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Orange & Cranberry Loaf Cake

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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. 

Orange & Cranberry Loaf Cake

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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5 from 9 votes
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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. 

Course Cake
Cuisine British
Keyword Cranberry, Orange, Loaf Cake, Drizzle
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 359 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

  • 85 g dried cranberries
  • 70 ml orange juice approx 1 orange
  • 225 g margarine
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 250 g plain flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon ground
  • 1 orange zest
  • 120 g fat free yogurt

For the drizzle

  • 100 g icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange juice from the soaked cranberries
  • 1 tbsp orange juice

Instructions

  1. Add the cranberries to a bowl with the juice of one orange (approx 70ml). Cover and allow to soak for one hour 

  2. Preheat the oven to 170ºC (fan assisted 190ºC non fan) and line a 2lb loaf tin 

  3. Cream the margarine and sugar together for a couple of minutes until pale and fluffy

  4. Add in the eggs one at a time mixing after each addition 

  5. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange zest and mix until completed combined

  6. Add in the yogurt and cranberries reserving the juice they have been soaking in. Mix until just combined 

  7. Pour the cake mix into the lined tin and level. Bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes until golden brown and a cocktail stick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes or so before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely 

  8. Once the cake is completely cool, make the drizzle by mixing the orange juice that the cranberries were soaked in with the additional orange juice and icing sugar. Drizzle across the cake and serve 

Recipe Notes

You want the drizzle to be thin enough to actually drizzle but not too thin so it runs off the cake. Add more juice to thin it or a touch more icing sugar to thicken if needed. 

Nutritional information is given as a guide only.

Nutrition Facts
Orange & Cranberry Loaf Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 359 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 201mg9%
Potassium 165mg5%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 31g34%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 765IU15%
Vitamin C 9.5mg12%
Calcium 66mg7%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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18 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bevyn Cassidy says

    November 26, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    I’ve never used dried cranberries in cranberry bread before. Is there a benefit of using dried cranberries over fresh cranberries???

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 27, 2018 at 11:43 am

      Not specifically a benefit, but I’ve heard people struggling to find fresh cranberries in their local supermarkets. Dried cranberries are more readily available and probably cheaper I can imagine which hopefully means more people will be able to give this recipe a try πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Jane Saunders says

    November 27, 2018 at 9:44 am

    5 stars
    I do love buttercream, but the older I get, the more I’m also enjoying loaf cakes like this with their much simpler icing. (All the cake for me, please). I think my husband, in particular, would adore this cake – I might just knock it up for him as a surprise this weekend.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 27, 2018 at 11:44 am

      I love how simple loaf cakes are in general πŸ™‚ If you do I hope he likes it!

      Reply
  3. Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says

    November 27, 2018 at 9:02 pm

    5 stars
    Such a delicious wintery loaf! I love your mum’s idea of soaking cranberries in the orange juice – genius! I’ll have a simple loaf like this with nice zesty drizzle over full blown cake with buttercream any day! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 28, 2018 at 11:35 am

      Thanks Jo. Glad I’m not the only one who is partial to a loaf cake!

      Reply
  4. jacqui Bellefontaine says

    November 27, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    5 stars
    OMG I so want to make this. I make an orange loaf cake that I love. I also love cranberries so I just know this is going to be delicious. Im pinning for later . as soon as i get a chance i shall be making this!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 28, 2018 at 11:35 am

      Haha thanks Jacqui πŸ™‚ Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  5. Corina Blum says

    November 28, 2018 at 10:14 am

    5 stars
    This looks gorgeous! I think orange and cranberries are so good together at this time of year.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 28, 2018 at 11:36 am

      Thanks πŸ™‚ so wintery aren’t they?

      Reply
  6. mandy says

    November 28, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    So pretty Cat and I bet the flavours are just gorgeous. Love your drizzly icing too.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 29, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      Thanks Mandy πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. Choclette says

    November 28, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    Ooh, this looks gorgeous and as you say it’s perfect for the festive season. Yoghurt always makes cakes extra special I find.

    Reply
    • Curly says

      November 29, 2018 at 12:36 pm

      Thanks πŸ™‚

      Reply
  8. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

    November 30, 2018 at 11:29 am

    5 stars
    What a gorgeous looking cake and I am loving the festive flavours!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      December 3, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      Thanks Kat πŸ™‚

      Reply
  9. Susan says

    July 30, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    5 stars
    Lovely cake. Just the sort I like without buttercream and loaf cakes are also my go to. So much easier to cut into.

    P.S. it’s July but who cares!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      August 3, 2020 at 3:18 pm

      Thanks Susan πŸ™‚ I love a loaf cake too! And there is absolutely nothing wrong with making this cake at any time of year. Glad you liked it.

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Cat aka Curly. I'm a home cook that likes nothing better than a day in the kitchen baking and cooking. Whether its sweet or savoury, in my mind food is always the answer. Meet Curly

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