Cranberry Bread with Orange Glaze (Buttermilk)

Change up your banana bread this fall with another easy quick bread: perfectly tart cranberry bread. This recipe is full of warm spices and tart cranberries and is finished with a sweet orange glaze. We add the glaze while the bread is still slightly warm, so it not only tops our bread but sinks into it to pack in the orange flavour. It's a perfect fall breakfast paired with a with a cup of coffee, but is also sweet enough to be an easy after-dinner treat.

Bread:
cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ orange, freshly zested
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup cranberries
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Glaze:
¾ cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. orange juice, freshly squeezed

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and grease a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cloves and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, vanilla and zest until combined. Add buttermilk and whisk to combine. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and orange juice.

When bread is done baking, let cool 15 minutes, then pour glaze all over bread while still warm. Let glaze soak in while bread cools. Let cool completely before slicing.

Cook's Notes:

• The bread stays soft and moist in this recipe thanks to the vegetable oil. Including it in the batter not only results in a moist and tender bread, but ensures our bread will stay soft and delicious for days after. As far as the cranberries go, you can use fresh or frozen-it's up to you. If using frozen, note that there's no need to thaw them before using.
• If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Follow our top tip to keep your bread perfectly moist: Lay a paper towel in an airtight container (or storage bag), place the loaf on top of it, then layer another paper towel on top before sealing to keep air away. Alternatively, you can freeze your loaf by waiting for it to cool, wrapping in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then store in the freezer for around 3 months.