Winter is here. And so are we—with a festive loaf of orange cranberry loaf cake! It's full of orange juice and cranberries, is topped with a delicious orange glaze and decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs! It has a perfect balance of sweet orange juice and tangy cranberries. Cosy up with our orange cranberry loaf cake and stay sweet this holiday season!

This festive orange cranberry loaf cake is a treat for the eyes and the taste buds. But it's not just about the taste of this orange cranberry loaf cake. It's also about the colour, texture and aroma. This cake is perfect for serving at parties or just savouring with a cup of tea on a cold winter's night. You will love every bite!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE!

• It is made with vegetable oil that gives it a moist texture and stays fresh and soft for days.
• No electric mixer is required and you can make it by using simple ingredients. It is super easy to make.
• This quick bread is perfect for gifting during the holiday season.
• You can easily modify this recipe, for example; you can add chopped walnuts or pecans or almonds. If you don’t have Greek yoghurt, replace it with sour cream or even with plain yoghurt.

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INGREDIENTS YOU"LL NEED!

Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and their exact quantities.

Here’s your ingredients list,

FOR SUGARED CRANBERRIES

• Fresh Cranberries: For best results use fresh cranberries! Frozen cranberries can’t hold their shapes as compared to fresh ones.
• Granulated Sugar: It is used to make the sugar syrup and to coat the cranberries.
• Water: To make sugar syrup

FOR LOAF CAKE

• Plain flour (or all-purpose flour): Make sure to measure it correctly. The best way to measure all-purpose flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have it, then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Vegetable Oil: I used Sunflower oil but you can substitute it with any neutral oil. The oil keeps this bread soft and moist even if you keep it in the fridge.
• Baking Powder: It is used to rise the bread. 
• Granulated sugar: It is added for sweetness. It also balances the tartness of cranberries.
• Greek yoghurt: makes the bread super moist. Yoghurt should be at room temperature. If you don’t have greek yoghurt, you can use sour cream or even unsweetened plain yoghurt.
• Milk (Full fat): It gives a creamy texture to the loaf cake and also adds flavour.
• Eggs: should be at room temperature.
• Salt: It balances the tartness and enhances the flavours.
• Orange zest and juice: In this recipe, both orange zest and fresh orange juice are used to give this bread a strong burst of orange flavour. Make sure, using a zester, to peel only the outer orange part of the orange, not the white part.
• Cranberries (Fresh or Frozen): If you are using fresh Cranberries, they should be dry before adding to the batter so it is better to wash them an hour before use and then dry them with a paper towel. To prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake, toss them in 1 tbsp plain flour/all-purpose flour before adding them to the batter. If You are using frozen cranberries, no need to thaw them. Take the frozen cranberries straight from the freezer and toss them in 1 tbsp plain flour, then add to the batter. I used frozen cranberries here.

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FOR ORANGE GLAZE

• Fresh Orange juice: Always use fresh orange juice. It adds flavour and makes the glaze smooth and pourable.
• Icing sugar/ Powdered sugar (sifted): It is used to sweeten the glaze and helps it to stick on top.

EQUIPMENT USED

• 9x5” loaf pan

LET’S MAKE STEP BY STEP!

STEP 1: SUGARED CRANBERRIES

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• Start by making simple sugar syrup. Combine the 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved completely.
• Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly (for 2-3 minutes). Add one cup of cranberries (washed and dried) to the sugar syrup. Let them sit in the sugar syrup for 15 minutes.
• Strain the cranberries from the syrup using a slotted spoon, place them on a paper towel and pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the cranberries are sticky. 
• Take the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar in a large bowl and roll the dried cranberries in the sugar until coated.
• Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with baking paper or paper towel and pop in the fridge for an hour (uncovered) then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use or serve.
• You can store them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. To get the original glittery look, toss them again in the sugar before use if needed.

STEP 2: LOAF CAKE

• Start by zesting the oranges. Using a zester, zest a whole orange. Don’t go too far while zesting the orange. Rotate the fruit while grating. You don’t need the white part of the orange since it's bitter in taste. I used two medium-sized oranges to get one tbsp of orange zest. Mix orange zest and sugar in a bowl and rub them together with your fingers. This step helps to release orange oil in the zest so you will get the strong orange flavour in the cake. Set aside until needed.

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• Preheat the Fan oven to 155C/311F (For a conventional oven: 175C/347F). Prepare a 9x5 inch loaf pan with baking paper leaving the overhangs on the larger sides of the pan for easy removal. Set aside.
• Sift plain flour (all-purpose flour), baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together and set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together milk, greek yoghurt and freshly squeezed orange juice.
• In a large bowl add eggs, orange sugar and vanilla extract, and whisk together to combine well (about 2 minutes). Add in vegetable oil and whisk again. Add in the milk mixture, whisk together until well incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix the batter if you want light and airy crumbs.
• Toss the frozen cranberries in 1 tbsp extra flour, add them to the batter and then gently fold them in. 
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. 
• Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre, comes out clean.
• Let it cool for 15-20 minutes before removing it from the pan. Remove from the loaf pan using overhang baking paper. Place on the wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

STEP 3: ORANGE GLAZE

This simple orange glaze is so tasty and is made up of only 2 ingredients but makes this loaf cake an even more special treat and also gives it an extra sweet and orange flavour.

Let’s make it,

• In a medium bowl, add the icing sugar/powdered sugar and fresh orange juice. Stir together to fully combined. Start with 1 tbsp orange juice, gradually you can add more if needed to make a smooth and pourable glaze.
• Drizzle over the loaf cake that has cooled completely after baking.
• Pop the loaf cake in the fridge to set the glaze for 20-30 minutes.

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STEP 4: DECORATION

• Decorate it with sugared cranberries (optional) for a festive look.
• Take few rosemary sprigs, cut into desired length then dust with icing sugar. Place them on the cranberries.

RECIPE TIPS

• Always use room temperature ingredients, like yoghurt, milk and eggs to keep an even consistency of the batter. 
• Measure your flour accurately to get the best results. The best way to measure the flour is by using a digital scale but if you don’t have a digital scale, spoon and level your flour carefully. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Sift your dry ingredients before adding them into the wet mixture that helps to combine everything evenly.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Once the dry ingredients are just combined with the wet ingredients, stop mixing too much otherwise it results in dense bread.

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FAQ

Can I use frozen cranberries to make sugared Cranberries?

Fresh cranberries give the best results so try to use fresh ones because frozen cranberries can’t hold their shapes as compared to fresh ones. 

If you don’t have fresh cranberries on hand and still want to enjoy the sugared cranberries, then first partially thaw them just for 15-20 minutes, then soak in the sugar syrup and follow the same method as written above. Don’t thaw them completely as they will lose their shape.

How to store this loaf cake?

Loaf cake remains soft and moist at room temperature for up to 2-3 days if you store it in an air-tight container or cover it well with plastic wrap.

You can cover and refrigerate it. It will last up to a week in the fridge. You can reheat it in a microwave for a few seconds to enjoy a warm piece of bread.

It will last up to 2 months in the freezer if it is stored in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. First, cool it completely then wrap it in plastic wrap and finally put it in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. To thaw, you will have to bring it to room temperature, place it in the fridge overnight or leave it for a few hours at room temperature then you can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds and enjoy.

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!

Happy baking and eating! 😊