Orange Cranberry Butter Loaf Cake

Yield
1 lb loaf or 4 mini (4''x2''x2'') loaves
Prep time
20-30 mins
Cook time
Varies on size
Total time
Varies on size

Bright and flavorful, my Orange Cranberry Butter Loaf Cake is the perfect blend of sweet citrus and tart cranberries. The buttery, tender crumb is from a combination of butter and sour cream. Fresh orange zest and juice add vibrant aroma and flavor, while juicy cranberries provide pops of tartness in every bite. 

You can bake this cake in a single 1-lb loaf pan or mini loaves, which are ideal for gifting. I like using these paper 4x2x2” pans, which I purchased from Amazon (here).

With its fat and sugar content, the cake sticks a little to the paper, but you can peel it off to get a beautiful mini-loaf cake.

Step by step:

coming soon!

Video

Read this before you begin

Measure by weight, if possible.

Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.

In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.

This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.

Use room temperature ingredients.

All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default. 

Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.

I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive. 

A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.

Substitutions are hard.

That’s not to say they’re impossible, though. For instance, in many cases, substituting reduced fat for whole milk (and thus reducing fat by less than 2%) will probably be fine. Using applesauce for oil or even Greek yogurt when sour cream is listed will definitely alter the fat content and adversely affect the crumb texture and density of the cake.

I experiment for hours to get these recipes to work for us. First, try to make them as written or use one of my tested substitutions, which I often dedicate a section to. Then, if necessary, you can make modifications afterward. Even then I would be pretty cautious, as substitutions are one of the hardest things to investigate in recipe development.

Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.

I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.

Orange Cranberry Butter Loaf Cake

Yield
1 lb loaf or 4 mini (4''x2''x2'') loaves
Prep time
20-30 mins
Cook time
Varies on size
Total time
Varies on size

Ingredients

  • 5 g (2 tablespoons) freshly grated orange zest (from one large navel orange)
  • 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar
  • 118 g (½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested orange)
  • 270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter*, softened
  • 50 g (¼ cup) white granulated sugar
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 86 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream, room temperature
  • 110 g (⅔ cup) dried cranberries
  • 1 additional orange for candied orange slices, optional**
  • 5 g (2 tablespoons) freshly grated orange zest (from one large navel orange)
  • 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar
  • 118 g (½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested orange)
  • 270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter*, softened
  • 50 g (¼ cup) white granulated sugar
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 86 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream, room temperature
  • 110 g (⅔ cup) dried cranberries
  • 1 additional orange for candied orange slices, optional**

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven and prepare pan(s).
    Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

    For the large loaf, prepare an 8-inch (also called a 1-lb) loaf pan by creating a parchment sling and apply a liberal coat of baking spray.
    For mini loaves, spray 4 mini loaf pans with baking oil and place them on a sheet pan for easy handling.
  1. Prep components of loaf cake.
    Add the orange zest and 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar to a small bowl—massage with your fingers to release the fragrant citrus oils. Set the bowl aside for now.

    Squeeze all the juice from the zested orange. You need ½ cup of total liquid for the cake but if your orange doesn’t have enough juice, just add water to the juice until you get ½ cup of total liquid. Set that aside for now. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
  1. Make the loaf batter with the prepped components.
    Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl. Add the 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar and mix on medium-high speed for one minute. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and orange zest-sugar mixture and mix for another minute. Stir in the sour cream.

    Alternate adding the flour mixture and orange juice in this order: ⅓ of the flour, ½ of the orange juice, another ⅓ of the flour, the remaining orange juice, and finish with the last ⅓ of the flour.

    Fold in the dried cranberries (and feel free to add a bit more if you want more cranberries) and pour the batter into the prepared pans. The mini pans I've linked will hold around 250-260 grams of batter each.
  2. Bake until the tops are golden brown.
    Bake the 1-lb loaf pan for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or the mini loaves for 45-55 minutes.

    You’ll know they’re done when they have domed and deep golden brown tops. They should have a large crack on the surface. A skewer inserted in the middle will come out greasy with no crumbs. Using a thermometer, aim for centers around 190-200 °F/89-93 °C.

    While the cake is still warm and in the pan, soak the cake(s) with syrup if desired. See the footnotes below.

    Allow the loaves to cool completely before removing them from their pans. The large loaf pan has a sling that can be lifted to remove the large cake. The mini loaves sometimes stick to the paper, so I tend to rip them open on the sides and peel them off the cakes.

Adriana's Notes

*I love cultured butter like Kerrygold Unsalted Butter for this cake. The acidity of the butter enhances that coming from the sour cream to create an intensely buttery and tangy cake.

**While baking cakes, I like to make candied orange slices. Place 50 grams (¼ cup) of sugar and 120 grams (½ cup) of water in a small pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add sliced oranges, peel and all. You can do as thick as you like, but I aim for ⅛-¼ inch slices. Allow the oranges to simmer in the syrup for about 30-45 minutes or until the cake is done baking. If during this process you see the water level is too low, you can add more. When the cakes are done baking and are slightly warm, you can poke holes along the top (using a toothpick) and brush on some of that orange-scented syrup. Once the cakes are done cooling, you can arrange the slices along the top however you like.

  • 5 g (2 tablespoons) freshly grated orange zest (from one large navel orange)
  • 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar
  • 118 g (½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested orange)
  • 270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter*, softened
  • 50 g (¼ cup) white granulated sugar
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 86 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream, room temperature
  • 110 g (⅔ cup) dried cranberries
  • 1 additional orange for candied orange slices, optional**
  • 5 g (2 tablespoons) freshly grated orange zest (from one large navel orange)
  • 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar
  • 118 g (½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested orange)
  • 270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter*, softened
  • 50 g (¼ cup) white granulated sugar
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 86 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream, room temperature
  • 110 g (⅔ cup) dried cranberries
  • 1 additional orange for candied orange slices, optional**
  1. Preheat oven and prepare pan(s).
    Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

    For the large loaf, prepare an 8-inch (also called a 1-lb) loaf pan by creating a parchment sling and apply a liberal coat of baking spray.
    For mini loaves, spray 4 mini loaf pans with baking oil and place them on a sheet pan for easy handling.
  1. Prep components of loaf cake.
    Add the orange zest and 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar to a small bowl—massage with your fingers to release the fragrant citrus oils. Set the bowl aside for now.

    Squeeze all the juice from the zested orange. You need ½ cup of total liquid for the cake but if your orange doesn’t have enough juice, just add water to the juice until you get ½ cup of total liquid. Set that aside for now. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
  1. Make the loaf batter with the prepped components.
    Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl. Add the 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar and mix on medium-high speed for one minute. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and orange zest-sugar mixture and mix for another minute. Stir in the sour cream.

    Alternate adding the flour mixture and orange juice in this order: ⅓ of the flour, ½ of the orange juice, another ⅓ of the flour, the remaining orange juice, and finish with the last ⅓ of the flour.

    Fold in the dried cranberries (and feel free to add a bit more if you want more cranberries) and pour the batter into the prepared pans. The mini pans I've linked will hold around 250-260 grams of batter each.
  2. Bake until the tops are golden brown.
    Bake the 1-lb loaf pan for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or the mini loaves for 45-55 minutes.

    You’ll know they’re done when they have domed and deep golden brown tops. They should have a large crack on the surface. A skewer inserted in the middle will come out greasy with no crumbs. Using a thermometer, aim for centers around 190-200 °F/89-93 °C.

    While the cake is still warm and in the pan, soak the cake(s) with syrup if desired. See the footnotes below.

    Allow the loaves to cool completely before removing them from their pans. The large loaf pan has a sling that can be lifted to remove the large cake. The mini loaves sometimes stick to the paper, so I tend to rip them open on the sides and peel them off the cakes.

Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes

*I love cultured butter like Kerrygold Unsalted Butter for this cake. The acidity of the butter enhances that coming from the sour cream to create an intensely buttery and tangy cake.

**While baking cakes, I like to make candied orange slices. Place 50 grams (¼ cup) of sugar and 120 grams (½ cup) of water in a small pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add sliced oranges, peel and all. You can do as thick as you like, but I aim for ⅛-¼ inch slices. Allow the oranges to simmer in the syrup for about 30-45 minutes or until the cake is done baking. If during this process you see the water level is too low, you can add more. When the cakes are done baking and are slightly warm, you can poke holes along the top (using a toothpick) and brush on some of that orange-scented syrup. Once the cakes are done cooling, you can arrange the slices along the top however you like.

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Orange Cranberry Butter Loaf Cake

Yield
1 lb loaf or 4 mini (4''x2''x2'') loaves
Prep time
20-30 mins
Cook time
Varies on size
Total time
Varies on size

Ingredients

  • 5 g (2 tablespoons) freshly grated orange zest (from one large navel orange)
  • 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar
  • 118 g (½ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested orange)
  • 270 g (2 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour, bleached or unbleached
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter*, softened
  • 50 g (¼ cup) white granulated sugar
  • 2 large (100 g) eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 86 g (6 tablespoons) sour cream, room temperature
  • 110 g (⅔ cup) dried cranberries
  • 1 additional orange for candied orange slices, optional**

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven and prepare pan(s).
    Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

    For the large loaf, prepare an 8-inch (also called a 1-lb) loaf pan by creating a parchment sling and apply a liberal coat of baking spray.
    For mini loaves, spray 4 mini loaf pans with baking oil and place them on a sheet pan for easy handling.
  1. Prep components of loaf cake.
    Add the orange zest and 200 g (1 cup) white granulated sugar to a small bowl—massage with your fingers to release the fragrant citrus oils. Set the bowl aside for now.

    Squeeze all the juice from the zested orange. You need ½ cup of total liquid for the cake but if your orange doesn’t have enough juice, just add water to the juice until you get ½ cup of total liquid. Set that aside for now. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
  1. Make the loaf batter with the prepped components.
    Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl. Add the 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar and mix on medium-high speed for one minute. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, salt, and orange zest-sugar mixture and mix for another minute. Stir in the sour cream.

    Alternate adding the flour mixture and orange juice in this order: ⅓ of the flour, ½ of the orange juice, another ⅓ of the flour, the remaining orange juice, and finish with the last ⅓ of the flour.

    Fold in the dried cranberries (and feel free to add a bit more if you want more cranberries) and pour the batter into the prepared pans. The mini pans I've linked will hold around 250-260 grams of batter each.
  2. Bake until the tops are golden brown.
    Bake the 1-lb loaf pan for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or the mini loaves for 45-55 minutes.

    You’ll know they’re done when they have domed and deep golden brown tops. They should have a large crack on the surface. A skewer inserted in the middle will come out greasy with no crumbs. Using a thermometer, aim for centers around 190-200 °F/89-93 °C.

    While the cake is still warm and in the pan, soak the cake(s) with syrup if desired. See the footnotes below.

    Allow the loaves to cool completely before removing them from their pans. The large loaf pan has a sling that can be lifted to remove the large cake. The mini loaves sometimes stick to the paper, so I tend to rip them open on the sides and peel them off the cakes.