IT IS CHRISTMAS NEXT WEEK. GET EXCITED. Stick on your favourite Christmas song, get the wine mulling and tuck in to some form of festive sandwich from your local convenience store. Better yet, make one a Cranberry and Orange Loaf. I love this recipe and make it every year, several times, yet somehow I managed to not write it up last year. I think it was because it’s something I usually make to gift to people or to take places. Which means I never get a chance to actually photograph it.
Speaking of gifts. This is actually the prize from my Mystery Cake Box giveaway I ran in November. So congratulations to the winners and I hope you enjoy the cakes. I may well be sending a few of these in the direction of some friends if I’ve got time this week so keep an eye on the postie.
It contains nuts, usually walnuts but I’ve made it with pine nuts for a nut allergy fearing mother before now. The crunch that gets added from the nuts and the extra flavour is a great addition. I have tried a recipe that replaces the Orange with Orange Juice and I have to say, it was much too orangey for me and a bit too sharp. This is a much preferred method and I thought I’d lost the recipe a couple of years ago but managed to dig it back up. It’s one of the few that I have on a scrap of paper that has somehow survived a few years.
It’s something I usually bake in batches of 2-3 as well. Which you will see below as this recipe makes 2 loaves. The only really time consuming bit is halving all of the Cranberries.
- 510g Flour
- 400g Sugar
- 3tsp Baking Powder
- Couple of pinches of Salt
- Juice and Zest of two large Oranges
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 100g Walnuts, chopped
- 300g Fresh Cranberries, halved.
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan assisted) and grease/line two loaf tins.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of your mixer, add the zest.
- In a measuring jug combine the butter, juice and eggs. Add enough water to the jug to make it about 350ml.
- Pour into the dry and mix at a medium to low speed until just combined.
- Add in the cranberries and walnuts and mix again.
- It makes a very thick gloopy batter. Divide this up evenly between the two prepared tins and place on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf will come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to set in the tin for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool
I can confirm that this is delicious. Made the mistake of having it delivered to my work though, so most of it is gone. Pfft.
Oh wonderful! So glad it arrived. Shame you had to share. I’m glad you liked it though!