Cranberry Orange Bread (Printable Version)

Moist loaf with tart cranberries, fresh orange zest and optional nuts — great for breakfast or a sweet snack.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 2 large eggs
07 - ¾ cup milk
08 - ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
09 - 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1–2 oranges)
10 - ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Mix-ins

12 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries (halve large ones)
13 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, vegetable oil, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract, then mix until smooth.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
05 - Gently fold in the cranberries and nuts (if using) with a spatula, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
06 - Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
07 - Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs.
08 - Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The orange zest perfumes the entire loaf so your kitchen smells like a bakery for hours.
  • It uses one bowl strategy and zero fancy techniques, making it impossible to mess up.
  • Frozen cranberries work beautifully, so you can make this long after fresh ones disappear from stores.
02 -
  • Tossing the cranberries in a light dusting of flour before folding them in keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
  • If the top starts browning too quickly around the 35 minute mark, lay a piece of foil loosely over the pan and continue baking.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the orange finely so the pieces melt into the crumb rather than leaving chewy bits behind.
  • Let the batter rest for five minutes before pouring it into the pan, because this gives the flour time to hydrate and produces a more tender slice.

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