This cranberry orange bread is bright, citrusy, and wonderfully moist. The tart pops of fresh cranberries pair perfectly with the sweet orange flavor, and the loaf bakes up soft and tender every time. It tastes like a classic cranberry-orange quick bread, but the shortcut of a yellow cake mix makes it incredibly easy to put together.

If you enjoy easy baked recipes like this, you may also love my 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Bread or my Banana Bread using Cake Mix. Both are reader favorites.

Why I Love This Sweet Bread

This cranberry orange bread has a strong citrus flavor because it uses real orange juice and plenty of orange zest, giving it the bright flavor people expect in an orange quick bread.

The texture is moist and tender, and the cranberries stay whole so you get juicy tart bites in each slice.

This recipe uses a yellow cake mix as an easy shortcut, but it still tastes homemade and not like a boxed mix.

This loaf slices beautifully, making it a simple holiday breakfast, brunch loaf, or seasonal dessert.

Fresh or frozen cranberries both work, so you can bake this any time of year and not just during the holiday season.

Ingredients

Using cake mix as the base, cranberries, orange juice and zest turn this into a delicious holiday bread.

For the Bread

1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz), any brand
3 large eggs
½ cup oil, canola or vegetable oil both work
½ cup orange juice, fresh or bottled
1 tablespoon orange zest, plus extra for garnish if desired
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, no need to thaw if frozen
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

For the Icing Drizzle

1 Tablespoon orange zest
¼ cup orange juice
1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray (for easy removal) and also spray top of parchment.

Step 2
Reserve a tablespoon of cake mix to cover coarsely chopped cranberries.
In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, and orange juice and orange zest until just combined.
Do not overmix.

Step 3
Stir in the orange zest and cranberries. Benefit of covering cranberries in a light coating of cake mix is that it helps prevent them from sinking during baking.

Step 4
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. I add halved cranberries (cut side down) to decorate the top.

Step 5
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Tent with foil at the 30 minute mark if the top is browning too quickly.
Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Check the center of the bread, since the sides bake first. It should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Step 6
Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment and allow it to cool fully before glazing.

Orange Glaze (Optional)

1.5 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest, optional

Mix until thick but pourable.
Once the bread is cooled, pour the remaining glaze over the top so it drips down the sides. I often put glaze into a plastic bag, and cut the corner. This makes drizzling easier.

Helpful Tips

Use fresh orange zest for the most flavor. Bottled juice is fine, but zest is what gives this loaf a strong orange aroma.

Frozen cranberries work extremely well and help prevent the bread from becoming too soft or overly moist.

If the top splits during baking, that is normal for a loaf style quick bread. The glaze will settle beautifully into the crack.

For extra orange flavor, add an additional teaspoon of zest to the batter.

Storage and Freezing

This loaf stays fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature when covered.
Refrigeration is not needed unless your kitchen is warm.

To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Glaze after thawing for best texture.

FAQ

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