Glazed Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
This Glazed Cranberry Orange Quick Bread recipe is so moist and sweet with bursting cranberries and oranges in every bite and topped with a sweet orange glaze. Simple to make but always a beautiful crowd pleaser!
I love how beautiful fresh cranberries and oranges look so good together. The deep red with the bright orange is so beautiful and always a showstopper! But the taste is by far one of the best flavor combinations with both fruits being slightly tart and sweet. It’s the perfect pair for a winter recipe.
This Cranberry Orange Bread recipe has all of that delicious flavor with bursting cranberries and oranges in every bite. Then it is topped off with a sweet orange glaze that just takes it over the top! And the best part is that this quick bread is so easy to make with only a few staple ingredients. It tastes so good with a tall glass of milk for breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Cranberries– fresh or frozen cranberries have the best flavor in this bread. Once baked, they will pop and give a nice sweet-tart flavor. No need to thaw them if using frozen. Just add them straight from the freezer.
Oranges– fresh oranges taste so amazing! Any type of sweet oranges such as naval, cara cara, or mandarin will give a nice flavor. I only included one chopped orange but add more or less depending on how much fresh fruit you enjoy. Orange zest is optional but I highly recommend using it. It gives it a strong orange flavor. Fresh or store-bought orange juice can also be used for the juice.
Sour cream– this may seem strange in a quick bread recipe but it helps give it so moist! I’ve made it with and without sour cream and I highly recommend adding it. You will notice a difference.
How to make cranberry orange bread
To summarize, all you have to do is:
- Mix the wet ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar, then add in egg and orange juice, and fold in the sour cream. No need to use a mixer. This can all be done by hand.
- Add in the dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and orange zest to the wet ingredients then mix it all together. Try not to over mix it. This is what makes the bread too tough and dense. Then gently stir in the cranberries and orange pieces.
- Bake the bread. Pour the batter in a loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper or greased. Bake for anywhere between 50 minutes to one hour. Every oven is different so I recommend starting to check around 40 minutes. Check it by placing a toothpick in the center of the bread. If it comes out mostly clean, it is ready. I recommend covering the top of the bread about half way through to prevent it from browning too much. Just place a piece of aluminum foil loosely on top without pinching the sides. Remove and let the bread fully cool before adding the glaze to prevent it from melting.
- Add the glaze. Mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and orange juice together until you reach your desired consistency. Keep in mind, it does not take much liquid to make the glaze. Just keep stirring and you will notice it thin out. Drizzle over the top of the bread. Slice and enjoy!
- Store or freeze. Store the bread in an air-tight freezer bag or container up to 6 days at room temperature. Or freeze by first wrapping it in cling wrap and a freezer bag to freeze up to 3 months.
How do I know when quick bread is done?
The best way to determine when quick bread is finished baking is to take a toothpick and insert it in the center of the bread. If it comes out clean with just a few pieces of bread attached, it is finished baking. If the toothpick is wet, return the bread to the oven to continue baking for a few more minutes and then check again. Also, the bread should be golden brown and darker around the edges with a crack appearing in the center.
More delicious breakfast recipes
- Cinnamon French Toast Sticks- Texas Toast-sized pieces of bread dipped in an egg mixture, deep-fried, then rolled around in cinnamon-sugar goodness.
- Super Easy Banana Bread– moist and delicious with only a few simple steps.
- Cinnamon Sugar Crescent Rolls– flaky crescent rolls filled with butter and cinnamon sugar that is rolled up into every bite.
Glazed Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries do not thaw
- 1 orange chopped
Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and orange juice. Fold in sour cream until combined.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and orange zest to the bowl and stir until just combined. Gently fold in cranberries and orange pieces.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to one hour until baked and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Halfway through baking, loosely place a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent browning too quickly. Remove from oven and allow to fully cool in pan before topping with glaze.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and orange juice. Add more or less orange juice to reach desired consistency. Drizzled over top of the cooled bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store the bread in an air-tight freezer bag or container up to 6 days at room temperature. Or freeze by first wrapping it in cling wrap and a freezer bag to freeze up to 3 months.
- Do not over-mix the batter. This is the most common cause for tough bread or uneven baking.
