Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread

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The cranberries are finally in the stores so let the baking begin.  I love these tart little fruits and use them in so many recipes from salads, scones, baked chicken, appetizers, and my favorite Spiced Orange Cranberry Bread.

Orange and cranberries go so well together for creating that irresistible sweet-tart flavor.

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There is nothing better than the smell of this bread baking in your oven especially when it is a slice of this tasty warm Orange Glazed Cranberry bread, it’s just delicious.

Mixing oranges and cranberries together is like a color explosion, and the flavor combination just says bake me for the holidays.

This bread is always a favorite to give as a gift, and everyone loves it. You can bake your bread in miniature paper bread pans, wrap it in plastic, put a ribbon around it, and include a couple of tea bags; this makes such a festive gift, I do this every year, it’s so simple and so appreciated.

Honestly, this bread is a family favorite and it gets baked on a pretty regular basis. We are kind of cranberry fanatics. No wonder there are so many cranberry recipes on the blog. like  Orange Cranberry Scones, Pears, Asiago Cheese & Cranberry Pinwheels, Apple Cranberry Galette, Cranberry Sauce with just 3 ingredients,  and another favorite bread that is perfect for fall Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Cranberries are tart

If you are not familiar with cranberries, they are tart and they have a very low sugar content compared to most fruit. Even with them being tart you can eat them raw. They are delicious in salads like this Winter Cranberry Fruit Salad that is full of fresh fruits and topped with a sweet orange-mint dressing.

Simple ingredients

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour
• Sugar – white works best
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Egg
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom
• Orange – use for the juice and the zest
• Cranberries – these will need to be chopped
• Butter
• Powdered Sugar – for the icing

How to flavor sugar

Orange zest is the secret to making this sweet fruity bread flavorful so try this technique, mix the sugar and orange zest together before adding it to the batter so it flavors the sugar.  I actually like making more of this to sprinkle on top of the bread before I put it in the oven. Or, if you don’t want to ice the bread, sprinkle this orange sugar on top of the bread right after you remove it from the oven.

I do the same with lemon zest and use the lemon-scented sugar in this Lemon Bundt Cake and this Mandarin Orange Bundt Cake. Both are burst with delicious citrus flavors.

One of my favorite kitchen tools is a citrus zester.  Next time you want to add some orange, lemon, or even lime flavor to your cooked dishes or baked goods, toss in the fresh citrus zest to liven things ups with citrusy flavors.

Easy baking instructions

No yeast required here, this cranberry bread recipe is a quick bread so it just uses baking soda as the leavening agent. And, no mixer, woohoo, just use a good wooden spoon.

Pull out your favorite mixing bowl and turn on your oven it’s time to bake. I promise your kitchen is going to smell like oranges and spice.

Step 1. In a large bowl add the sugar and the zest of one orange and mix this with your hands. Doing this releases the oils in the zest and flavors the sugar.

Step 2. Next, add the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Mix these ingredients together.

Step 3. Mix the egg, butter, and orange juice together in a small bowl, then add to the other ingredients and stir well to combine, scraping the bowl and making sure the flour is incorporated. The batter will be thick.

Step 4. Place the cranberries in a food chopper or a food process and chop, then add the cranberries to the batter and gently fold into the batter.

Step 5. Spoon the batter in a greased 8″ x 5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 60 minutes.

Step 6. Add a sweet orange glaze to the bread to make it even more festive. Just mix powdered sugar, melted butter, orange juice, and orange zest. Stir this mixture well on then drizzle over the cooled bread.

Step 7. Pour yourself a cup of hot tea or coffee, slice the bread, and enjoy!

Pin to your favorite bread board

Can You Freeze Cranberries?

Yes, you can. Because cranberries have a short season I have learned to stock up on cranberries and just put the bag in the freezer; they keep perfectly well this way.   Having cranberries in the freezer means cranberry scones in May, cranberries in my oatmeal all year long, or a cranberry brie appetizer for a summer party. So while those cranberries are in the store buy several bags.

Don’t forget your cup of tea. I am pairing this bread with my favorite Darjeeling Oolong tea from The Whistling Kettle.  The sutle woody and muscatel flavors pair well with the tart cranberries and flavorful orange in the bread.

There is nothing better than the right cup of tea and your favorite dessert

 

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About Jere’

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.