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Easy Homemade Orange Cranberry Quick Bread with Vanilla Glaze

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This quick bread combines bright orange zest and tart cranberries in a tender, moist loaf, finished with a glossy vanilla glaze. It’s a crowd-pleasing treat that comes together in about an hour with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest (from about 2 large oranges)
  • ¾ cup (180ml) fresh orange juice
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups (170g) fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen, do not thaw; toss in 1 tablespoon flour)
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. Zest and juice oranges. You need 2 tablespoons zest and ¾ cup juice. Set juice aside; zest goes into dry ingredients.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest until evenly distributed.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, egg, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly frothy.
  5. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Do not overmix.
  6. Toss cranberries in 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold into batter until evenly distributed.
  7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Batter will be thick.
  8. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too quickly, tent with foil after 35 minutes.
  9. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out using parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.
  10. For glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk or cream. Add third tablespoon if needed for thick, pourable consistency. Drizzle over cooled bread. Let set 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients matter for proper emulsification. Do not overmix batter to keep bread tender. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw; toss in flour to prevent sinking. Cool bread completely before glazing. Bread tastes even better the next day. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For dairy-free, use melted coconut oil and almond milk with lemon juice.

Nutrition

Keywords: orange cranberry bread, quick bread, vanilla glaze, cranberry bread, easy bread recipe, holiday bread, brunch bread

Find it online: https://ovenmila.com/easy-homemade-orange-cranberry-quick-bread-with-vanilla-glaze/