Frosted Cranberry-Orange Loaf Cake
Andrea Potischman | Jan 31, 2024
Add this irresistible cranberry-orange loaf cake to your holiday baking list right this very minute. Effortless in preparation, this loaf cake has a moist, tender crumb, with a sweet and tangy seasonal cranberry flavor. Lightly drizzled with glaze, this easy, fruit-forward loaf cake is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or anything in between.
Unlike most cranberry loaf recipes, I don’t use fresh cranberries. Instead, I swirl in homemade cranberry sauce adding flavor and moisture to the cake itself. The addition of fresh, homemade cranberry sauce layered within elevates this loaf cake to a different playing field and makes a wonderful addition to Christmas morning.
Sweet Loaf Vs. Cake
Most people don’t know the difference between a sweet loaf and a cake. I get it. The most obvious difference is the vessel one bakes them in. For loaf cakes, you use a rectangular loaf pan, but for cakes, you typically use a square or round pan. Although both cakes and loaf cakes share similar ingredients, the ratio of flour, fat, sugar, and the mixing methods differ, yielding a different result.
Quick breads, such as banana bread, scones, and muffins, are commonly made by combining the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in the other and then mixing the two till just combined with a few lumps. Cakes, in contrast, are made by creaming the butter and sugar together. Or, at times, by folding whipped egg whites into flour, sugar, and egg yolks, to create a finer crumb.
As a result. cakes are generally lighter than loaves and other quick breads. Think of it as similar to the difference between a muffin and a cupcake, a cupcake being a mini cake and a muffin being a type of quick bread. Additionally, loaf cakes almost always with some kind of fruit within them, whereas cakes can be with or without fruit. Add this festive cranberry loaf to your lazy holiday morning and all you need to do is add a great cup of coffee to go along with it.
Frosted Cranberry-Orange Loaf Cake
Ingredients:
For the Loaf Cake:
- 3/4 cup homemade cranberry sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Dash of salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk, as needed
Directions:
- Make my cranberry sauce recipe and allow it cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, lightly oil, and set aside.
- Place the cranberry sauce in a food processor, such as a Cuisinart, fitted with a blade attachment, and pulse on/off until finely chopped.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and blend well.
- Place the butter and sugar in a kitchen mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Reduce the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture and milk alternating. Mix until just incorporated.
- Spread half of the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan. Spoon the cranberry sauce evenly over the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top. Using a butter knife, gently swirl the batter from one of the pan to the next and back again.
- Place the loaf on a baking sheet, place in the oven, and bake until set, about 50-55 minutes, or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool.
- For the Frosting: In a small mixing bowl add the confectioners' sugar and milk, whisk to blend. Adjust the sugar and liquid consistency as needed until you have a nice consistency that's easy to drizzle. Use a teaspoon to drizzle the frosting in a zig-zag, or criss-cross motion. Slice and serve.
