This cranberry orange loaf is the ultimate holiday treat, combining bright orange flavor with tangy cranberry flavor. It’s easy to make and has a perfectly moist, tender crumb. It even has an orange glaze on top that you’ll want to drizzle on everything!

An orange cranberry loaf with a slice cut from it.

It’s cranberry season and I’m all about it! If you’re searching for that perfect treat to brighten up chilly mornings and/or your dessert table, this cranberry orange loaf is exactly what you need. Inspired by one of my absolute favorites (my lemon loaf cake), this recipe takes things up a notch with a holiday-friendly pairing of sweet, zesty orange (rather than lemon) and tart cranberries.

Beyond its timeless flavor combo, this cake’s charm lies in its wonderfully moist texture with just the right amount of density to make it super satisfying. Especially with that incredible orange syrup! The way it soaks into the still-warm loaf, contributing a bright orange flavor and mouthwatering moisture, is out of this world! And the orange glaze on top? The perfect finishing touch.

Lindsay, author of Life Love and Sugar, holding a plate of cupcakes and smiling.

Why This Cranberry Orange Loaf Belongs in Your Fall Baking Lineup

A festive flavor combo. Something about cranberries and oranges just says Christmas to me. The bright, sweet notes of orange perfectly complement the tartness of cranberries for pure holiday magic.
Perfect texture. Somewhere between dense and fluffy, this loaf boasts a wonderfully moist and tender crumb. I added a sweet orange syrup, too, which soaks into the cake while it’s still warm, adding even more moisture and flavor.
Easy to make. Unlike other holiday recipes that require chilling or scooping out individual portions, this all goes into the pan to bake. Cover it in the glaze and icing later and you’re ready to go. The hardest part is waiting for it to cool!

Key Ingredients

Head on over to the store and load up your cart. You’ll find precise measurements in the recipe card below.

Labeled ingredients for orange cranberry loaf.

All-purpose flour – Be sure to weight your ingredients with a food scale or fill your measuring cup one spoonful at a time (the spoon and level method) to prevent overpacking.
Baking powder – I tried using baking soda as well and didn’t care much for the texture. The cake comes out more tender and smooth with just baking powder.
Salt – Don’t underestimate the salt. It amplifies the amazing flavors already present.
Unsalted butter and Vegetable oil – I like a combination of both. The butter brings the flavor, the oil brings added moisture.
Large eggs – Be sure to use large, not another size.
Orange juice and Orange zest – Both should be fresh from the fruit. Bottled orange juice has added sugar that you don’t want here.
Milk – I tend toward whole milk, but 2% would also work.
Fresh cranberries – You could also use frozen cranberries. Thaw and drain them first, though.
Powdered sugar – For the glaze and icing. It thickens then just a bit. Don’t use regular sugar here.
Heavy Cream – Used in the icing. You could swap it for milk, but milk is much thinner, so your icing will be too. You’d also use less milk.

How to Make a Cranberry Orange Loaf

Here’s a quick look at how to make this sweet’n tangy cranberry orange loaf. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Combine together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cream together the butter, oil, and sugar.

Cream the butter, oil, and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Mix in the eggs one at a time, until well combined.

Add the orange juice, zest and vanilla extract

Add the orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. It may look a little curdled.

Mix in the dry ingredients and the milk in parts.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk and mix until well combined. Gently stir in 1 ¼ cups cranberries.

Orange cranberry batter in a baking pan.

Spread the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Spooning orange syrup over orange cranberry loaf cake.

Stir together the orange juice and powdered sugar, and pour the syrup over the cake while it’s still warm.

Allow cake to cool completely. Whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and heavy cream. Spread the icing over the cake.

An orange cranberry loaf on a serving tray.

Tips for Success

Measure with care. When measuring the flour, use a food scale or the spoon and level method to ensure you get the proper amount. Using too much flour can really dry out y our baked goods.
Don’t skimp on creaming time. When creaming together the butter, oil, and sugar, do so until the mixture has significantly lightened in color and becomes fluffy. This process incorporated air into the batter, which helps keep the cake from turning out too dense.
Don’t over-mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is incorporated, and no more. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, resulting in a tough, overly dense cake.
No burning. When baking the loaf, if it starts to brown too much on top, loosely cover it with foil and resume baking.
Cool (partially) in the pan. You want to let the loaf cool in the pan for ~15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. If you try to remove it from the pan fresh out of the oven, it won’t hold together as well.
Timing matters. Pour the syrup over the loaf when it (the loaf) is still warm! Otherwise, the syrup won’t sink in as well. It’ll just kind of pool on top.
Cool completely. Before icing the cake. Let it cool completely. Otherwise, the icing will sink into the loaf, rather than sit on top of it.

Orange cranberry loaf on a serving tray with a slice cut from it.

Change Up The Glaze!

I was torn between an orange and a cranberry glaze and tried both. The cranberry glaze is a stronger flavor and I didn’t want it to be overpowering, so I went with orange. But if you’d like to try it (and give your loaf a lovely pink color on top), here’s what I did:

Microwave ½ cup of cranberries for ~30 seconds or until they’re soft and starting to pop. Mash the berries and press them through a fine-mesh sieve, collecting the pulp (discard the skins). Finally, whisk 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (or a bit more if you want a thinner glaze) and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar into the pulp. Voila!

How to Store

Countertop/fridge. Once the icing has set, seal the loaf cake in an airtight container or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. It’ll keep at room temperature for a day or so, then you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer. If you know you’re going to freeze this cake, leave the icing off. Once it’s cooled, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer bag. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Unwrap the loaf and let it thaw in the fridge before icing and slicing.

Cranberry Orange Loaf

Why This Cranberry Orange Loaf Belongs in Your Fall Baking Lineup

Key Ingredients

How to Make a Cranberry Orange Loaf

Tips for Success

Change Up The Glaze!

How to Store

More Cranberry Dessert Ideas

Cranberry Orange Shortbread

No Bake Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry Orange Layer Cake