Cranberry and Orange Loaf Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

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This Cranberry and Orange Loaf Cake is sweet, tart, and so tender you’ll be going back for seconds and thirds! The cranberries melt into the soft orange loaf cake in the best way. And once that glossy buttermilk glaze hits? You’re going to need a moment to collect yourself. It’s that good!

For more loaf pan recipes, try my loaf pan basque cheesecake and pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting!

sliced cranberry orange loaf cake on a cutting board topped with buttermilk glaze and fresh cranberries.

Can I tell you a quick story? I know that you’re here for the cranberry orange bread recipe but I have to share why this cranberry bread is so near and dear to my heart.

Growing up, I had a neighbor who would make cranberry bread every year during the holiday season. She was Jewish but would always wish us a Merry Christmas. She was the kind of neighbor who would clean the street by picking up the trash and always knew everyone’s business and spilled the tea whenever you asked one question.

I would describe her as kind but also no nonsense and I loved that about her. Well, one year, we didn’t get the cranberry bread. And we noticed that we hadn’t seen her in quite some time. Another few months went by and we saw one of her relatives walking out of her house. He told us that she died from a brain tumor.

We didn’t even know that she was ill, which always stuck with me and pulled at my heart strings. I missed her telling me to “be safe coming home from school” and “tell you mother I said ‘Hi'”.

Back then I didn’t even like that tart flavor of cranberries. But I loved the thought of her in the kitchen, making everyone cranberry bread and passing it out to the community for some holiday cheer.

Fast forward 30 years later, my rendition of cranberry bread is quite a bit different from hers, but I think of her every time I make it.

I hope that you make this cranberry bread and think of her, Mrs. Ezekiel. May she rest in peace.

Make the Cranberry Loaf
Bake and Glaze!
Pro Baking Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Loaf Pan Recipes

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple ingredients! This cranberry bread recipe is a great recipe during the holiday season to use up any leftover cranberries from your Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.
Easy quick bread recipe that doesn’t require a lot of work!
Bursting with flavor! The tart cranberries with the orange flavor and that orange glaze on top?! Ugh, it literally tastes like christmas.
Unbeatable texture! This recipe is a scaled down version of my pound cake recipes, to fit into a loaf pan. So if you’ve ever made them, you know how good they are! Moist, buttery, and that melt in your mouth texture that wins every time!

Key Ingredients

side view of the cranberry orange bread with the buttermilk glaze dripping down the side.

(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)

Sour cream: Adds moisture and richness, tenderizes the crumb with acidity, boosts browning, and helps the loaf stay soft and tall instead of dense.
All-purpose flour: Provides structure, absorbs moisture, keeps the crumb sturdy yet tender, and helps the cranberries stay suspended throughout the loaf.
Eggs: Bind the batter, add lift, contribute moisture, create a velvety crumb, and help the loaf hold its shape without crumbling.
Fresh Juicy Cranberries: Add tart, juicy pops of flavor; their natural pectin keeps the loaf moist and cutting them in half prevents sinking and helps even distribution. Use leftovers and make my cranberry orange cinnamon rolls or cranberry orange coffee cake next.
Orange zest & juice: Zest delivers concentrated citrus aroma; juice adds moisture and a touch of acidity; together they brighten and balance the sweetness. I like to add this to my gingerbread loaf too for added flavor.
Salted butter & vegetable oil: Butter gives rich flavor and oil adds long-lasting moisture and keeps the crumb soft.
Sugar: Sweetens the loaf, aerates the butter for better lift, improves browning, and keeps the loaf moist after baking.

Substitutions and Variations

For extra orange flavor, add ½ teaspoon of orange extract or increase the zest.
I like to add a sweet orange glaze, but feel free to get creative. You can make a cranberry curd or just dust with powdered sugar instead.
If you prefer to use unsalted butter, you can!
The buttermilk glaze has a nice tang, but if you don’t have buttermilk, you can use about 2-3 tbsp of sour cream and 1-2 tbsps of whole milk instead. Whisk until you get the desired consistency and pour on top of the cake.

How To Make Cranberry Orange Loaf Cake

Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the Cranberry Loaf

fresh cranberries in a bowl cut in half and tossed in flour and sugar.

Step 1: Cut the fresh cranberries in half and place into a small bowl. Add one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of Sugar and toss together, ensuring all of the cranberries are coated. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine cups Sugar and Orange Zest. Pinch together with your finger until fragrant and the sugar takes on a slight orange hue.

Step 3: Add the room temperature Salted Butter and use an electric mixer (or put into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) to cream together for 3-4 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the Vegetable Oil and mix until combined, then add eggs.

cranberries folded into the cake batter with a rubber spatula.

Step 4: Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together All Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Nutmeg, and Kosher Salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, about 15 seconds. Then add in the Sour Cream, Vanilla Extract, and Orange Juice (I like to squeeze the juice out of the oranges that I zested). Mix together until combined, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the cranberries.

Bake and Glaze!

cranberry orange bread batter in a loaf pan.

Step 5: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 70-80 minutes, until a wooden skewer stuck down into the center of the loaf comes out with just a few moist crumbs (the top of the loaf should not look wet, it should look baked and golden brown). Allow the loaf to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Let the bread cool completely.

buttermilk glaze in a bowl with a whisk.

Step 6: While the cake is cooling, make the orange buttermilk glaze. Combine melted butter, powdered sugar, buttermilk, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until combined and smooth. Pour the glaze on top of the cooled loaf and enjoy!

Pro Baking Tips

Massage the orange zest into the sugar. Rubbing the zest into the sugar releases the citrus oils and perfumes the whole batter. If the sugar looks slightly damp and smells like a dream? You nailed it.

Tent loosely with foil if the top begins to brown too quickly while the center finishes baking.

Use a thin wooden skewer or cake tester rather than a knife to check doneness. Because the knife is smooth, it can appear that the cake is done when it isn’t. The cake is done when you get moist crumbs, not wet batter on the skewer.

Let the loaf cool completely before glazing so the icing sets properly instead of melting into the cake.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use frozen cranberries instead of fresh?

I wouldn’t but you can in a pinch. As the loaf bakes, the cranberries may emit excess moisture that creates little pockets of sogginess. Also, this recipe calls for the cranberries to be cut in half (this prevents sinking and allows for even distribution). So, if you can cut the frozen cranberries in half, it can work.

Why is my loaf dry?

Dry loaf bread is often caused by overbaking or too much flour. Make sure to spoon and level your flour, check doneness early, and don’t rely on color alone, use a long wooden skewer for accuracy.

Why toss the cranberries in flour and sugar?

This keeps them from sinking, absorbs excess moisture, and prevents their juices from bleeding into the batter.

How do I know when the loaf is fully baked?

Insert a thin skewer into the center. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs and no raw batter, it’s done. The top should look golden and firm, not wet or pale.

Why did my loaf sink in the middle?

A sinking center usually means the loaf was underbaked or the oven temperature was too high. Make sure that a wooden skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), and use an oven thermometer to ensure your oven isn’t running hot (or cold).