I made Cranberry Bread last year and while it was good I wanted to try a different recipe this time. This is a really simple recipe to throw together: liquids in one bowl, dry ingredients in the other. Mix those together and then gently add walnuts and cranberries. Voila – you’re ready to put this in the oven!

As a note, anytime a recipe calls for spooning and leveling flour be sure to do it. I used to cut corners and just scoop it out until I realized that you might accidentally be putting in more flour that way, which of course can throw off the recipe.

The only reason this is marked as a 9 in time spent is just because it bakes for a little over an hour. Be sure to pay attention to the temperature change about a third of the way through the entire baking time. I’m not quite sure exactly what this does but I imagine it’s helping even out the baking since the top can often get super crispy and might still not be fully done in the middle. This is an adaptation of a Cooks Illustrated recipe so if you find the recipe in their cookbook I have no doubt they’ll explain why!

I looked at the recipes side by side and noticed the recipe I’m sharing today uses both baking powder and soda; whereas last year’s recipe uses only baking soda. This recipe uses orange juice rather than vegetable oil which also imparts a more orange flavor; something I felt was a little lacking in last year’s recipe. It also calls for cinnamon which adds a little more flavor as well. Last year’s recipe was good (and likely would have been better had I not forgotten the streusel) but in my personal opinion this recipe was more flavorful and will likely become one of my go-to recipe’s. I actually ended up freezing this bread after baking it and ate it a few weeks later and it was still super delicious so that was nice to know as well. I’m sure it would have been even more amazing right out of the oven!

Recipe Used: Once Upon a Chef