Orange & Cranberry Loaf Cake

This Orange & Cranberry Loaf Cake has the delicious flavours of Winter in the form of a moist cake topped with a tasty drizzle. It is perfect for any gathering, especially over the Christmas period. 

Are you a fan of loaf cakes?

I love a loaf cake. They’re so simple to make and don’t need a lot of fiddling with once they have been baked to make them look pretty.

My love of loaf cakes could also have something to do with my lack of affection towards buttercream. Yes, I said it. I’m not a fan of buttercream! 

Moving on from that bombshell…Loaf cakes are underrated and need to be celebrated more!

A cake with flavours that remind us of Winter

This Orange & Cranberry Loaf Cake came about by wanting to make a cake with wintery/Christmas flavours.

I say Christmas flavours, but this Orange & Cranberry Loaf cake should not only be made during the build up to Christmas! It can definitely be made at any time of year and will be delicious.

Although the flavours of orange and cranberry are often associated with Christmas, to me they remind me of Winter as a whole. 

Why soak the cranberries?

I was telling my Mum about my plan to make this Orange & Cranberry Loaf Cake and it was her that gave me the idea to soak the cranberries.

This step helps plump up the cranberries and make them juicier than in their original dried state. Soaking them also gives you the opportunity to use the soaking liquid in the drizzle which helps add even more flavour. 

Can i use fresh or frozen cranberries instead?

If you can’t find dried cranberries or would prefer not to use them, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries.

You wouldn’t need to soak fresh or frozen cranberries so you can skip this step.

I would suggest using 50-60g if you are using fresh or frozen cranberries instead of dried.

Drizzles are fantastic!

I love a drizzle. It probably has something to do with the fact I’m not keen on buttercream, but I do love a drizzle.

Drizzles are so quick and easy to make. You literally just need a bowl and a spoon. What could be easier?

They are also lighter than buttercream so it doesn’t make the cake too overly sweet.

When making the drizzle you may not need to use all of the orange juice. Add a little at a time until you get to a consistency that is thin enough to drizzle but not too thin that it won’t hold it’s shape.

If you do add too much orange juice, just add a spoonful more icing sugar to thicken it up again.

Can I use a different tin?

If you don’t want to use a 2lb/900g loaf tin you can use different tins.

A really nice idea would be to make two mini loaves in 1lb/450g loaf tins. These would make lovely gifts for people.

You could also use an eight inch round cake tin instead. That would work just as well.

The 1lb cake tins and the eight inch tin would cook quicker than the recipe states below so check it after 20-25 minutes.

How many people will this cake serve?

That really depends how hungry people are!

I always say that loaf cakes will easily feed 12 people. But if people want a thicker slice then obviously it will be a little less.

How long will this cake keep for?

This cake will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

It can also be frozen without the frosting if you would like to eat it at a later date. Just make sure you wrap it thoroughly and eat it within three months of freezing it.

Other cakes you might like

• Blood Orange Drizzle Cake
• Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Traybake
• Gin & Lime Drizzle Cake
• Double Orange Cake
• Vegan Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake

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