Cranberry orange bread with glaze is one of my favorite ways to use fresh cranberries during the holiday season. The tart cranberries bake into a soft, buttery loaf with bright orange zest, then it's finished with a sweet orange glaze drizzled over the top. It's delicious with morning coffee, as an afternoon treat, or served on a holiday brunch table.
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If you love fresh cranberries while in season, try this Cranberry Orange Sauce and my Cranberry Banana Nut Bread!
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Why You'll Love This Cranberry Orange Bread!
I tested this recipe several times to get the texture just right. My first loaf used only butter, and it wasn't quite right. Butter gives the bread such a rich flavor, but it firms up as it cools, which can leave a loaf a little dry or crumbly by the next day. Adding just ¼ cup of oil made all the difference. Now this is a truly moist cranberry orange bread that stays tender long after it comes out of the oven.
Here's why this one is a keeper:
- Moist and tender every time. The butter-and-oil combo gives you the best of both worlds: buttery flavor and a soft crumb that doesn't dry out.
- Big, bright orange flavor. Rubbing the zest into the sugar releases all those fragrant orange oils, so the flavor comes through in every bite.
- A glaze that isn't too sweet. I find a plain powdered sugar glaze too sweet, so I add melted butter for a richer flavor that complements the bread.
- Fresh or frozen cranberries work. Stock up on cranberries when they're in season, and you can bake this bread year-round.
- Perfect for breakfast or dessert. This orange cranberry bread with glaze is just as at home on the brunch table as it is on the dessert tray.
- Great for gifting. A loaf of moist cranberry orange bread with glaze, wrapped in parchment and tied with a ribbon, makes an easy homemade holiday gift.
Equipment Needed
- 9x5 loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Hand mixer
- Large and medium mixing bowls
- Microplane or citrus zester
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
- Small bowl for mixing the glaze
Key Ingredients
For the Cranberry Orange Bread
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bread, and I use it to pull all the flavor out of the orange zest before anything else goes in the bowl.
Orange zest: You'll need the zest of one large orange. This is where most of that big orange flavor comes from, so don't skip it!
Unsalted butter: Make sure it's at room temperature so it creams up light and fluffy with the sugar. Butter is what gives this bread its rich flavor.
Vegetable oil: Any neutral-flavored oil works here. Just ¼ cup is my secret to a moist cranberry orange bread, because oil stays soft even after the loaf cools.
Eggs: Two large eggs at room temperature blend more smoothly into the batter.
Orange juice: A couple of tablespoons of juice adds even more orange flavor. Use the same orange you zested!
Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavors and adds a little warmth.
All-purpose flour: The bread's base. You'll set aside 1 teaspoon to toss with the cranberries.
Baking powder: Gives the loaf its lift.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and makes the orange flavor pop.
Buttermilk: Adds a slight tang and helps keep the crumb soft and tender.
Cranberries: Fresh or frozen both work, but don't use dried. Those tart, ruby red berries are what make this bread so special.
For the Orange Glaze
Melted butter: This is what makes my glaze different. Melted butter (cooled slightly) gives it a richer flavor so it isn't just sugary sweet.
Powdered sugar: Creates that smooth, pourable glaze.
Orange zest: A little extra zest ties the glaze back to the bread.
Orange juice: Adds fresh citrus flavor and helps thin the glaze.
Milk: Use any milk you like, just not buttermilk. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more as needed.
Vanilla extract and a pinch of salt: Small additions that keep the glaze from tasting flat.
The glaze may seem like a lot of ingredients, but I promise it mixes up in just a minute or two, and it's so worth it!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter or baking spray, then line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides. Those parchment handles make it so easy to lift the bread out later.
Add the granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl and zest the orange right into it. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar. You'll notice the sugar turns slightly orange and smells amazing. That's the orange oils being released, which gives this bread so much flavor.
Add the room-temperature butter and use a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 1 minute.
Mix in the vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla extract, making sure everything is thoroughly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half the flour mixture and half the buttermilk to the wet ingredients, and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Try not to overmix here. Folding gently keeps the bread tender.
Toss the cranberries with the reserved 1 teaspoon of flour. This light coating helps keep them from all sinking to the bottom of the loaf. Gently fold the cranberries into the batter, then pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 38 to 40 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf. It should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. If you still see wet batter, keep baking for a few more minutes and check again. All ovens and pans are a little different, so I always recommend checking a bit before the recommended time. If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely tent it with foil.
Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then use the parchment handles to lift the loaf out and set it on the rack to finish cooling completely.
Once the bread has completely cooled, whisk together the melted butter, powdered sugar, orange zest, orange juice, milk, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Waiting until the bread is cool keeps the glaze from melting right off the top.
Drizzle the glaze over the bread, then slice and serve. Enjoy!
Make Ahead
This cranberry orange bread is a great make-ahead recipe, especially during the busy holiday season. Bake the loaf up to a day ahead, let it cool completely, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Keep it at room temperature, then make the glaze and drizzle it on shortly before serving.
You can also freeze the unglazed loaf. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature, then add the glaze.
Storage
Store leftover glazed bread in an airtight container or wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I like to let refrigerated slices come back to room temperature before enjoying, or warm them for a few seconds in the microwave.
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Cranberry Orange Bread With Glaze
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Bread
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- zest of one large orange
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or neutral flavored oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and ¾ cups all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon for dusting the cranberries
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 and ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (not dried)
Orange Glaze
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon zest
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1-2 tablespoons milk, use milk of choice just not buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter or baking spray and line with parchment paper for easier removal.
- In a large mixing bowl add the granulated sugar. Zest the orange into the bowl and use your fingers to work the zest into the sugar.
- Add the room temperature butter and with a mixer cream the butter and sugar together until it is fluffy about 1 minute.
- Mix in the vegetable oil, eggs, orange juice and vanilla extract making sure to mix thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until everything is incorporated.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of flour to the cranberries. Fold the cranberries into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 38- 40 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and pull it out to check for doneness. It should come out mostly clean, with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, but no wet batter. If you see wet batter, continue baking for a few minutes before checking again. Always check before the recommended time as all ovens are different along with pans. If the top looks like it is browning too quickly cover with a foil tent.
- Once baked remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Use the parchemtn handles to remove the loaf to the rack to finish cooling.
Orange Glaze
- Once the bread has finished cooling, mix together melted butter (slightly cooled), powdered sugar, orange zest, orange juice, milk, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread, slice and serve.
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