Happy December friends! This has been such a rough year for all of us, some worse than others. I haven’t been posting many recipes these lately because I’m just trying to hang in there most days! Distant learning my three kids, my two year old wanting my attention, plus trying to keep up with my own work, and managing our family and what we do has kept me very busy. Anyways, I’m so glad your’e here! Here is one of my favorite winter recipes, Cranberry Orange Loaf!

Cranberries look like Christmas to me! They’re such a pretty vibrant fruit! I make this recipe after Thanksgiving and until I stop seeing fresh cranberries in the stores. Seasonal baking is my favorite!

Cranberry Orange Loaf is such a delicious seasonal treat!

Making Cranberry Orange Loaf

To begin making this Cranberry Orange loaf, start by making your homemade dairy free buttermilk! If you are not dairy free and have store bought buttermilk that will work just fine in this recipe! I like use the thickest plant based milk I have on hand and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to it. Stir that together and let sit until your’e ready to use it.

Next, in a medium bowl, sift your gluten free flour blend with, salt, and baking powder. I only recommend my easy gluten free flour blend. Not all gluten free flour blends are the same. If you are not gluten free use all purpose flour!

In a separate small bowl stir your sugar and orange zest, until thoroughly mixed. I am trying to bake with less sugar these days. In this recipe I used half monk fruit sugar substitute and half regular cane sugar. I’ve noticed when using half of the sugar called for with the monk fruit you don’t taste it and there for you can’t tell the difference! When using all sweet monk fruit in place of the sugar called for in a recipe it is a noticeably different taste. So, I figure half the amount of sugar is better than all!

In another bowl you will mix eggs, orange juice, avocado or vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Then, stir in sugar mixture and finally, flour mixture. Do not over mix. Fold in chopped cranberries and your ready to pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake!

Pictured below you can see I topped this loaf with sugared cranberries! It actually works better if you add these in the end, after you have let it cool and iced it!

Simply roll frozen cranberries in sugar! Sugar won’t stick to fresh cranberries, but you throw them in the freezer and troll them once frozen!

Finally, bake and let it cool before you frost it. The frosting I make is very simple! Powdered sugar and fresh orange juice! I like it thick, but you make it however you prefer! After frosting it you can top with orange zest and sugared cranberries!

Cranberry Orange Loaf with sugared cranberries!

Gluten free and dairy free Cranberry Orange Loaf.

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Cranberry Orange Loaf

This festive cranberry orange loaf will please everyone! It is so delicious and it's gluten and dairy free!

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Ingredients

2 cups gluten free flour blend or all purpose
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar or sugar substitute
1 zest of one orange
½ cup dairy free buttermilk homemade or regular
½ cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups roughly chopped fresh cranberries
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼-¾ cups fresh squeezed orange juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a loaf pan.
First start by sifting your flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl stir together the sugar and zest of an orange. Mix well and set aside.
Next mix together buttermilk, eggs, oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and avocado oil. Add flour mixture and sugar mixture being careful not to over mix! Fold in cranberries. Pour into laof pan and bake until lightly golden on top. About 60-75 minutes
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes or so. Mix powdered sugar and orange juice to make frosting. I prefer it to be very thick for this recipe. Make it thinner if you like!
Once the loaf is removed from pan, let cool completley before frosting. For sugared cranberries roll frozen cranberries in sugar. After frosting loaf, top with additional orange zest and sugared cranberries! Slice and serve!