Orange Cranberry Loaf

Moist and delicious, orangey and refreshing, packed with fresh cranberries and orange zest, and drizzled with a sweet glaze, Orange Cranberry Loaf is a perfect dessert or a lovely addition to your afternoon tea. This is delicious anytime, but the combination of oranges and cranberries is a must at Christmastime!

I’m not sure what it is, but the tartness of fresh cranberries always pairs so well with the sweet tanginess of fresh citrus. In the case of this Orange Cranberry Loaf, I choose to use fresh orange zest, orange juice, and orange extract, but you can use lemon here too! I’m using fresh cranberries here, but you can use frozen too. If you use frozen, thaw them out first in a single layer and gently pat them dry with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture.

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipes need to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 100+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! Luckily, here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, so I was able to get my hands on the cranberries used in this loaf!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season. But first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. Over the past seven Christmases, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more! Welcome, Dear Reader, to my second Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves Series! Even though this is the second series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

BAKED GOODS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

This loaf is so perfect for gift-giving, which is just what I did with it. Not only is this loaf great for giving to a friend or loved one, but it’s so easy to package and transport. It might be just me, but is there anyone else out there who loves to receive kitchen-related products as gifts?

If you’d like to gift this loaf to a friend, here’s what you should do. First, buy a new loaf pan and another kitchen item such as a whisk or a spatula. Bring them home, and wash and dry the loaf pan. Then, bake the loaf right into the new pan.

Once baked and cooled, garnish the loaf in any way you deem suitable. Wrap the loaf pan up in some cellophane, tie a ribbon on it, and attach the whisk or spatula. Now, you’ve got a dessert and a gift all in one! I’d love to get something like that; so thoughtful, right!?

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Sugar
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Eggs – Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
• Orange Juice and Zest
• Orange Extract – If you don’t have orange extract, you can substitute it with more orange juice. The extract is concentrated, so the orange flavour will be more prevalent if you use extract.
• Milk – When baking with milk, I always use whole milk.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Cranberries – Fresh cranberries are best, but frozen will work. If using frozen cranberries, thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels.
• Confectioner’s Sugar
• Optional Ingredients – These include fresh rosemary and cranberries, light corn syrup, sugar, and water. These are used to prepare the frosted/sugared garnish.

HOW TO MAKE AN ORANGE CRANBERRY LOAF

If you are making the sugared cranberries and rosemary as a garnish, start with those first. Whisk together the light corn syrup and water. Coat the cranberries and rosemary with the mixture by tossing them with the corn syrup mixture. Spread the sugar on a baking sheet and roll the coated cranberries and rosemary into the sugar until well covered. Set aside on a wire cooling rack for 2 hours to dry. Do not cover and do not refrigerate.

For the loaf, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a large loaf pan by greasing it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes.) Add the eggs, orange juice, orange extract, milk, and orange zest. Beat into the sugar and butter mixture until just incorporated. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until just mixed together. Add the cranberries and fold into the batter with a rubber spatula. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Once you remove the loaf from the oven, it is very important to leave it in the pan. Place the pan onto a wire cooling rack. Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and allow to fully cool before serving. To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and orange juice until smooth and creamy. Drizzle it over the cooled loaf. Top with the sugared cranberries and rosemary for garnish – optional.

SERVING YOUR BREAD

Here’s the thing about breads and loaves – they both come from humble beginnings. Even looking at it, you can tell that it isn’t pretty, it isn’t spectacular, and it surely isn’t show-stopping. But, that certainly doesn’t mean that your bread shouldn’t be served with style!

Like scones and biscuits, I think breads lend themselves quite well to what most people would call English Tea. I like to think of English Tea as an afternoon snack. And, afternoon snacks are terribly underrated! I like to partake whenever time permits. Hot coffee and a slice of this Orange Cranberry Loaf, or any other sweet treat, is a great break from the 9-5 routine.

With the cooler weather approaching, I can’t think of a better way to serve this bread than putting out a full set of tea. Sure, it might seem I have too much time on my hands, but life is short, folks – enjoy it! Take the tea set out of your cabinet, dust it off, and take a well-deserved afternoon break!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!