The Best Cranberry-Orange Nut Bread (and It Doesn’t Need A Glaze)

This time of year, cranberry and orange go together like peanut butter and jelly. It is a classic combination so perfect, it’s practically its own flavor.

I’ve always loved the bright, tart combination of cranberry and orange, but most of the cranberry-orange loaves (I’ve tried) miss the mark. Too often, they’re dry and one-dimensional, relying on a sugary glaze for flavor.

Last year, I decided to see if I could fix that. I set out to create a version of this popular loaf that would be moist and tender with bursts of tangy cranberry tempered by just enough sweetness and fragrant citrus—and delicious enough to stand on its own without a glaze.

I experimented with chopping the cranberries, but ultimately preferred leaving them whole. I love the look of pockets of bright red from whole cranberries and the sharp burst of tart flavor.

The liquid in the recipe is mostly fresh-squeezed orange juice. I top off the fresh juice with half and half to soften the acidity, and add a little extra moisture to the crumb. For extra citrus flavor, the zest of those same oranges is rubbed into the sugar to maximize the fragrant oil (from the zest). I often use clementines or mandarins when they are in season because I find them to be even more flavorful.

To insure that the loaf bakes tender and moist, I used the reverse creaming method—an easy, foolproof technique that’s less fuss than traditional creaming. Instead of beating butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, you start by whisking all the dry ingredients, then cut in room-temperature butter until the mixture resembles fine sand–similar to the way you make biscuits or pie dough. This method incorporates less air into the batter and coats the flour in fat which helps minimize the gluten development when liquid is added, and results in a fine, even, tender crumb.

For the nuts, both walnuts and pecans work well, but as a Southerner, I prefer pecans in my cranberry-orange bread. And because I am not glazing the top, I like to decorate it with a few whole cranberries and pecan halves for a special presentation.

After some trial and error, I landed on my perfect recipe—one that bakes up beautifully, tastes even better the next day, and freezes perfectly. When I made it last week for house guests, one slice on Saturday morning reminded me why I love this simple, seasonal bread so much.

While fresh cranberries are in season, do like I do and make a few extra loaves to stash in the freezer. They’ll be ready for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, or anytime you want a special treat or breakfast bread that only needs thawing.

Cranberry-Orange Nut Bread

This may be the best way to use cranberries all season long. Make this moist flavorful loaf when you are in the mood for baking and freeze it to enjoy anytime that you want a seasonal treat. I use disposable aluminum loaf pans with lids that are ready to freeze and to wrap up with a bow for a much-appreciated hostess gift.

Makes 2 loaves, about 8 x 4 inches

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated white sugar

1-2 tablespoons grated orange or clementine zest

2 cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of ground cinnamon

3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange or clementine juice

¼ cup half-n-half (or enough to make a cup of liquid when added to the orange juice)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

1 egg, well beaten

1 12-ounce bag of (fresh or frozen) cranberries, cleaned; save some for decorating the tops

11/4 cup pecan halves, divided

Baker’s Joy

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Prepare 2 disposable loaf pans, about 8 x 3.75 x 2 with Baker’s Joy. I use this brand that comes with a lid that is perfect for storage and gift giving.
3. Zest the oranges that you are going to juice before you juice them. Use a generous tablespoon or two, based on how much you like orange. Add the zest to sugar and mix well to release the orange oils into the sugar.
4. Mix together flour, sugar-zest mixture, baking powder, salt,baking soda and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Add butter cubes and mix well. Using a hand beater or stand beater on medium low speed, mix until the butter is coated by the flour and resembles fine sand.
6. Top off the orange juice with half-n-half to make a cup. Add the beaten egg. Mix until well blended.
7. Add to flour mixture and mix until well combined.
8. Stir in all but a handful of cranberries and 1 cup of nuts, making sure to scrape the bowl and make sure the add-ins are evenly distributed. The batter will be thick.
9. Spread batter evenly between the two loaf pans and set on a sheet pan. Tap the pans to remove any air bubbles.
10. Top with reserved pecans and cranberries.
11. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for at least an hour.
12. Cool completely before placing the lid on the top. They can be frozen in the foil pan with the lid securely set on the pan for 2 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator before serving or gifting.

Pro tip: It’s even better the next day—moist, fragrant, and full of bright flavor.