A bright, fragrant, warmly spiced quick bread that tastes like December in every bite.
Ingredients
Dry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves (optional but festive!)
Wet
- ¾ cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp lemon juice)
- ⅓ cup melted butter or neutral oil
- 1 large egg
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
Mix-ins
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, halved
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Glaze (optional but beautiful)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tbsp orange juice
🎁 Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line with parchment.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl: buttermilk, melted butter, egg, orange zest, and orange juice.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until blended—don’t overmix.
- Fold in cranberries and nuts. The batter will be thick.
- Pour into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely.
- Optional glaze: whisk powdered sugar + orange juice and drizzle over the loaf.
- Serving Suggestion: toast a slice and top with honey butter.
- Make Ahead note: stays fresh 3 days; freezes beautifully for 2 months.
- Easy swaps: dried cranberries instead of fresh; almond extract instead of nuts.