Cranberry Ginger Raisin Loaf Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easy removal. Lightly grease the parchment.

Prepare fruit

If using fresh cranberries, sort and rinse them and drain well. Pat dry with a towel. If using frozen, keep them frozen until just before folding in. Zest one orange and measure 1 tablespoon zest. Juice the orange and measure 1/4 cup. Chop candied or crystallized ginger into small pieces if needed. Toss the cranberries, golden raisins, and candied ginger with 1 tablespoon of the flour from the measured dry ingredients (reserve the rest) — this helps prevent them from sinking.

In a large bowl whisk together the remaining all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.

In another large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, melted cooled butter, and vegetable oil until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each until combined. Whisk in the yogurt (or sour cream), milk, vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice until smooth.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Gently fold with a spatula until mostly combined — do not overmix; a few streaks of flour are okay. Fold in the cranberry/raisin/ginger mixture until evenly distributed. If the batter seems very thick, stir in up to 1–2 tablespoons extra milk to reach a thick but pourable loaf-batter consistency.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Brush the top lightly with the 1 teaspoon melted butter and sprinkle the turbinado/coarse sugar evenly over the surface if using. This creates a crunchy top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55–70 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots. The loaf is done when a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter) and the top is deep golden. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10–15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then lift the loaf out using the parchment overhang and transfer to the rack to cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing.

For a simple glaze, whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled loaf and allow to set before slicing.

Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 7 days or slice and freeze up to 3 months (wrap slices individually). Thaw slices at room temperature or toast gently.