Orange Bread
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A slice of orange bread is the perfect treat for breakfast or coffee break. Delicious on its own but addictive with a generous layer of butter and your favorite jam!
This orange bread is a yeast-free loaf which means there is no kneading nor proofing required. So if you are looking for a hassle-free citrusy sweet bread recipe, this is it.
My other favorite citrus bread recipe is lemon lavender loaf. If you top it with candied lemon slices it would make a great gift for the Holidays.
Other tasty quick bread recipes include honey cranberry bread or poppy seed banana bread. They too have easy preparation with no kneading required.
How to make orange bread
Get a large bowl and beat the eggs with sugar until pale. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Once done, add in zest from one orange, orange juice and butter.
Give it a quick mix. Use a spatula at this stage as using an electric mixer would turn messy. It only needs a quick stir.
When done, add flour and baking powder. Now it’s important that these two have been sifted and mixed together beforehand.
Now give everything a mix with the electric mixer until all ingredients are well combined and form thick-ish batter.
Pour this into a loaf tin that you have lined with baking parchment.
Baking this orange loaf cake takes about 1 hour. To make sure this orange bread is ready just insert a wooden skewer or toothpick inside and when it comes out clean you can take it out.
Extra tips
- If you want to gift this orange bread to your loved ones, go the extra step and garnish the top with candied orange slices. Dipped in chocolate or sugar they are the perfect topping for this tasty bread.
- To check for doneness always insert the wooden skewer/toothpick in the middle of the loaf as it can be done around the edges while still raw in the middle.
- Note that the baking time may slightly vary depending on the type of oven you have.
- Because you are using zest from the orange I recommend buying organic oranges.
- Try adding finely chopped candied orange peel to the batter for the extra citrusy flavor and different texture.
This orange bread recipe is based on a recipe from an old cook book called Bread, Cakes & Biscuits by Mary Norwak. I made some changes to the original recipe. Reducing the amount of sugar was one of them as the original orange bread was way too sweet to my liking.
My version has just the right amount of sugar in it. I think it’s better adding more sweetness by spreading it with honey or jam rather than having a loaf that is way too sweet on its own.
This is an old post that has been updated with new photos and more detailed instructions and tips as well as recipe card with measurements in cups and grams.
Want to see how to make orange bread? Watch the video!
Orange Bread
Ingredients
- 2 eggs (small-medium)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (5.3 ounces/150 grams)
- orange zest (from 1 orange)
- 3 oranges , juice only (see note 2)
- 1 stick unsalted butter , softened (4 ounces/110 grams)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (10.6 ounces/300 grams)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the eggs with sugar until smooth and pale.
- Add orange zest, freshly squeezed orange juice and softened butter. Mix with the electric mixer.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder (mix these two ingredients beforehand) and mix well with the mixer. Pour the batter into a loaf tin (10×4 inch/25×10 cm) lined with baking paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F/190°C for 1 hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- When ready, take out from the oven and pour some more orange juice over the loaf. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before transferring onto a wired rack. Let cool completely.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour (US) = Plain flour (UK).
- You will need to get ½ cup (120 ml) of orange juice for the batter + about ¼ cup (60 ml) for pouring over the baked bread. 3 medium oranges (150 grams each) should be plenty but if you have oranges that are rather dry on the inside you might need one extra.
- The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
- For more tips I recommend reading also the text above the recipe card.
It was really easy to make
Thanks a lot for your comment and rating, Joyce!
Can I double or triple this recipe?
I have not tried it so not sure.
I have celiac. Can I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 baking flour instead as well as GF baking powder? TYIA
I don’t have experience with gluten-free products so not sure if they work exactly the same or if they react with the rest of the ingredients the same way. Sorry, for not being help, Linda.
Hi, what’s the best way to juice an orange? Blend and sieve or use an orange squeezer?
Hi Crystal. I would choose the orange squeezer.
First time making orange bread but also had 3 bananas to use up. I had fresh grapefruit and bottled orange juice, so I used the grapefruit zest instead. Since I added the bananas I increased to 3 cups flour, 3 eggs and 4 tsps baking powder. Then split the batter into two loaf pans and baked for 45 minutes.
Turned out delicious! Next time I will add candied citrus peel and walnuts too.
Made it on a cold winter day. Was so good. I did an orange glaze on mine. Family loved it
Thanks for your feedback and rating!
I followed the directions exactly and my bread sunk in the middle. It seemed strange to me to cream the eggs and sugar, then add the juice, zest, and butter. Should I have added the butter first and creamed it into the eggs and sugar mixture, then add the juice and zest? The bread smells great and hopefully I can fix it next time.
Hi Kelly. The instructions are correct. Eggs and sugar are often creamed in many European baked recipes. I have made this bread several times but never had a problem with the top sinking. Try baking it for longer in the oven. Make sure the ingredients are measured correctly. It could also happen when the baking powder is too old or expired. Hope this helps!
I have made this 3 times, and the middle has sunk every time. Today, I made sure to beat the eggs and sugar for 2 – 3 minutes until pale yellow and used brand new baking powder that I just bought (but tested anyway to make sure it was fresh because I really wanted this loaf to turn out). No luck. It sank again.
Kathy, I am sorry to hear that. I am not sure what to say. It has never happened to me. Can I ask what measurements are you using and where are you based? I will try to troubleshoot the recipe.
You can get more juice from an orange if you microwave it for a few seconds first
Great tip, Lynda!
Making this recipe for the third time right now. There are so few orange bread recipes to follow. This one is a perfect baseline from which to deviate. In general myself and friends prefer our sweets to be less sweet, so I reduce the sugar to only 1/2 cup, add 1 TSP of salt and increase the Orange Zest to all 3 Oranges. The first time I made the bread I added 1 Cup of chopped Candied Orange Peel. It was amazing. Next time was 1 Cup of chopped Candied Orange Peel and 1 Cup of chopped Pecans. Again amazing. The third attempt is with the chopped Orange Peel, Chopped Pecans and now 1 Cup of frozen Cranberries. What an amazing base recipe to follow. Thank you.
Thanks so much for your feedback and possible variations of the recipe!
Can this be frozen. I still have oranges on my tree and would like to make this recipe for holiday gifts.
I have never tried but I would not recommend freezing these and then gifting to others. Best enjoyed fresh!
I was so excited to make this recipe!, It was just what I’ve been craving this spring. I messed up. The middle of my bread sunk!! I won’t give up, it tasted great and I will try again. I think too much liquid?? I Tried honey in it, a no no I think.
I am sorry to hear that, Kelly S. Baking can be tricky especially when substituting some ingredients. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s important to cream the eggs with regular sugar. Please to let us know how it turned out for you if you try again. Happy Baking!
Can you use bottled orange juice instead of squeezing oranges?
Yes, you can but I highly recommend using good quality juice, preferably with no sugar added.
Delicious! As another person commented the butter did not incorporate well. Because the butter was added with liquids it seemed to form small balls. Is there a technique I should know about?
Thanks for your feedback, Lori Ann. I have not have such problem but this can be due to the butter still not soft enough. You can soften it more in the microwave but don’t over-do it. If worried, you can also use an electric whisk (instead of the spatula) at this stage for a lump-free outcome. Hope this helps!
There’s a pic showing poured orange juice over the top after baking? I don’t see anything about that in the directions?
Looks delicious!
Hi Gayle, it is written under step 6 and also mentioned in note 2.
This loaf tastes like one my Nonna would make. My dad almost cried when he tried it (it’d been about 8 years since she passed). I’ve made it several times. The only issue I have is with the butter! I can never get it to mix in when it’s only softened, so I usually stick it in the microwave until it’s almost melted. I also use 2 large eggs, because I’ve never seen small or medium in any store. Either way, great loaf!
Hi Alessandra. Thanks so much for your feedback. In my corner of the world they sell eggs of all sizes and I sometimes prefer the smaller ones in baking to avoid eggy flavor. However, if the large ones work for you then great! Happy Baking!
Has anyone tried making this same recipe in the form of cupcakes. I would love to try it.
Why did my loaf fall in center about 5 min before done in oven. I did not open door to oven prior. I followed recipe. I have no idea why. I have not ever had this happen with any bread loaves like banana bread etc.
Hi Tammy. Sorry to hear that. I am not sure why that happened. Did you use the right size of tin? Maybe you overmixed the batter?
I made this recipe exactly as provided with the exception of using bottled orange juice instead of freshly squeezed. The cake has a wonderful flavor which is definitely enhanced by spreading butter on it. The only change I would incorporate the next time I make it is to decrease the sugar even futher due to personal preference.
Thanks for your feedback, Lucia! Happy Baking!
This recipe sounded wonderful.. I followed it exactly as written. But like others commented it fell after I set it out to cool. And I know my ingredients are fresh, I just replenished them. At least all the fresh oranges I squeezed made the kitchen smell good.
Hi Beckie. I am sorry to hear that. I would like to help you troubleshoot but would need more details. Did you use cup measurements or grams? Was your oven preheated? What pan did you use for baking? Was it the same as stated in the recipe or different? There are many things that can affect the baking process. Hope this will not discourage you from trying more. Happy Baking!
Was wondering if this recipe would work with mandarins instead of oranges?
I haven’t tried but I don’t see why not! Happy Baking!