Orange Bread Recipe: Tips for Making Spiced Orange Bread
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Apr 17, 2023 • 3 min read
Fragrant, sunny-hued orange bread is a perfect loaf for midday snacking. Learn how to make this versatile loaf at home.
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What Is Orange Bread?
Orange bread is a variety of quick bread flavored with fresh orange juice, zest, and, occasionally, orange extract. Quick breads like orange bread, banana bread, and zucchini bread rely on leavening agents, like baking powder and baking soda, rather than yeast for their rise.
Recipes for orange bread may include milk, butter, eggs, or olive oil as the primary source of fat and structure.
5 Tips for Making Orange Bread
Orange bread is easy to make at home. Serve this citrusy, sweet bread as-is for snacking; add a cream cheese frosting or light glaze for a more traditional dessert presentation.
- 1. Use fresh orange juice whenever possible. The key to a deep, well-rounded orange flavor is orange zest, which you can only get from fresh oranges. Bake this bread during citrus season if you can, and use whichever variety you like best, be it Cara Cara, navel, or blood oranges.
- 2. For a moist, fluffy loaf, mix until just combined. Too much gluten formation in orange bread leads to a tough, heavy loaf. To keep the crumb light and moist, mix the batter just enough to incorporate all the flour.
- 3. Add complementary flavors with various mix-ins. Make a wintry cranberry orange bread with fresh cranberries, evoke chocolate-dipped candied oranges with dark chocolate chips, or double down on the bright citrus flavor with finely chopped candied orange peel or orange blossom water.
- 4. Bake the bread into personalized portions. Like all quick breads, orange bread lends itself well to mini loaves or muffins; simply swap a standard loaf pan for mini loaf pans or a muffin tin.
- 5. Store at room temperature or freeze for longer storage. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap and store it on the counter at room temperature to keep the bread from drying out. To freeze, wrap the loaf entirely in plastic wrap, then store it in a resealable plastic bag. Enjoy within six months.
Easy Spiced Orange Bread Recipe
makes
1 9x5-inch loafprep time
10 mintotal time
1 hrcook time
50 minIngredients
For the bread:
For the orange glaze:
Note: The total time does not include 50 minutes of inactive time.
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough excess paper to hang over the sides.
- 3
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, and salt.
- 4
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and the orange zest. Massage the zest into the sugar with your hands until it’s fragrant and well-incorporated.
- 5
Add the eggs, orange juice, olive oil, and extract, and mix well with an electric mixer or hand whisk.
- 6
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and no floury streaks remain.
- 7
Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
- 8
Bake until the bread is golden brown and domed, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes.
- 9
While the loaf bakes, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange blossom water.
- 10
Add water one teaspoon at a time until the glaze has a thick but pourable consistency.
- 11
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then, using the parchment paper “wings,” lift the loaf out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- 12
Once the loaf is cool, pour the glaze over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Let the glaze set before serving, about 5 minutes.
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