Shiny Orange Bread Recipe

Homemade orange bread is a favorite winter recipe, especially when made with freshly squeezed juice. Quick and easy to make, this simple orange bread has a soft and moist crumb with wonderful orange flavor. You don’t even need a mixer, and it comes together in minutes.  

Orange Bread

When winter rolls around, oranges in all their varieties become one of my favorite fruits. Apart from being rich in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants that have various health benefits. Oranges are one of my best ways to add a unique flavor and comforting aroma to baked goods.

Its combination of sweet and tangy citrus and tender, soft texture offers a refreshing twist that makes orange bread versatile enough to be enjoyed at any time of the day: breakfast, snack with tea or coffee, or even as a dessert. 

Orange Bread 1

Here’s What You Love about This Glaze Orange Loaf

  • Quick and easy to make – no special tools required
  • Not too sweet, so orange flavor shines through
  • Moist texture stays fresh for days
  • Extra orange flavor with fresh orange glaze
  • Tender and soft, but still dense, ideal for spreading with butter and/or jam
  • Freezes wonderfully

Ingredients You’ll Need & Why

Orange bread ingredients include: flour, sour cream, butter, fresh orange, sugar and other ingredients
  • Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of any quick bread recipe
  • Sugar: I use granulated sugar to sweeten this Bread.
  • Fresh orange: Juice and zest. You can use any of your favorite oranges.
  • Eggs: 2 eggs provide structure and mix everything together. 
  • Butter: I always prefer to use unsalted butter in my recipes to control the amount of salt. Be sure to melt the butter before use. 
  • Orange blossom sugar: One teaspoon adds a floral and slightly sweet flavor. You can also use orange blossom Extract.
  • Sour cream or Yogurt: Add moisture. I use sour cream in this recipe.
  • Baking Powder & soda: Allow bread to rise beautifully with a bit of altitude, as with my date nut bread.
  • Salt: Flavor enhancer. 

You still need cornstarch, confectioners’ sugar and an extra orange juice to make orange glaze. See below for how to make it.

Overview: How To Make Orange Bread Recipe

You will need a simple 3 steps to put all the ingredients together:

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
  2. Whisk together the wet ingredients.
  3. Combine the dry and the wet, pour the butter in your loaf pan.

This the batter before and after adding the dry ingredients:

On the left:  mixed wet ingredients. On the right: the butter when the wet and dry ingredients mixed together

I recommend making this orange bread in a 1lb baking pan, like this one or this one. However, do not use an 8 x 4 inch pan, as the batter will overflow while baking.

On the left: orange bread before baking. On the right: orange bread after baking

Bake the bread for at least 55 minutes. If your oven is working extra hard, start checking it at 50 minutes.

Orange Glaze

I like to top my fresh fruit bread recipes with fresh juice glaze, but you can still make it plain or sprinkle your favorite nuts over the top like this pistachio bread before you bake it.

On the left: orange bread before glazing. On the right: orange bread after glazing

There are two other topping options that you can choose from:

  1. In a saucepan, pour ¾ cup fresh orange juice, ⅔ cup  confectioners’ sugar and 2  tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk together over low heat until it becomes slightly sticky and boils. Let the glaze cool completely until the bread is ready, you can refrigerate it as well. When the bread is ready, pour it over the top. This glaze adds a sweet and sour flavor and makes the bread look shiny. 
  2. Alternatively, you can make a simple orange glaze as I did with this lemon bread by mixing 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar with the zest and juice of one orange. When the bread is completely cooled, pour it over the top.
Orange Bread 2

Other Quick Bread Recipes to Try

Orange Bread 2

Orange Bread Recipe

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Homemade orange bread is a favorite winter recipe. Quick and easy to make, this simple orange bread has a soft and moist crumb with wonderful orange flavor. See above for choosing one of two glazing options and below for storage instructions.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Bake Time 50 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Quick Bread
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Batter

  • 2and ½ cups (330 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted (sifted)
  • 1and ¼ cups (265 ml) fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (43 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons (40 grams) sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon orange blossom sugar or Extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Orange glaze

  • ¾ cup (160 ml) fresh orange juice
  • cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease a 10×5 or 9×5-inch pan with oil or butter.
  • Prepare the ingredients: Melt the butter and sift the flour.
  • Make the batter: Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, Add sugar and orange zest and rub together until the sugar turns light orange in color. Add the butter, sour cream and whisk until fluffy. Add the egg one at a time and beat until well combined. Whisk in orange blossom sugar.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spatula or spatula until all of the flour is incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  • Bake: Bake for 55-60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Make the glaze: When Bread Bakes, Add orange juice, confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Cook the mixture over low heat while whisking. The glaze is ready when it becomes slightly sticky and boils. Allow to cool completely until the bread is ready.
  • Remove the bread from the oven. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Pour the glaze over the top until well covered, completely covered, using a spatula if necessary.

Notes

Storage Instructions: Store orange bread in a Plastic Bread Storage Container for up to 5 days. For freezing instructions, I recommend freezing this bread without the glaze for up to 3 months, and topping it up with the glaze after thawing. thaw the bread overnight in the refrigerator and let it cool to room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Special Tools (affiliate links): Whisk, silicone spatula and these mixing bowls set helpful when making your batter | Flour Sifter | Measuring Cups and SPOONS or Kitchen Scale | 9*5 Loaf Pan or 10*5 Loaf Pan | Cooling Rack | All-purpose Sauce Pan 
Can I use an 8 x 4 inch pan? I recommend making this orange bread in a 1lb baking pan, like this one or this one. However, do not use an 8 x 4 inch pan, as the batter will overflow while baking. If all you have is an 8 x 4-inch pan, reduce 1/2 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of juice from their amounts. The baking time is about the same.

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