This orange bread recipe is divine! The bread is easy to make, fragrant, moist, and bright. Make this recipe in about 45 minutes start to finish and enjoy this delicious citrus treat! Let me show you just how to do it!
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is easy, fast, and delicious! It satisfies your sweet tooth with its moist cake-like bread and addicting orange glaze. With quick breads there is no waiting for your bread to rise, you just mix the batter and bake! This orange loaf will not disappoint!
What is a quick bread?
This delicious orange bread is quick bread. I am a HUGE fan of quick breads. Particularly red velvet, banana and zucchini. What is a quick bread you ask?
- Quick bread is any bread leavened without yeast.
- Quick bread can be prepared quickly without a rising period.
- Quick bread can be made easily by even the greenest of bakers.
About The Ingredients
The ingredient list for this bread is simple. You can find all of the ingredients at your local grocery store. Here are a few items to note:
- Naval oranges - I prefer to use naval oranges in this recipe rather than the popular clementine varieties. The naval oranges are larger and have the quintessential orange flavor. We use oranges in the batter and the glaze.
- Sour cream - including sour cream in your quick breads make them moist. I like to use the full fat version, but you can use low fat or non fat if you prefer.
- Powdered sugar - sometimes called confectioners sugar. This is used in the glazed for the bread. Make sure it is powdery and not clumpy.
A complete list of ingredients can be located in the recipe card below.
How To Make Double Orange Bread
Let's look at how simple this orange bread is to make. To get started, gather all your ingredients, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
The Batter
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup sugar and oil.
2. Cream together with a hand or stand mixer.
3. Add an egg to the batter and sour cream.
4. Zest 2 oranges and add it to your batter.
Pro Tip - Use a microplane zester to zest your orange. This tool works quickly and easily. When zesting an orange remove only the orange part. The white part beneath the orange (called the pith) is bitter. So work carefully to just remove the orange rind.
5. Juice 2 oranges (about half a cup freshly squeezed orange juice) and add it to your batter.
6. Mix until well combined using a hand or stand mixer.
7. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (all purpose flour, salt, and baking soda) and add to your wet mixture.
8. Mix until well combined.
Pro Tip: Press and roll the orange over your kitchen counter before squeezing it. The pressure of rolling it breaks down the cell walls of the fruit, making it easier for the juice to flow out. You can also try heat your orange in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.
9. Divide evenly between 4 (5 inch) mini loaf pans. Fill each about ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Pro Tip: To test for doneness of a quick bread, insert a wooden toothpick into center of the orange loaf cake. If the toothpick comes out clean the quick bread is done. You can also gently touch the top of the bread. If it springs back, it is done. If it leaves and indent, it needs more time. Alternately, you can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. The center should be 210 degrees when it is cooked thru.
The Glaze
10. Prepare the glaze by adding powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl.
11. Juice 2 oranges (about half a cup orange juice) and add it to the powdered sugar.
12. Zest 2 oranges and add it to your powdered sugar.
13. Mix powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest together with a hand or stand mixer.
14. Dip the top of cooked moist orange loaf into the orange icing. Let dry for 20 minutes and dip again, if desired.
Give To Others
Once these loaves are cool you will have more than enough to share the love. These are the perfect gift for neighbors or friends. Also, these orange loaves are freezer friendly. Wrap with parchment paper and place in a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Orange Bread FAQs
Salt does a few things in bread. In a quick bread, the salt activates the baking soda or baking powder - helping the orange cake rise. Salt also works to tighten the gluten strands that are formed in bread, and make them stronger.
This orange bread will stay fresh for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze them. Wrap with parchment paper and place in a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes - for muffins, add ½ cup of batter to a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. For a full sized loaf, add batter to a 9 inch loaf tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
Expert Tips
Orange Tips:
- Zesting: Use a microplane zester to zest your fresh orange. This tool works quickly and easily. When zesting an orange remove only the orange part. The white part beneath the orange (called the pith) is bitter. So work carefully to just remove the orange rind.
- Juicing: Press and roll the orange over your kitchen counter before squeezing it. The pressure of rolling it breaks down the cell walls of the fruit, making it easier for the juice to flow out. You can also try heat your orange in the microwave for 10-20 seconds - this will help it release more fresh orange juice.
Quick Bread Baking Tips:
- Testing for doneness: While baking time is a guide, to test for doneness of sweet orange bread, insert a wooden toothpick into center of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean the quick bread is done. You can also gently touch the top of the bread. If it springs back, it is done. If it leaves and indent, it needs more time. Alternately, you can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. The center should be 210 degrees when it is cooked thru.
Other Quick Bread Recipes You May Enjoy
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Double Orange Bread
Equipment
- Mini Loaf Pans
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- juice from 2 oranges (about ½ cup)
- zest from 2 oranges
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 egg
Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- juice from 2 oranges (about ½ cup)
- zest from 2 oranges
Instructions
- Prep: To get started, gather all your ingredients, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
The Batter
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup sugar and oil.
- Cream together with a hand or stand mixer.
- Add an egg to the batter and sour cream.
- Zest 2 oranges and add it to your batter.
- Juice 2 oranges (about half a cup freshly squeezed orange juice) and add it to your batter.
- Mix until well combined using a hand or stand mixer.
- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (all purpose flour, salt, and baking soda) and add to your wet mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Divide evenly between 4 (5 inch) mini loaf pans. Fill each about ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
The Glaze
- Prepare the glaze by adding powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl.
- Juice 2 oranges (about half a cup orange juice) and add it to the powdered sugar.
- Zest 2 oranges and add it to your powdered sugar.
- Mix powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest together with a hand or stand mixer.
- Dip the top of cooked moist orange loaf into the orange icing. Let dry for 20 minutes and dip again, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Zesting: Use a microplane zester to zest your fresh orange. This tool works quickly and easily. When zesting an orange remove only the orange part. The white part beneath the orange (called the pith) is bitter. So work carefully to just remove the orange rind.
- Juicing: Press and roll the orange over your kitchen counter before squeezing it. The pressure of rolling it breaks down the cell walls of the fruit, making it easier for the juice to flow out. You can also try heat your orange in the microwave for 10-20 seconds - this will help it release more fresh orange juice.
- Testing for doneness: While baking time is a guide, to test for doneness of sweet orange bread, insert a wooden toothpick into center of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out clean the quick bread is done. You can also gently touch the top of the bread. If it springs back, it is done. If it leaves and indent, it needs more time. Alternately, you can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. The center should be 210 degrees when it is cooked thru.
Carmen says
This bread is very moist, but doesn't taste very orangey. I even added 1/4 tsp orange extract and doubled the zest.
I didn't see where the salt should be added and in The Batter description, it says mix sugar and oil in Step 1, but Step 7 says add dry ingredients and you mention sugar again. In the black box recipe instructions, they're a bit different. The sides were very brown and I noticed your loan's outer part was very dark as well. How can I avoid that? I did tent the top so that wouldn't brown as much.
Kadee says
I find the bread to be very fragrant and orangey. I always use naval oranges and get ice flavor from that. Everyone has different tastes and preferences though. I also love the orange glaze - it’s my favorite part of the recipe.
Thanks for catching my recipe typos. I’ll fix them up.
It is normal for bread to have a crust. To make the crust softer you can make smaller loaves. Or you can make the into muffins. The shorter the bake time, the less chance of a crust on your bread.
Carmen says
I'm going to try this again, but noticed there are still two methods. Which one is correct. I know there are different methods for mixing quick breads and the method with "batter" still isn't corrected. Thanks.
Kadee says
In the body of the blog post we try to go into a bit more detail in the steps, and I left simplified instructions in the recipe card. The only difference was a typo saying sugar in the dry ingredients instead of salt. I've gone ahead and just moved the more detailed instructions to the recipe card so there isn't any confusion. Please excuse the delay - I have been out of town without my computer.
Harold A Webb says
I made this for my family to try. We loved it so much that they all want it more and more. My S-I-L even said this is what she wanted for her birthday. A HUGE hit.
Poolchick says
The instructions didn't mention the vanilla extract and unfortunately I didn't realize I omitted it after the breads were already baking in the oven. Hopefully it will still taste okay 😠
Kadee says
I’ll fix that up. They will be delicious without it! It’s all about the orange!
Annette says
Just made this recipe and I love it. It's delicious. Was so good that I ran to the store to pick up more sour cream and oranges while it was cooling down so I could make more!
Jeannie says
The flavour and texture are incredible. I added some dehydrated cranberries which gave it a bit of zip. Will add a smidge of orange liqueur next time.
I’m thinking of doing the lemon substitution and compare.
Thanks.
Cindy says
Found this to be a great discovery, especially since we have several orange trees and are always looking for ways to use the fruit they produce. Making mini loaves this Christmas for our friends and family using this recipe was a wonderful alternative to cookies or other baked goods.
Tomye High says
I had to cook it longer because of so much liquid but it was the most MOIST best tasting orange bread ever made!
Ludmilla says
Very disappointed with the recipe.
Kadee says
Would love some feedback and what you did not enjoy. This recipe receives wonderful reviews and is a favorite of ours. I would love to help you if you have questions.
Renee says
You should probably include an approximate amount of orange juice you should get. I had bigger oranges. It took quite a bit longer to bake because of the extra liquid, and two cups of powdered sugar didn't even turn the glaze cloudy. I didn't realize until after I was going back through the recipe because they didn't turn out that great, that your oranges are much smaller than mine.
Kadee says
Thanks for that recommendation - I'll adjust the recipe, and I hope you'll try again.
Samantha says
I made this recipe tonight, and it was perfect!!! It cooked through without drying along the edges, which is always my issue! Will be making for family and friends for Christmas!!
Kadee says
Im so glad you enjoyed them!
Bob Wright says
1. I think you mean zesting an orange, not "testing" an orange.
2. Under ingredients, you list "zest from 2 oranges" twice. Isn't one enough. :-)
3. Mini-loaf pans seem to come in different sizes. What size do you recomend?
Kadee says
Hi Bob,
Thanks for you comment. I did indeed mean "zesting: an orange. Autocorrect is awesome sometimes, and proofreading isn't always foolproof. I recommend the zest from 2 oranges in this recipe because when I was recipe testing I felt that the zest from 1 didn't give the intense orange flavor I was looking for. You're welcome to just use the zest of 1 if that if what you prefer, but my recipe calls for 2. :). I've adjusted the recipe to reflect the mini loaf pan size of a 5 inch pan. Mine are between 4.5 and 5 inch. Best.
Kadee
Addy says
I think she wrote it that way as there is zest from 2 oranges in the loaf AND in the glaze. If she only wrote it once I think I may have caused more confusion as people might've wondered “does the zest go in the loaf or in the glaze”.
She did write that she used four 5” loaf pans.
My mini loaf pan has eight sections. Any recipe I find, I just make as directed and fill each ‘cavity’ about 3/4 full.
If it makes five great, if it makes 8, even better! Lol
Happy baking.
Heather M Lynch says
Is it baking powder or baking soda? The ingredients list doesn't match tje the directions
Kadee says
Its baking soda. Thanks for catching that - I'll fix it up.
Toby Suzanne says
I will make this tomorrow. We were gifted with several pounds of oranges. My mom is elderly and has a mild amount of diabetes. I will use whole grain flour, add walnuts, and use about 1/3 cup of honey or maybe some coconut sugar in the volume in the recipe. For the glaze I may use some swerve or maybe just a little honey mixed with orange juice. I may also use plain yogurt instead of sour cream... not sure if I have yogurt. Will these things work? What about putting in some cranberries? How about tiny chunks of orange without the skins on?
Kadee says
I have not tried these variations - so I can not confidently say that they would work or would not work. However coconut sugar has the same amount of carbohydrates as regular sugar - so it would have the same affect on blood sugar. Using honey would alter the moisture content of the recipe so it may not come out the same consistency. The same goes for adding in fruits like orange chunks. This would affect the moisture ratio of the recipe.
You could definitely sub Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
That’s the fun thing about cooking - you can experiment and see what you like.
ANgie says
I’m not seeing the correction of adding vanilla. How much do we add? I would like to make these. Thanks very much!
Kadee says
Hi Angie, I've corrected the recipe card. Add 1 tsp vanilla to your wet ingredients.
Pam Long says
I have made your recipe numerous times and everyone LOVES it!!
My question is - can lemon zest & juice be substituted for the orange?
Thanks - Pam
Kadee says
Hey Pam, I'm so glad you liked it. And yes! You can sub lemon. That would be delicious!
Ann Marie says
The picture of ingredients shows vanilla extract, but it is not in the recipe. Is this an error? Zest from two oranges is listed twice. Is one of these supposed to be the vanilla extract? How much?
Kadee says
Yes - vanilla should be in the recipe. I'll correct it.
MARES says
I am assuming if you freeze the loaves it's without the glaze. I made these twice. The first time I forgot the canola oil and they were great! I also added a little orange liqueur and reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup.
Erin V says
I am in awe that I just made this d e l i c i o u s orangy thing- we all loved it
Emily Kemp says
These look so delicious, perfect with a cup of coffee!
Cheryl MCormack says
2/4 teaspoon salt??
Kadee says
That would be 1/4. I've corrected the recipes card.