White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Bread
Soft, tender bread with the winning flavors of cranberry, orange, and white chocolate. Inspired by Cranberry Bliss Bars, this bread really is blissfully delicious! Perfect for a winter brunch or to go with your coffee on a cozy morning.
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I’ve been on a white chocolate cranberry orange kick the last few winters. There’s something about that flavor combination that’s just so good! And this bread is evidence of that. Tart and sweet and citrusy. It goes perfectly with coffee or tea, particularly on a cozy morning when it’s cold outside.
And the texture. It’s soooooo hard to get a good photo of bread that doesn’t look weird or grainy, but I promise you this bread is moist and flavorful with the perfect crumb. It’s not dry or doughy, so if you prefer more of a sliced bread texture to your fancy breads, this isn’t it. It’s more like loaf bread meets cake.
And it’s soooooo good.
Why this recipe works
The use of butter, oil, and yogurt all help to give this bread a tender crumb while keeping it moist. Oil tends to keep things nice and moist but can lead to dense baked goods. Butter is the opposite, giving a fluffy texture that can dry out within a day. Using both ensures you get the best of both worlds. And the yogurt as well helps keep this bread nice and moist. Finally, I use a bit of brown sugar, which helps maintain moisture better than all white sugar.
Additionally, the flavor combination is balanced in the bread itself by orange juice and zest along with some white chocolate chips and chopped cranberries. Then, it’s topped with white chocolate ganache, more chopped cranberries, and chopped candied orange slices. This topping heightens the flavor, adds more texture, and helps keep the bread moist for several days.
Key ingredients
Flour. Always spoon then level (or weigh) your flour.
Baking powder. Helps create a soft, tender crumb.
Salt. Sea salt is ideal!
Full fat Greek yogurt. Can sup sour cream. Be sure to let it come to room temperature.
Orange juice and zest. I suggest zesting and juicing 2 large oranges for this.
Vanilla and orange extracts. Both are optional, but they add depth to the flavor.
Eggs. Be sure these are fresh and at room temperature.
Oil. I prefer avocado or grape seed oil, for health, but vegetable or canola will work, too.
Melted butter. Be sure it’s cooled slightly before using.
Sugar and brown sugar. The combination helps the bread rise while also retaining moisture.
Chopped dried cranberries. Use a very sharp knife and work in small batches to chop these—they’ll stick to the knife otherwise.
White chocolate. Use high quality, so it melts well.
Candied oranges. You can make these or buy them.
Heavy whipping cream. This helps thin out the ganache so it spreads easily on top.
How to make white chocolate cranberry orange bread
1. Sift and whisk the dry ingredients.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients, except for the butter.
3. Slowly whisk in the butter.
4. Whisk in the sugars.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients until mostly mixed. Contrary to what some people say, folding isn’t hard! Just run the spatula along the edge then bring it back into the middle once you’ve gone all the way around the bowl, being sure to get the bottom at some point. Leave a few streaks of flour, to be folded in during the next step.
6. Fold in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. This will incorporate the remaining flour.
7. Bake. Tent with foil about halfway through.
8. Melt white chocolate and cream. I suggest heating the cream in a double boiler (or heatproof bowl over 2” simmering water on low), then adding the white chocolate slowly once the cream is steaming. This prevents seizing.
9. Drizzle on bread and sprinkle with cranberries and oranges. Do this once the bread is mostly cooled, about an hour after it’s out of the oven. Do not slice until cooled!
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s about this recipe
Let cool completely before slicing
If you slice it while it’s still warm, it will end up being dense and chewy (not in a good way). Usually, you want to serve breads warm, but this one is served best fully cooled so that the bread has set and doesn’t become tough.
Spoon then level the flour
It’s important to be careful in how you measure flour. I never, never knew this until in my 30’s. Flour is basically the opposite of brown sugar. Instead of packing it in like brown sugar, you want to gently spoon flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Or, you can weigh it to ensure you don’t have too much. Either way, be sure to sift it so your bread is tender.
Why does my white chocolate not look like a glaze?
If you heat the cream and white chocolate together, there’s a good chance they are heating up at different speeds, which can cause the ganache to seize. Heating the cream first then slowly stirring in the white chocolate ensures you get a nice, smooth glaze and not a clumped up mess.
How do I chop cranberries without going crazy?
You don’t. Haha, just kidding. You need a very, very sharp knife (I have a Shun that I use for these). You also want to work in small batches to make it more manageable.
Can I use a 9x5 pan?
Yes! This also works in a 9x5 pan, but may be a little shorter. You can increase the recipe by 50% (or multiply each ingredient by 1.5) to get a full-to-the-top 9x5 loaf. That would equate to the following amounts (the topping will stay the same amount):
2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (315g) all-purpose flour, spooned then leveled
3 teaspoons (15g) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (4g) salt
1 cup (325g) whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream
½ cup (115g) orange juice
1 ½ tablespoons (19g) pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon (4g) orange extract (optional)
3 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons (84g) avocado or vegetable oil
6 tablespoons (84g) melted butter
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150g) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (12g) grated orange zest
½ cup (65g) dried cranberries, finely chopped
¾ cup (127g) white baking chocolate
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this bread. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy dessert)
White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Bread
- prep time: 20-25 minutes
- bake time: 45-50 minutes
- total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
servings: 8-12
Ingredients:
for the bread
- 1 ¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- ⅔ cup (150g) whole fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ⅓ cup (77g) orange juice, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (3g) orange extract (optional)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56g) avocado or vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons (56g) melted butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
- 2 tablespoons (12g) grated orange zest
- ⅓ cup (40g) dried cranberries, finely chopped
- ½ cup (85g) white baking chocolate
for the topping
- ½ cup (116g) heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounces (170g) white baking chocolate, chopped (or 1 cup white chocolate chips)*
- ⅛ cup (20g) dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 1-2 candied orange slices (homemade or store bought), finely chopped
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350F/175C. Grease and flour an 8x4 loaf pan (see note below for making in a 9x5 pan). If it’s prone to sticking, you can line it with parchment as well.
- Zest then juice your orange(s). Chop your cranberries, working in small amounts and using a very sharp knife.
- Melt the butter and set aside. Don’t let it cool enough to solidify, but do let it cool somewhat before using.
- Using a large fine mesh sieve, sift then whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, Greek yogurt, vanilla, orange extract, eggs, and oil until well combined. Slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking quickly (this prevents scrambling the eggs).
- Add the sugar, brown sugar, and orange zest to the wet ingredients and whisk for about 1 minute. You can whisk it by hand or, if using a stand or hand mixer, mix on medium.
- Add the flour mixture and stir gently until fully combined. I try to mostly fold it in. (If you’re unsure what folding means, you basically run a rubber spatula along the edge an entire turn around the bowl the pull the spatula toward the middle once you’ve come fully around the bowl, “folding” the batter on the edge into the middle part.) It should be somewhat lumpy and still have some dry spots, which will get stirred in during the next step.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped cranberries, mixing just until combined.
- Pour into your prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes (longer if using a 9x5 pan), until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Check early so it doesn’t over bake. If it starts to brown too quickly, tent the pan loosely with foil. Let cool in pan at least 10 minutes. Remove and let cool at least 1 hour (cutting sooner will result in a dense, chewy bread).
- When the bread is cool or close to it, you can make the ganache. Place the heavy cream in a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a pot with 1-2” simmering water, on low). Heat, stirring occasionally, until warm and beginning to steam. Once the cream is warm and letting off some steam, add the white chocolate in, a handful at a time, stirring for about 10 seconds after each addition. This method ensures that the white chocolate doesn’t seize. Once all white chocolate is added, stir until mostly melted. Remove from heat and stir until fully melted, returning to heat for a few seconds if needed to melt fully. Immediately pour over the mostly cooled bread, spreading until even and dripping down some sides.
- Sprinkle with cranberries and orange slices.
Enjoy with your morning coffee!
Store leftovers in an airtight container. They should last 5-7 days, if well-sealed.
*Use less cream (about ⅓ cup or 77g) if you want a thicker ganache that’s more like a frosting.
