Yesterday was one of those grey, drizzly days that keeps you cooped up inside. One of my favorite ways to combat cabin fever is to bake, which is such a cozy and homey activity. One recipe came to mind immediately: a family favorite from Fannie Farmer’s cookbook, this cranberry orange bread is unfailingly easy to make, flavorful without being too sweet, and perfect for the holiday season. If you’re hosting guests for the holidays, why not whip up this bread for an easy breakfast? This would also be a perfect hostess gift, too.
With tart cranberries, freshly squeezed orange juice and almond extract, this festive bread has a lovely flavor and aroma. It’s moist without being oily, so it doesn’t feel that decadent. And I like that it’s not overly sweet, too, because I can justifiably have it for breakfast without getting a sugar high. This is one of those standby recipes that you will love having in your repertoire – especially since it requires just ten minutes of actual work (if that)!
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with all of your loved ones. I will be in Florida with my husband and his side of the family (our first Thanksgiving as a married couple!), hopefully soaking up as much sun as possible before heading back to Chicago!
- 1 orange
- Boiling water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Grate the rind of the orange, collecting the zest in a small bowl. Squeeze out all of the juice into a measuring cup, adding enough boiling water to make ¾ cup of liquid. Add to the small bowl with the rind along with the butter, mixing until the butter has melted.
- In a separate larger bowl, beat the egg and gradually add the sugar. Combine the rest of the ingredients, including the orange butter mixture. Mix well until everything is combined.
- Spoon into a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour.
Recipe adapted from the Cranberry Nut Bread recipe in The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.
This looks lovely, Julia. Great for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I love this kind of bread – cranberry and orange sound like fantastic additions. Looking forward to trying it. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Geraldine! Cranberry and orange is such a festive combination, isn’t it? I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving too!
Happy Thanksgiving from Uruguay ! Have a lovely time in FL ,since Silvia told me about your blog I ‘ve been following your wonderful recipes.
A big hug to all the family,
Soledad & Marcelo
Thank you for such a nice comment, Soledad and Marcelo! I am so glad you enjoy my recipes. Tomas and I are very excited to fly down to Florida today to see Silvia and Pedro. Big hugs!
This is a delicious recipe. As soon as I start thinking about cranberry orange bread, it’s REALLY the holiday season!
Yes, this really exudes the holidays! Just like our Swedish Spice cookies, which I will post to the blog soon 🙂
I loved seeing your photograph of this COB this morning on IG! I’ve had a recipe book tagged at a COB recipe for the past three weeks… and I have I made it yet? Nooooo! So this gave me a bit of a nudge to get it going! IT IS TIME!? Right? This is a wonderful recipe, Julia! A quick bread indeed, that comes together with ease. I am thinking I’ll bake one and take it to our hostess for Thanksgiving (what a great idea)!! Wishing you and your husband a wonderful, stress free (traveling) Thanksgiving! Hope Florida has lots of sunshine waiting!
Aren’t COB recipes the best? It’s such a perfect bread for the holiday season! And I always love the smell of it baking in the oven. I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as well, Traci – and stress free too!
hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving julia! i’m jealous of your warm florida temperatures. its why i bake warm – to keep the house cozy! this bread looks great. love the plump cranberries.
Thanks, Amanda! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving too! Baking is a wonderful way to stay cozy…I want to bake your caramel cashew cookies soon 🙂
The rcipe and photos look great,
Cold drizzly days like that are my favorite days ever!! That is, if I don’t have to do anything and can stay inside all day. Baking is the perfect way to combat them and especially nice because then you have something delicious to eat while you are curled under a warm blanket 🙂 I’ve been a bread making machine lately and cranberry orange has been one of my favorite combinations! This bread look great!
I remember this recipe from the Fannie Farmer book!!! OMG! I loved this bread & made it every year without fail, usually three or four extra loaves for gift giving too.
I could be remembering wrong, but didn’t this recipe call from some walnuts too? Either way it is heaven on a plate! Thanks so much for sharing it…I need to make a new tradition!
Hi Ginger! Yes, isn’t it such a wonderful bread? Fannie Farmer has a great collection of baked goods. It does call for walnuts, but I don’t really like nuts in my bread. Heaven on a plate indeed 🙂
That was the other thing about the bread! You could actually leave the nuts out & not suffer having too much moisture then, or having to make that adjustment. Our extended family liked the nuts in & I swapped the walnuts for pecans for us.
Another sweet tooth in our family liked theirs made with a light icing & the bread just accepted it all without complaint!
Don’t you love versatility too? =}