This easy Orange Cranberry Bread can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries for sweet-tart brightness. Topped with a cinnamon streusel and an orange glaze to make it extra special and it will be perfect for your holiday table and gift giving!
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray a standard loaf pan with baking spray.
Make the streusel: Whisk the flour, sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter using a fork or your hands until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Place the streusel in the refrigerator while you make the batter. Chilling keeps it from melting into the batter while the bread is baking.
Make the bread: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, buttermilk powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the cranberries, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg lightly, then add in the sugar and brown sugar together until it's smooth (no lumps of brown sugar hiding in there). Whisk in the water, canola oil, orange juice, and Fiori di Sicilia.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and gently whisk until there are no more lumps (try not to over-mix the batter). Fold in the chopped pecans or walnuts, if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Top evenly with the streusel, pressing it down gently into the batter so it sticks.
Bake the bread for 45 to 60 minutes, covering loosely with foil about halfway through to ensure even browning. Use a cake tester or toothpick to check for doneness - if it comes out clean, the bread is done.
Remove the pan from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. Transfer the bread from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze: In a small bowl, sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps. Add 1 tablespoon of the orange juice along with the Fiori di Sicilia and stir until you get a thick glaze. Adjust the glaze's consistency by adding more orange juice or powdered sugar as needed.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bread and allow to set a few minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Storage instructions: Orange Cranberry Bread will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze the unglazed bread for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.
Recipe Notes
Fresh buttermilk can be used in place of the buttermilk powder and water. If that's not available, there are a two ways to replace 1 cup of fresh buttermilk in a recipe:
Substitute a mixture of ½ cup cold water and ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
Measure 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup, then add enough milk until it reaches 1 cup. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Fiori di Sicilia is an orange vanilla extract, and a little goes a long way. If you prefer, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of orange zest in the batter.Variations:
Muffins: Fill the wells of a standard muffin pan ⅔ full. Top with the streusel as above, then bake at 350°F for around 20 minutes. Allow to cool and glaze.
Bundt Cake or Mini Tea Breads: Spray a small 6-cup bundt cake pan or mini loaf pan with baking spray, being careful to get into all the grooves in the bundt pan. A bundt cake will bake for 35 to 45 minutes, while mini loaves will bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Perfect for gift giving!