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Orange Bread with Fresh Orange Syrup

Make the most of the citrus season with this crazy delicious and incredibly moist orange bread (thanks to the fresh orange syrup)! It is also really easy to make and uses staple ingredients found in most pantries.

Orange cake soaked with fresh orange syrup

Who doesn’t love a moist, fruity, quick bread? My family certainly does. Banana with streusel topping, blueberry zucchini, pumpkin mango, or strawberry rhubarb, there’s one for almost every season!

But up until now, winter has been very underrepresented. Which is a shame because there is such a wonderful bounty of citrus flavors to enjoy in winter.

I love the bright flavors and colors of citrus. Especially oranges and clementines, which is why this recipe has a full cup of orange juice – not to mention all the zest in the bread and syrup (part of what makes it so incredibly moist)!

Moist orange loaf cake soaked with freshly made orange syrup

Now is the perfect time to make use of all the fresh oranges you can get by baking this bread to brighten up those gray winter days. I bet there is even someone in your neighborhood that is just desperate to give away oranges from their tree.

The Benefits of Fresh Citrus

As well as an amazing flavor, oranges give you a solid dose of vitamin C to boost your immune system and keep away the winter illnesses. Fresh orange juice contains 125mg of vitamin C per cup – about twice the daily intake needed for adults.

So, you should be eating half a loaf of orange bread per day! Just joking. But there are some studies that show drinking orange juice every day increases the level of vitamin C in your blood which is important for your immune and nervous systems. I can’t think of anything better than getting my vitamins in such a tasty way.

Making Orange Bread is Easy

One of the best things about fruit loaves is how simple they are. For this recipe, you need a grand total of 1 bowl, 1 saucepan, and 1 loaf pan. Plus a few utensils of course, but only enough to cause a couple minutes’ worth of dishwashing. Limiting dishwashing is a top priority for me when choosing any recipe!

Pouring fresh orange syrup with zest over an orange loaf

The most advanced skill you need to make this bread is zesting the oranges. That’s it. And there are several ways to do so, depending on the tools you have.

With grater: Using the zesting plane or small holes on a grater – or most ideally, a microplane – you can get nice, small pieces of zest with very little pith. This is perfect for the interior of the bread where large pieces would interrupt that wonderfully moist, melt in your mouth texture.

With a citrus zester: These very specific tools typically have five holes and make beautiful, thin curls of orange zest that are perfect for the syrup and resting on top of the bread. But don’t despair if you don’t have one, you can also make lovely long threads of zest with…

A paring knife: With a small knife you can slice very thin layers of zest from the oranges, trying to get as little of the bitter, white pith as possible. Then each layer can be sliced into thin strands to infuse in the syrup and top the bread with a pile of bright zest for an extra burst of orange flavor.

Slices of incredibly moist orange cake

So what are you waiting for? Use those fresh winter oranges while they are at their best flavor! Make this vibrantly colorful and flavorful orange bread to chase away any winter blues.

Orange Cake with Fresh Orange Syrup

Celebrate the citrus season with this amazing orange loaf! It's soaked with freshly made orange syrup so it is incredibly moist and tender.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 293kcal
Author: Jovita | Yummy Addiction

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Loaf Pan
Hand Mixer
Silicone Spatula

Ingredients

For the bread:

  • 4 oz. (113g) butter , softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • zest from 1 orange
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder

For the orange syrup:

  • zest of 1 orange , thinly sliced (or grated)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

The bread:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat for 1 minute more. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. With a mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the orange juice and beat for 1 more minute. The mixture may appear curdled, but that is OK.
  • Sift in the flour and baking powder, then gently fold them in with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
  • Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

The orange syrup:

  • Put orange zest, water, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until syrup slightly thickens.
  • As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, prick the surface with a thin skewer and pour half the syrup over the top. Allow it to soak in and cool. Take the bread out of the pan and drizzle with remaining syrup.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.9g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 98.8mg | Sodium: 33.4mg | Sugar: 22.2g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 22mg
Nutrition Facts
Orange Cake with Fresh Orange Syrup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293 Calories from Fat 103
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.4g18%
Cholesterol 98.8mg33%
Sodium 33.4mg1%
Carbohydrates 42.9g14%
Sugar 22.2g25%
Protein 5.4g11%
Vitamin A 7IU0%
Vitamin C 22mg27%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

11 Comments

  • Deb Mcgrath
    February 4, 2020 at 11:13 pm

    This was amazing and tastes fresh and wonderful ?5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 9, 2020 at 3:06 pm

      Wow, you are quick, Deb! So happy you liked this citrus bread 🙂

      Reply
  • Shilpa Swamy
    June 1, 2020 at 1:31 am

    How long will this bread last if i freeze it? Just made and it has filled my home with such a beautiful aroma! 🙂

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 23, 2021 at 10:16 am

      You can freeze it for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or container 🙂 But I would skip the syrup part and make it when you will be serving the bread.

      Reply
  • Luciana Chama
    November 19, 2020 at 10:32 pm

    Can I freeze the orange bread? How?

    Reply
    • Jovita
      November 21, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      Hi, Luciana! Yes, you can. But I would skip the syrup part and make the fresh syrup when you will be actually serving the bread. So take it out of the oven, allow to cool completely, and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

      Reply
  • Linda
    December 21, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    Hello, I want to make this for my friends for a Christmas gift in mini loaf pans. How long do you think I should bake? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 23, 2021 at 9:35 am

      Hi, Linda!

      Sorry for such a late reply. I would cut the baking time in half. I would bake for about 25 minutes, then check with a toothpick every five minutes after that.

      Reply
  • Angie Sutton
    March 23, 2021 at 11:50 pm

    Can I make this into cupcakes? If so, baking time? Thank you

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 26, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      Yes, you can. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean 🙂

      Reply
  • Ethel
    March 6, 2023 at 8:29 am

    I’ve made an orange bread for over 50 yrs…with no amounts in the recipe…teacup of sugar.. you get the idea..my recipe puts the syrup in the batter…so slightly different…but delicious..recipe is from my mother in law

    Reply

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