Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze (Moist, Easy Loaf)

A tall, golden loaf with a soft, moist crumb, studded all the way through with tart red cranberries and scented with fresh orange zest. On top, a simple orange glaze sets into a thin, sweet shell that drips down the sides. This cranberry bread with orange glaze is the kind of quick bread that stays tender for days, slices cleanly and looks just as good on a breakfast plate as it does wrapped up as a holiday gift.

It gets there with a few simple choices. Oil instead of butter keeps the crumb soft even after a day or two. Sour cream or Greek yogurt adds moisture and a gentle tang that balances the sugar. And rubbing the orange zest into the sugar before mixing releases its oils, so the orange flavor runs through every bite rather than just sitting in the glaze. There is no mixer and no creaming step: everything is stirred together by hand in two bowls.

Ingredients

For the bread

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus 1 tbsp for the cranberries.
• 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar.
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest, from about 1 large orange – the main source of orange flavor in the bread.
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or canola oil – keeps the loaf moist and soft for days.
• 1 cup (230 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt – adds moisture and a light tang.
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature – they blend more evenly into the batter.
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh orange juice and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
• 1 1/4 cups (130 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, halved – smaller pieces spread through the loaf more evenly than whole berries.

For the orange glaze

• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar.
• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp fresh orange juice – start with the smaller amount; the glaze should be thick.

How to Make It

1. Prepare the pan – 350°F (175°C)

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the two long sides. The overhang works as handles to lift the loaf out cleanly.

2. Mix the dry ingredients – 2 minutes

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, toss the halved cranberries with the extra tablespoon of flour.

3. Mix the wet ingredients – 5 minutes

In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar looks damp and smells strongly of orange. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, eggs, orange juice and vanilla until smooth. The mixture should be pale and glossy with no streaks of sour cream.

4. Combine and fold in the cranberries – 3 minutes

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the cranberries, then spread the thick batter evenly in the pan.

5. Bake – 350°F (175°C), 50 to 60 minutes

Bake until the top is golden and domed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes. A crack running down the middle of the loaf is normal for quick bread.

6. Cool completely – at least 1 hour

Let the bread cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then lift it out and let it cool completely on a wire rack. The loaf should feel cool, not just warm, on the bottom before you glaze it.

7. Glaze – 5 minutes, plus 15 to 20 minutes to set

Whisk the powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons of orange juice until smooth, adding a little more juice only if it is too stiff to drizzle. Spoon it over the top of the cooled loaf and let it run down the sides. Let the glaze set for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Overmixing the batter. Once the flour goes in, stir only until it disappears. Extra mixing develops gluten and makes the loaf dense and chewy, with tunnels running through the crumb.
• Thawing frozen cranberries. Add them straight from the freezer. Thawed berries are soft and bleed red streaks into the batter.
• Pulling it out too early. The center of a quick bread is the last part to set. Trust the toothpick rather than the color of the top, and expect the full time in most ovens.
• Glazing a warm loaf. On warm bread, the glaze melts and soaks in instead of setting into a white layer on top.
• Using a smaller pan. In an 8×4-inch pan the batter sits higher and may overflow or stay raw in the middle. If that is all you have, fill it no more than three-quarters full and bake the extra batter as a few muffins.

If you enjoy simple stir-together bakes like this one, our pumpkin muffins follow the same mix-by-hand method.

Storing and Freezing

Keep the glazed bread in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It slices most neatly with a serrated knife once fully cooled, and individual slices are good warmed for a few seconds in the microwave.

To freeze, let the loaf cool completely and leave it unglazed. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and seal it in a freezer bag. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension notes that frozen quick breads keep their quality for up to three months, which makes this a good loaf to bake ahead for the holidays. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter, bring it to room temperature and glaze it before serving.

For a holiday breakfast table, slice it next to apple cider donut muffins or a pan of caramel apple crumble buns.

Variations

• Add nuts: fold in 1/2 cup of chopped toasted pecans or walnuts with the cranberries.
• Dried cranberries: use 1 cup of dried cranberries in place of fresh for a sweeter, chewier loaf.
• Warm spice: add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
• Muffins: divide the batter between 12 lined muffin cups and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Lemon glaze: swap the orange juice in the glaze for lemon juice for a sharper finish.

Still have cranberries to use up? They are also great in cranberry bliss bars, and you will find more morning bakes among our breakfast recipes.

Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze

A moist cranberry orange quick bread made with oil and sour cream, stirred together by hand and finished with a simple orange glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Cooling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 320

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the bread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g, spooned and leveled, plus 1 tbsp for the cranberries
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest from about 1 large orange
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil 120 ml
• 1 cup sour cream 230 g, or plain Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice 30 ml
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 130 g, halved

For the orange glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g
• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp fresh orange juice

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Toss the halved cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.
3. In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, eggs, orange juice and vanilla until smooth.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the cranberries and spread the batter in the pan.
5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes if the top browns too quickly.
6. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a wire rack.
7. Whisk the powdered sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons of orange juice, adding more only if needed. Spoon over the cooled loaf and let set 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Storage: keep in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezing: freeze the cooled, unglazed loaf wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. Thaw, bring to room temperature and glaze before serving.

Substitutions: Greek yogurt instead of sour cream; 1 cup dried cranberries instead of fresh; lemon juice instead of orange juice in the glaze. Use frozen cranberries straight from the freezer.

Muffins: bake in 12 lined muffin cups for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition is an estimate per slice, not a laboratory analysis.