Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 7½ g baking powder
- 2½ g baking soda
- 3 g salt
Fats and Liquids
- 55 g unsalted butter, cold
- 1 egg
- 180 ml orange juice
- 15 g orange zest, grated
Mix-ins
- 350 g cranberries, chopped
- 120 g pecans, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 47 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 24 g
- Sodium
- 274 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 30 mg
- Potassium
- 151 mg
- Calcium
- 68 mg
- Iron
- 1.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 25 mg
- Phosphorus
- 94 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 49 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.29 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 1.7 mg
- Folate
- 55 mcg
- Water
- 56 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch baking pan.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Whisk the egg in a separate bowl until thick and light in color.
Stir the orange juice and orange zest into the beaten egg.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until just combined.
Gently fold the chopped cranberries and pecans into the batter.
Transfer the batter to the pan and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool fully.
Wrap the cooled loaf in foil and let it rest overnight at room temperature before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Resting the bread overnight allows the moisture to redistribute, making it easier to slice without crumbling.
Storage
Refrigerator: 7 days — Store wrapped tightly in foil to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap in plastic then foil.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature or toasted with butter.
Troubleshooting
Bread is tough and has large holes (tunnels)
Cause: Overmixing the batter after adding liquid
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Mix until ingredients are only just combined; do not use an electric mixer.
Center of the loaf is gummy
Cause: Underbaking or excessive moisture from cranberries
Fix: If still warm, return to oven for 5-10 minutes
Prevention: Ensure the toothpick test comes out completely clean before removing from oven.
Cultural Context
Cranberry nut bread is a quintessential American quick bread, particularly popular during the fall and winter holidays. Its dense texture and festive ingredients like cranberries and nuts make it a common addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas baking traditions, often enjoyed as a breakfast item or a simple dessert.
