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Cranberry Orange Loaf

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

For the loaf:

  • 1½ cups plus ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter unsalted, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries

For the topping:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh orange zest
  • 1 medium orange
  • ½ cup fresh cranberries
  • 1¼ cup granulated sugar divided
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
  • Add softened butter and granulated sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together on medium until a paste forms. This will take about 3 minutes. On low, add eggs, one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix to ensure it's all combined.
  • Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low until combined. Add orange juice, zest, and milk to the batter and mix on low until combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix on low just until combined. Mix cranberries with ½ tablespoon of flour and gently fold them into the batter. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and spread into an even layer.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. while the cake is baking, make the candy fruit topping using the recipe below.
  • When cake is done, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Use a knife to release the edges of the cake from the pan. Flip pan to release cake and finish cooling on a wire rack. When it's barely warm, cover with icing (recipe below), candied orange slices, and candied cranberries (recipe below).

For the icing:

  • Add 1 tablespoon of orange juice to powdered sugar and zest in a small bowl. If it's too thick, add a little bit more juice until it slowly runs down a spoon.

For the candied oranges and cranberries:

  • Slice orange into ¼-inch slices. Place in a large sauce pan with ½ cup of cranberries. Fill with water until the slices are covered. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
  • Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar to a skillet. Stir together and place over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add drained orange slices and cranberries. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the orange slices are translucent. Let cool in the syrup and then drain on paper towels for about 20 minutes.
  • Once the fruit is drained, dip in remaining granulated sugar. Pick the prettiest pieces to decorate the cake. Some of the cranberries will have deflated so just use the ones that still look great.

Notes

Loaf recipe adapted form Natasha's Kitchen