Eggless Cranberry Orange Bread

This Eggless Cranberry Orange Bread has a moist and tender crumb. It’s sweet and tangy, and the glaze takes it over the top. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a snack with coffee or tea!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Servings slices - 1 loaf

Calories 229kcal

Author Oriana Romero

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cup (280 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice
¾ cup (180 ml) milk (I used whole milk)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries rinsed and patted dry (toasted with one tablespoon of flour)

Orange Sugar Glaze

1 cup 120 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted sifted
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) heavy cream or milk (you can substitute for more orange juice for a more intense orange flavored glaze)

Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a measuring cup or bowl, mix together orange juice, milk, and vanilla extract.
Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat butter until creamy on medium-high speed, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 4 minutes until creamed and pale, scraping down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add orange zest and beat for 1 minute.
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk-orange mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until just combined, about 30 – 45 seconds. Do not overmix.
Stir in the cranberries. NOTE: I like to toss the fresh cranberries with a tablespoon of flour, so they don't sink all the way to the bottom of the bread.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. NOTE: The orange cake batter is thick, so use a spatula to spread it into the pan, if necessary.
Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then, remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. The bread must be completely cool before frosting.

Make the glaze:

Whisk all the icing ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled bread.

Notes

Store Eggless cranberry bread leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 to 4 days. Be sure to keep it covered. You can store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Freeze: First, Let the eggless cranberry bread cool completely. Wrap it up in aluminum foil, then with plastic wrap. And then, place the whole loaf inside a large freezer Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Substitutions & Additions

Frozen Cranberries: Yes, you can use frozen cranberries in the same quantity and add them frozen (do not thaw). You may need to bake just a few minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Dried Cranberries: You can substitute with 2/3 cup dried cranberries and reduce the sugar in the recipe to 2/3 cup since dried cranberries aren’t as tart. The dried cranberries will be juicier if you soak them in very warm water for 10 minutes then drain and pat dry before using.

Nuts: If desired, you can fold in 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios when adding the cranberries to the batter.

Gluten-Free: Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the baked goods proper structure. Also, gluten-free batters need to rest. So let your batter rest for about 30 minutes, so the flour has time to hydrate and soften before baking it.
Dairy-Free: Use your favorite plant-based milk, dairy-free, or vegan butter. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors. My favorite dairy-free butter brands for baking are Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter and Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.

Tips To Make Eggless Quick Bread:

Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Line your loaf pan with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the long sides to form a sling for an easy, unmold process.
Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
Bake the bread as soon as the batter is ready.
If the loaf is browning too much, you can tent the loaf pan with foil during the last 10 -15 minutes of baking. The tenting tip helps to prevent the top from browning too much while baking the bread throughout.
Don't open the oven door until the loaf has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe, at least.
Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Wrap the bread in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

If you're making this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, frequently asked questions, and step-by-step photos. Also, before you get started, I recommend reading my Beginner’s Guide to Eggless Baking and my FAQs section.

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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition