Cranberry Orange Bread (Easy, Moist Quick Bread)
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 simple to put together.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 327Kcal
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 1 Package yellow cake mix any brand
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ Cup Orange Juice fresh or bottled
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest Additional for garnish (optional)
- 1 Cup Cranberries Fresh or frozen. I coarsly chop so they are roughly in quarters.
For Orange Drizzle (Optional)
- 1½ Cups Powdered Sugar
- ¼ Cup Orange Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment for easy removal. I also give the top of the parchment a quick spray.
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, and orange juice and orange zest until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Stir in coarsely chopped cranberries until just mixed in.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. I add some cranberry ½'s to the top for garnish.
- 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. It should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Make sure you are testing the center of the loaf as the sides bake faster.
- 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
- Mix powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest until thick but pourable. You may need just a little less or a little more orange juice so add carefully.
- Remove parchment. Pour the glaze over the top so it drips down the sides. I often do this by putting the glaze in a small plastic bag and cutting the corner. It allows more control.
Notes
Fresh or frozen cranberries both work in this recipe. If using frozen, do not thaw them before adding to the batter.
Use fresh orange zest for the strongest orange flavor. Bottled orange juice is fine, but the zest is what adds the fragrant citrus aroma.
Tent the loaf with foil at the 40 minute mark if the top is browning too quickly. This helps the center bake through without drying out the top.
A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not raw batter. Because of the cranberries, test in an area without a berry.
The loaf may crack down the center during baking. This is normal for quick breads, and the glaze will settle beautifully into the crack.
For more orange flavor, add an additional teaspoon of zest to the batter or increase the zest in the glaze.
You can add up to ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for extra texture, or leave them out for a smooth loaf.
Nutrition (estimate)
Calories: 327Kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 1mg