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This Easy Bread is Perfect for Christmas
Quick bread is a common name we now give to any sweet cake-like bread. The word quick means no yeast is used, and instead, the bread is leavened with baking powder and/or baking soda. This recipe uses tart cranberries for a seasonal treat that is not too sweet but instead offers a well-balanced flavor. With fresh orange, tart cranberries, and toasted walnuts, this bread is a simple way to enjoy a fruit that only comes in season for a short time every year. The instant you smell this bread baking, you will make it a tradition.
Cranberry Orange Bread Ingredients
- Orange juice adds some additional sweetness to the recipe, along with acidity and brightness. Citrus has the ability to bring out other flavors like cranberry.
- Orange zest holds all the essential oils of the orange. The zest will intensify the orange flavor.
- Cranberries are tart on their own, but work well with the sweet batter of quick bread. The cranberries will be sweetened with sugar but still maintain their tart flavor for a perfect balance.
- Walnuts add a great texture to the bread. Be sure to toast the nuts before chopping and adding them to the batter. The toasted nuts will have more flavor and will stay crisp when baked.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bread
Step 1: Mix together the wet ingredients – In a bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Cream this with a hand mixer until the mixture is combined. Then add in the egg and let it combine with the butter and sugar. Add in the orange juice and orange zest and mix those into the batter as well.
Step 2: Mix in the dry ingredients – To the batter, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using the hand mixer, mix everything together, without overmixing, until just combined.
Step 3: Chop the cranberries and walnuts – In a small food chopper or food processor, add the cranberries. Pulse the chopper or processor until the cranberries are broken down but not mushy. Most of the cranberries should be broken down, with a few larger pieces remaining. Separately, toast the walnuts in the oven at 350°F until they’re fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. Once toasted and cooled, chop into small pieces. To the batter, add the chopped cranberries and chopped walnuts. Gently fold these two ingredients into the batter with a spatula or spoon, aiming to avoid mixing too much. The cranberries may exude some of their juices, turning the batter slightly pink, which is perfectly normal.
Step 4: Prepare the top of the bread – Grease a loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper once in the loaf pan as well. Pour the mixed batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top to ensure everything is level. Using a spatula or knife, make a slice down the center of the top of the bread, which will give the bread a natural cracking point while baking. Separately, in a small bowl, combine the sanding sugar and orange zest. Mix together until evenly combined and sprinkle on top of the bread in the loaf pan.
Step 5: Bake the bread – Place the bread in the oven and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Tips
- While many recipes that begin with creaming butter and sugar will instruct you to mix until light and fluffy, this recipe has a different ratio of butter to sugar. Thus, when creaming the butter and sugar, do not expect a light and fluffy texture this time.
- To zest the orange, place the orange in one static hand and use the other hand to pull the Microplane across the surface. This will collect all of the orange zest in the confines of the Microplane, which can then be tapped out easily into the bowl with all of the other ingredients.
- When mixing the dry and wet ingredients, be sure not to overmix them. Use the stand mixer until everything is just combined, meaning that a few streaks of flour are left in the bowl. Then use a spatula or spoon to work everything together until mixed well, which will avoid adding too much air.
- To ensure the walnuts have lots of flavor in this bread, make sure to toast them before adding them to the batter. Nuts will not toast when they’re baking inside of batter or dough, so to ensure they have loads of flavor, they must be toasted beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions
I see this bread as being perfect for serving on three occasions: breakfast, snack, or dessert. For breakfast, this bread is great when served slightly toasted with a slather of butter on top. For a snack, it’s perfect when paired with coffee or tea. And for dessert, it’s ideal for serving with ice cream on top. Take your pick!
Yes, this is the perfect make-ahead recipe. After cooling to room temperature, wrap tightly and store in an airtight container in the freezer. This will keep up to three months.
No, this recipe can also be made in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. The baking time will be less if baked in a baking dish, but it will taste the same!
Yes, the walnuts can be omitted or substituted with another nut or seed according to personal preference.
More Christmas Recipes
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Cranberry Orange Bread
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups cranberries chopped
- ¾ cup toasted chopped walnuts (optional)
For the crisp topping
- ¼ cup sanding sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan and line it with a piece of parchment to create a sling. Grease the parchment in the pan and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat for 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, orange juice, and orange zest. Mix to combine evenly, about 1-2 minutes.4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, ¾ cup fresh orange juice, 1 tbsp orange zest
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Chop the cranberries by hand or add them to a food processor and pulse until they are evenly chopped. Add the chopped cranberries and chopped walnuts to the batter and fold to incorporate them. Do not overmix, or the cranberries will release their juices and color into the batter.1 ½ cups cranberries, ¾ cup toasted chopped walnuts (optional)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Run a knife or spatula down the center of the batter, touching the bottom of the pan to encourage a split when baking.
- In a small bowl, combine the sanding sugar and the orange zest. Rub the mixture between fingers to create a wet sand-like mixture. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the batter and bake until the bread is domed and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean, 45-55 minutes.¼ cup sanding sugar, 1 tbsp orange zest
- Once baked, remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Once slightly cooled, use the parchment sling to remove the bread and cool to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
It was delicious! Not heavy nor overly sweet. The bake time was confusing. It said to bake 30-40 minutes, followed by, “Note: If using one large pan, bake for 45-55 minutes.” Only one pan size was mentioned in the instructions, so I’m not sure where the two bake times come in. I baked it for the larger pan time range. Thanks!
Hi Lisa! 45-55 minutes is correct for the baking time. I used to make this recipe in two mini baking pans, which is the 30-40 minute baking time, but the longer bake time is correct for the pan indicated in the recipe.
Excellent as is…. but try adding,,,,, 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese. Reduce butter to 2 Tablespoons. I have had this same recipe for many years but with the added ingedient of cheddar. Many friends have requested recipe. This does not taste like cheese bread but elevates the yumminess. Or just add 1/2 cup if you are nervous to try. Cheese and fruit go great together. Many great recipes from Kaleb. oh my!
Thanks for all your videos. I have been cooking for too many years. I still learn from you. This one is delicious.