Trendy Spiced Cranberry & Orange Loaf Cake
This isn't your grandma's dense fruitcake! This modern take is a moist, tender loaf cake bursting with festive flavors of tart cranberries, bright orange zest, and warming winter spices. Topped with a glistening orange glaze, it's elegant, easy to slice, and perfect for gifting or a holiday brunch. "Loaf cakes" are trendy, easy to make, transport well, and this flavor profile is fresh and festive without being overly heavy like traditional fruitcake.
Ingrédients
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
- Fold In: Gently fold in the cranberries and orange zest.
- Bake: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool & Glaze: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, whisk powdered sugar and orange juice for the glaze. Pour glaze over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.
