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Citrus Fruit Loaf

This citrus fruit loaf is a cranberry orange bread that's perfect for holiday baking. An easy fruit loaf recipe great for breakfast recipes and gift giving.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. Baking soda
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • 3 Large ripe bananas thoroughly mashed
  • ½ cup Vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup Granulated white sugar
  • 2 Large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tbsp. Fresh orange zest
  • 1 cup Fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup Powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 tbsp. Freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8½×4½-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or line it with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving an inch of overhang on the long sides to act as handles for a clean extraction.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until completely combined and aerated, then set the dry mixture aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, granulated white sugar, large eggs, and fresh orange zest. Whisk vigorously for 1 full minute until the sugar crystals begin to dissolve and the mixture transforms into a smooth, uniform liquid baseline.
  • Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet bowl, switching to a silicone spatula to fold the ingredients together just until the flour lines disappear; avoid over-mixing at this stage, as developing tough gluten networks will ruin the bread's tender, light texture.
  • Gently fold the coarsely chopped fresh cranberries directly into the thick batter until they are evenly speckled throughout.
  • Scrape the heavy banana batter into your prepared loaf pan, using the spatula to smooth the top surface into a flat, level sheet.
  • Place the pan on the middle oven rack and bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes. Watch for the loaf to dome up completely with a central split, checking that a toothpick inserted straight into the center of the crumb comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan flat on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Lift the warm loaf out using the parchment paper handles and place it onto a serving plate.
  • While the loaf rests, prepare the simple citrus glaze. Whisk the sifted powdered sugar and fresh orange juice together in a small bowl until it forms a smooth, pourable consistency. Drizzle the glaze uniformly across the top of the warm bread, allowing the melting sugars to seep deep into the crust before slicing.
Keyword Citrus Fruit Loaf