I first thought of making this quick bread near the end of winter, just before spring arrived. The flavor combinations in this Cranberry-Blueberry-Orange Bread seemed perfect for enjoying at the end of winter and into the spring months. Cranberries are a wintry flavor, and the blueberries are a delicious reminder of spring and the warmer weather coming. And citrusy orange is another inviting warm weather flavor. So when you combine these, you get the perfect quick bread for the months when we say goodbye to the colder days of winter and welcome the lighter, warmer days of spring!
The citrus flavor of this loaf comes from the orange juice, orange extract and orange zest that you stir into the batter—and also from the glaze that you drizzle on top! The berries give the bread some tasty tartness and sweetness, and the Greek yogurt helps it bake up with a nice, moist texture. Start your day with a slice of this quick bread and some coffee—or enjoy it when you take an afternoon break!
Cranberry-Blueberry-Orange Bread
CRANBERRY-BLUEBERRY-ORANGE BREAD by NancyC
Makes one 9 x 5″ loaf
2 3/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
3 Tablespoons fresh orange zest (you should be able to get enough from 1 large orange)
2/3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (don’t thaw the frozen berries)
2/3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (don’t thaw the frozen berries)
Orange Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour a 9 × 5″ loaf pan; set aside.
2. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In medium size bowl, beat the egg, then stir in the melted butter. Next, add in the yogurt, orange juice, orange extract, and orange zest, mixing everything together well.
4. Add this mixture to the flour mixture in the large bowl, and mix everything until combined. Fold in the blueberries and cranberries. Batter will be thick.
5. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly in pan, and bake at 350˚F for 65 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. After the loaf is done baking, let cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove from pan to wire rack and let cool completely (you may need to loosen the edges of the quick bread from the pan with a knife so it will come out more easily).
7. While quick bread is cooling, make the orange glaze. Mix the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange extract together in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and creamy.
8. When quick bread has cooled completely, drizzle the glaze on top—as much or as little as you want. Let glaze set, then serve.
Note: The bread tastes good without the glaze, too, so you can leave it off if you prefer. You can also serve the bread while it’s still warm if you’re not going to add the glaze.
Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com
We actually had some pretty chilly days a few weeks ago where the weather really did seem more wintry than spring-like—and this was a tasty treat to enjoy on those days! But you can also enjoy it all spring and summer long if you want, since you can use frozen berries in this recipe if you don’t have fresh.
The weather has since warmed up, so hopefully the warmer temperatures will be here to stay! I love the joy, hope, and new life that the spring season brings, and it reminds me of this verse from Song of Solomon 2:11–12: The winter is past…. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come. Hope you are enjoying Spring!
NancyC 
4 responses to “Cranberry-Blueberry-Orange Bread”
I’ve got the kettle on!
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😊👍
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Made this last week, I overcooked at 65 min I should have checked sooner but it still was absolutely delicious!
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Glad to hear you liked this recipe! 🙂
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