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Cranberry Orange Loaf Cakes with Creamy Orange Icing

These Cranberry Orange Loaf Cakes with Creamy Orange Icing have fresh orange zest, juice, & cranberries - they so are moist & full of flavor!
Makes 2 loaves.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 16
Author Plum Street Collective

Equipment

  • loaf pans
  • microplane zester

Ingredients

Cranberry Orange Cakes

  • Baker's Joy nonstick baking spray
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons Clabber Girl baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening (12 tablespoons)
  • 1½ cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk (or half and half)
  • 1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • zest of 2 large oranges
  • 3 cups fresh cranberries (one 12 ounce bag)
  • 1/8 cup all-purpose flour (for mixing with cranberries)

Creamy Orange Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/8 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • zest from 1 large orange

Instructions

Cranberry Orange Cakes

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Spray 2 loaf pans (8"x4" or 9" x 5") with Baker's Joy spray and set aside. (I love this brand of baking spray because it has flour in the spray which helps ensure that the cakes release cleanly.)
  • In a medium-sized bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening and white sugar until creamy.
  • Next add the eggs and almond extract and mix well until smooth.
  • Add half of the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
  • Then add in the milk, and mix again. Next add in the remainder of the flour mixture and stir until smooth.
  • Then add in the fresh-squeezed orange juice and the orange zest. Mix until just combined.
  • In a small bowl add the fresh cranberries and toss with the 1/8 cup flour. Mix gently so you don't crush the cranberries, but mix thoroughly to make sure all the cranberries get covered by the flour. This will ensure the cranberries stay evenly distributed throughout the batter and don't sink to the bottom of the cakes.
  • Next, pour the cranberries into the orange batter. Gently use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold the cranberries in, being careful to to smash them.
  • Pour the batter evenly into your prepared loaf pans.
  • Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes until tops spring back to the touch (or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean).
  • Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack or oven top for about 15-20 minutes until pans are cool to the touch.
  • Gently run a knife around the edges of the cakes before releasing them from the pan. Turn the cakes out onto a platter or cake plate.

Creamy Orange Icing

  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and zest until smooth. If needed, you can add slightly more powdered sugar to thicken it (or more orange juice to thin it).
  • Drizzle tops of loaves with creamy orange icing. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
  • (This recipe saves well for up to a week in an airtight container - either in the fridge or at room temperature.)