Cranberry Orange Loaf (Print Version)
Moist loaf with tart cranberries and fresh orange, topped with a sweet citrus glaze for a bright flavor.
# What You'll Need:
→ Loaf
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
09 - ¼ cup milk
10 - Zest of 1 large orange
11 - ¼ cup fresh orange juice
12 - 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, halved if large
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Glaze
14 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
15 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
03 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, then incorporate Greek yogurt, milk, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
05 - Fold the dry ingredients gradually into the wet until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Gently fold in the cranberries to the batter.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean; if browning too fast, tent with foil after 40 minutes.
08 - Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with fresh orange juice until smooth and pourable.
10 - Drizzle glaze over cooled loaf and allow to set before slicing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tartness of cranberries plays beautifully against the sweet glaze, so every bite feels balanced and intentional.
- It comes together without fancy techniques, but tastes like you spent hours fussing in the kitchen.
- Wrapped up, it makes the most thoughtful gift that says you actually care without being over the top.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients mix smoother and incorporate more air, so take ten minutes to let your butter, eggs, and yogurt sit out before you start—it genuinely changes the texture.
- Fresh cranberries are tart in a way that frozen ones aren't always, so taste your batter if you're using fresh and add another tablespoon of sugar if it tastes aggressively sour.
03 -
- If your glaze is too thick, add orange juice one teaspoon at a time until it reaches that perfect drizzly consistency—thicker glaze means more sweetness with every bite.
- Use a microplane zester for your orange zest instead of a box grater; it catches the oils better and gives you finer, more flavorful zest that distributes evenly through the batter.