stopping in between to scrape bottom and sides of bowl).
d) Do not over mix as this will create a tough and overly dense bread.
STEP 8
a) Remove bowl from mixer and add coated cranberries to the batter.
b) With a silicone spatula, gently fold in the cranberries.
c) Fold until just combined and the berries are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
d) Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, tap pan on the counter to release any large air bubbles, and bake for about 60 minutes (see Note below).
Note: Ovens will vary, so depending on your oven it may take 55-70 minutes to bake. Bread should have a pale golden top when done. If bread starts to brown too much in the oven, loosely tent with foil. To test for doneness, use a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf, and it should come out with a few crumbs.
STEP 9
a) Once quick bread is done, place loaf pan (leave bread in pan) on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.
b) Then grab both sides of the parchment paper and gently lift bread out of the pan onto wire rack.
c) Remove parchment paper and set bread directly on a wire rack to cool for about 30-60 minutes. While bread is cooling, make the glaze.
Note: If not glazing, cool completely (about 2-3 hours) before serving or storing.
Glaze
STEP 1
a) To a small mixing bowl, add 1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar). With a zester, grate 1 teaspoon orange zest and add to the bowl.
b) Whisk well to combine the sugar and the zest.
c) Squeeze 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice and add ONLY 2 tablespoons juice to the bowl (reserve the third tablespoon of juice for later).
d) Whisk well to combine. If the glaze is too thick for your liking, add 1 more tablespoon of orange juice to the mixture, and whisk until smooth.
STEP 2
After 30-60 minutes of cooling, the bread should still be warm (but not hot) to the touch. Place a large piece of foil directly under the wire rack (to catch the glaze run off).
a) With a silicone pastry brush, gently brush about ⅓ of the glaze over the top of the bread.
b) This step will create a first coat of glaze that will soak into the top of the bread. Once first coat is done, set the remaining glaze aside and cover bowl with plastic wrap.
c) Once bread has cooled completely (about 1-2 more hours), pour or spread glaze all over the top of the loaf and allow it to drip over the sides (see Note below).
Note: Coating the bread with part of the glaze while it’s still warm, will allow the glaze to soak into the top layer to make it extra moist and tasty. The final layer of glazing will be like an icing. Don’t let the dripped glaze that is on the foil go to waste. Once cooled, scrape it off and place in a small glass storage container. To serve, spread the extra glaze onto a slice, for some extra orangey sweetness!
Time to Serve!
Once cooled and the glaze has set, slice and serve! Makes 12 slices.
VIDEO
What Gives this Glazed Orange Cranberry Bread its Punch of Flavor?
Blog Comments & Tips
Quick bread has never been so full of fresh flavor!
From the very first taste, this Glazed Orange Cranberry Bread is an explosion of flavor. It’s like biting into a fresh orange. And then another surprise hits; the tart pop of a fresh cranberry bursts in your mouth! The combination of sweet orange juice and zest, and the tartness of fresh cranberries are truly the perfect pair to make this moist quick bread recipe, which is one of my favorites.
I have amped up the flavor in this quick bread recipe by using only fresh ingredients and a secret ingredient, Chinese Five Spice! If you have never tried it, it’s a lovely spice that slightly resembles Allspice. Allspice contains nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves; whereas, Chinese Five Spice has cinnamon, fennel seeds, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, and cloves. If you are hesitant to try it, just add an ⅛ teaspoon instead. You will barely taste it, but it will add a little something to the flavor of this lovely loaf.
The first time I made this recipe at home, my husband took one bite and said, “WOW, it’s like an explosion of flavor that just bursts in your mouth!” My husband is actually one of my most honest critics, and he keeps me on my toes when it comes to my cooking. I can always rely on him for a real answer. So, when he responded like that, I knew I had a winner!
What really makes this recipe so special are the fresh ingredients. I did not skimp on the cranberries, nor on the zest. As you already know, the zest is the part of the orange that provides that burst of flavor, not so much the juice. Topped with a beautiful orange glaze that leaves you wanting a second slice (and maybe a third!), this amazing quick bread makes a great afternoon snack with coffee, or a lovely dessert.
I originally contemplated on whether to glaze, or not to glaze? I highly recommend making this recipe as is, as the orange glaze is what gives it that burst of orangey flavor. Although still delicious, the bread itself is actually a bit more subdued. If you want a slightly healthier version, you can always omit the glaze. Here are a few tips to ensuring success with this recipe.
3 tips for making this great quick bread:
Use super fresh fruit. It will make all the difference in this recipe.
Don’t overcook it! When testing with a toothpick for doneness, it’s good if a few crumbs stick to the toothpick. It will be a pale golden color on the top when done, and the sides should be slightly darker.
If you prefer using buttermilk, just replace the yogurt and milk with ½ cup buttermilk. Or, if you don’t have any on hand, just make fresh buttermilk by using milk and fresh lemon juice, as follows:
How to make fresh buttermilk: Combine ½ cup whole or 2% milk and ½ tablespoon lemon juice in a glass measuring cup. Stir and let rest for 10 minutes, and voilà, you have homemade buttermilk!
This recipe has been called “perfection” (not our words, but one of our taste testers…you know who you are). Below are some suggestions on how to pimp up this recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Make it Richer: Use full fat yogurt and milk in this recipe. Also, scrape off the glaze that dropped onto the foil and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 5 seconds and drizzle the extra glaze onto each serving slice.
Make it Healthier: Just omit the glaze. This reduces the amount of sugar, and lowers the calories to about 253 per serving.
Make it More Traditional: Just omit the Chinese Five Spice all together. It adds a subtle spice element to this bread, but leaving it out will not change the chemistry of this recipe. If you are hesitant but want to give it a try, just reduce the amount to ⅛ teaspoon of Chinese 5-Spice.
Make it Gluten-Free: In place of all-purpose flour, use gluten-free flour. It will change the density of this quick bread, but it will still be delicious.
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment and rating, and/or following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Don’t overcook your quick bread!
Adapted from the Orange Cranberry Bread with Glaze recipe by Berly's Kitchen. I’ve taken this already wonderful recipe and pimped it up a bit to make it extra flavorful, and added a couple of easy techniques to get the best results from this recipe.
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