Christmas Cranberry Loaf
When gift giving season rolls around there’s often a sense of panic that comes with it. Who wants what, when are the best sales, and are we forgetting anyone?? While not all shopping can be avoided, I’ve tried my best to shift to homemade gifts when possible and for me that means food. These Christmas Cranberry Loaves are a fan favorite with friends and family alike and make the perfect last minute goodie. Packed with tart cranberries and topped off with a buttery crumble, it’s sure to be love at first bite.
Overall, this recipe is very simple. The batter is mixed together in one bowl and there’s only one step that might trip up a new baker: beating the sugar and eggs. As you’ll see in the recipe, the first step is to beat the duo until they double in size. This step is crucial and will help your loaves rise properly. Don’t skip it!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (8 oz) bag fresh cranberries
CRUMBLE
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- ⅓ cup butter
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and thoroughly grease 2 loaf pans (this can also be made as one very large loaf or in a 9-inch cake pan).
- In a large bowl, add eggs and sugar and beat for 5 minutes, or until the volume of the mixture has nearly doubled (don’t skip this step!).
- Mix in butter, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
- Gently mix in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined, then fold in cranberries.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pans.
- In a small bowl, mix together all topping ingredients until sandy in texture. Sprinkle over loaves.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes for 2 loaves or 60-70 minutes for 1 large loaf. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow loaves to cool before slicing.
