Cranberry Orange Yogurt Loaf

Saturday, November 03, 2018


Always one to fall for fall baking, I had a constant supply of fresh cranberries and oranges at hand. Hello again cranberry orange scones, cranberry orange muffins and surely cranberry orange bundt cake. This time though, it was the S.O. who wanted something to share at work, and a loaf, sliced and individually wrapped would be ideal.

Surely two is better than one, and so it came to be. One to give away. And one for home. And you really don't have to feel compelled to finish it at a sitting or two. I simply slice, wrap each individually and freeze. Oh, who am I kidding? More often than not, the slices destined for the freezer find their way to backpacks and lunch boxes to be consumed when the kids pull their 10 to 12 hour days.



This loaf is all maxed out on flavour: zest of two oranges, then an orange syrup and an orange glaze? Woohoo! But I suppose it's the yogurt that brings out it's best. It provides a rich and dense texture, lends a slight tang, and makes it a filling bite.

One begs to find out the difference between a cranberry orange bread recipe and a cranberry orange loaf. I suppose a bread is technically a loaf, but not vice versa. My cranberry orange bread is more light, more airy, and a slice may not suffice. This loaf, on the other hand, is a hearty treat. It's for when you have to rush out the door without breakfast, when you have your mid afternoon slump, and for ravenous kids any time of day. The bread I will have with tea, this loaf shall be enjoyed with a strong Americano.



This recipe makes one loaf of 8 hearty slices.


Ingredients:

Loaf:
180 g (1-1/2 cups) all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
240 ml (1 cup yogurt)
120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Zest of 2 large oranges (the slicing variety: Navel, Sunkist)
1 tsp vanilla extract or Grand Marnier
150 g (1-1/2 cup) fresh cranberries
2 tbsp all purpose flour

Orange syrup:
80 ml (1/3 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice, strained
65 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar

Orange glaze:
125 g (1 cup) icing sugar, sifted
30 ml (2 tbsp) freshly squeezed orange juice, strained
1/2 tsp Grand Marnier (optional)


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
2. Butter and flour a 9x5 inch loaf tin.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla extract.
5. In a small bowl, toss the fresh cranberries with the flour.
6. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients bowl, mixing until just combined.
7. Gently fold in the cranberries.
8. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
9. Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden on top and the sides have pulled away from the pan. Don't forget the skewer test.

While the loaf is baking, prepare the syrup:
10. In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice and sugar, and cook until it boils. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes until just slightly reduced.
11. Let cool before using.

12. When the loaf is ready, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it on to a cooling rack.
13. Brush the top and sides of the cooled loaf with the syrup, repeating until you have used up all the syrup. Let the loaf rest a few minutes between applications to absorb all that syrup.
After 15-20 minutes, the loaf is ready to be glazed.

14. In a medium bowl, whisk the icing sugar with the orange juice and Grand Marnier, adding a bit of either icing sugar or juice to come to a pourable consistency.
15. Drizzle and drip to a dramatic finish.

Now where's that Americano?


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