There is something irresistible about cranberries as autumn settles in—their brilliant colour, their lively tartness and the way they mark the beginning of serious baking season.
Paired with fragrant orange and toasted walnuts, they make a particularly handsome loaf, with jewel-bright pockets of fruit scattered through a tender golden crumb.
This Cranberry Orange Walnut Loaf is equally at home on the breakfast table, alongside a leisurely cup of afternoon tea, or sliced and tucked away for those moments when something not-too-sweet is just what is wanted.
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Cranberry Orange Loaf
Bright with orange and studded with tart cranberries and toasted walnuts, this tender loaf is lovely for breakfast, brunch or with an afternoon cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 250 g or 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 200 g or 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 g or 1½ tsp baking powder
- 3 g or ½ tsp baking soda
- 3 g or ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Zest of 1 medium orange
- 60 g or 60 ml or ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 123 g or 120 ml or ½ cup whole milk
- 55 g or 60 ml or ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 150 g or 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 75 g or ¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C or 350°F. Grease a 20 × 10 cm or 8 × 4-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, milk, oil and egg until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until almost combined. Fold in the cranberries and toasted walnuts just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool.rack. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
For smaller loaves: Divide the batter among three 14 × 7.5 × 5.5 cm or 5½ × 3 × 2¼-inch mini loaf pans (approximately 300 ml or 1¼-cup capacity each). Begin checking for doneness considerably earlier than for the full-sized loaf.
Fresh or frozen cranberries: Either works well. There is no need to thaw frozen cranberries before chopping and adding them to the batter.
