Christmas isn’t Christmas without a warm batch of Cranberry Orange bread coming out of the oven, don’t you agree? There really isn’t anything better this time of year. This bread is my favorite! But, I have to admit, sweet breads can be so temper-mental. It’s so frustrating when you make a big batch of bread batter and your bread sinks in the center, it’s too dry, it doesn’t come out of the pan, or it’s plain blah tasting.
I decided to scour the internet and combine several of the best recipes until I came up with the perfect recipe. This bread uses three types of cranberries which helps keep the bread moist and filled with tons of cranberry flavor. I also love the citrusy glaze on top and the strong orange flavor in the bread.
Really, from start to finish, this bread is a 10 out of 10. Hope you are having a wonderful week and check back for more delicious holiday favorites every day this week. Merry Christmas!
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 4 eggs
- 5 cup flour
- 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
- 1/2-3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup canned whole cranberries
- 6 oz. white chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. orange or lemon extract
- 1/2 stick butter, softened
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 Tbs. milk (or more if needs to be more thin)
- 2-3 cup powdered sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- For the bread, whisk together in a large bowl all of the wet ingredients together (minus the canned cranberries). Mix until smooth and then add the dry ingredients. Lastly, add the fresh cranberries, dried and mix. Add the chocolate chips (optional) to the batter and mix. Once everything is mixed, fold in the canned cranberries. You don't want to whisk this in too much or it will change the color of the batter. Just mix it enough that it's combined.
- Spray 3 bread loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Cut a strip of parchment paper the width of the bread loaf pan and place into the pan so it covers both of the long sides of the pan. Spray the inside of the parchment with cooking spray. Pour the batter evenly into all three pans. Place the pans in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the center comes out clean with a toothpick.
- While the bread is baking, make the glaze. Soften the stick of butter. With an electric mixer (or with a whisk), whisk the butter until smooth. Add the orange zest and juice to the butter and stir. Add a little milk and then whisk in the powdered sugar. Whisk until the glaze is smooth.
- Once the bread is fully cooked in the center, remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. With a knife, cut around the bread and turn out on to the counter. Drizzle the top of the bread with the glaze, let cool and then slice.
