Barefoot Contessa Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe
This Barefoot Contessa Cranberry Orange Bread is a perfectly moist and flavorful quick bread combining tangy cranberries with bright orange zest and juice. Ideal for breakfast, brunch, or a festive snack, it’s easy to prepare and bakes into a tender loaf dusted with powdered sugar for a lovely finish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (about 10-12 slices) 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp orange zest
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 1½ cups cranberries
- Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan to ensure the bread doesn’t stick.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and orange zest until well combined for even distribution of flavors and leavening.
- Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix the orange juice, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth to create the wet batter base.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir gently until just combined to avoid overmixing, which could make the bread tough.
- Fold in cranberries: Gently fold the fresh cranberries into the batter to evenly distribute the fruit without breaking them up too much.
- Pour and bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve: Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving if desired.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh or thawed cranberries to maintain texture.
- You can substitute orange juice with fresh squeezed for more vibrant flavor.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to get clean slices.
- This bread stores well at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigerate up to a week.
Keywords: cranberry orange bread, Barefoot Contessa, quick bread recipe, holiday bread, citrus bread, fresh cranberries, easy baked goods
