Cranberry Orange Bread

Before you start

Cranberry orange bread pairs whole, sharply tart cranberries with a lightly sweet orange batter. As the loaf bakes, the berries soften and burst into pockets of tangy red against a pale, citrus-scented crumb. The orange works in two ways here: grated zest carries most of the fragrance, while fresh juice provides acidity for the baking soda and keeps the loaf moist.

Halve the cranberries before folding them in. Whole berries roll to the bottom and stay unpleasantly firm, while halved ones release a little juice and spread their flavor. Frozen berries work without thawing, which also stops them bleeding pink streaks through the batter. Keep the mixing brief: this is a muffin-method bread, and stirring too long makes it tough and peaked.

Ingredients

• Bread250 g (2 cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest — from about 1 large orange
• 180 ml (¾ cup) fresh orange juice — from about 2 oranges
• 55 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted and cooled
• 1 large egg — room temperature
• 150 g (1½ cups) fresh or frozen cranberries — halved; do not thaw frozen berries
• 50 g (½ cup) chopped walnuts or pecans — optional
• Glaze (optional)60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh orange juice

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the center. Grease and line the loaf pan with a parchment sling.
2. Rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingertips in a large bowl for 30 seconds, until the sugar is damp and fragrant. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the orange juice, melted butter and egg until combined.
4. Toss the halved cranberries and nuts, if using, with 1 tablespoon of the dry mixture so they are lightly coated.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and fold with a spatula until only a few streaks of flour remain. Add the cranberries and fold just until evenly distributed and no flour is visible. The batter will be thick.
6. Spread the batter in the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until golden with a crack down the center and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean apart from berry juice. Frozen berries may need the longer time.
7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift the loaf onto a rack to cool completely. For the glaze, stir the powdered sugar and orange juice into a thick, pourable icing and drizzle it over the cool loaf. Let it set for 15 minutes before slicing.

Tips for success

• Zest the oranges before juicing them; it is much harder to grate a squeezed half.
• Halving cranberries is quicker if you trap a single layer between two plastic lids and slice through the gap with a long knife.
• If the top browns before the center is done, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Substitutions

Fresh cranberries

Dried cranberries give a sweeter, chewier loaf without the tart bursts. Use 100 g and soak them in the orange juice for 10 minutes first.

Fresh orange juice

Bottled orange juice works; the flavor is flatter, so keep the fresh zest. Buttermilk can replace the juice for a tangier, more tender loaf with less orange flavor.

Unsalted butter

Use 60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil for a softer loaf that stays moist longer but tastes less rich.

Variations

Cranberry orange muffins

Divide the batter among 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 18 to 22 minutes.

Cranberry pistachio loaf

Use 50 g chopped shelled pistachios in place of the walnuts and add ½ teaspoon ground cardamom to the dry ingredients.

Troubleshooting

Cranberries sank to the bottom

They were whole, wet from thawing, or the batter was thin. Halve them, coat them in flour, use frozen berries straight from the freezer and do not add extra liquid.

Pink or gray streaks through the crumb

Thawed berries or overmixing released their juice. Fold them in last with as few strokes as possible.

Bread is dry and crumbly

Too much flour or overbaking. Weigh the flour and start checking at 55 minutes.

Storage

Wrap the cooled loaf and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Glaze freezes poorly, so freeze unglazed slices, well wrapped, for up to 3 months and glaze after thawing.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw batter, which contains raw egg and flour. Contains wheat, egg and milk, plus tree nuts if added.