Easy Orange Bread Recipe

Two loaves of orange bread garnished with zest.

4.67 from 24 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time27

Resting Time20

Total Time57

Course: bread, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 167kcal

Author: Kadee & Desarae

Equipment

Mini Loaf Pans
hand or stand mixer

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, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix.
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.
Every oven is different so cooking times may vary. Check recipe notes on how to check for doneness.

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

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Notes

- 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 an indent in the top of the loaf, 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.
- Use a Microplane. It's the easiest way to zest your fresh orange. It grates into a super fine consistency so there's no chopping needed, and the orange zest blends right into the batter.

- Avoid Zesting the White Part of the Peel. Called the pith, the white part beneath the orange is bitter and will not taste good in your orange cake. So work carefully to just remove the orange rind.

- Easier 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 so it's easier to juice. Another option is microwaving your orange for 10-20 seconds to help it release more fresh orange juice.

- Avoid Over-Baking. Make sure to check the bread a bit early and remove it as soon as it's done cooking.

- A Tasty Gift. Once these loaves are cool you will have more than enough to share the love. These orange baked goods are the perfect gift for neighbors or friends.

Nutrition