Mom's Cranberry Bread

The Holidays would not be the same without this moist, delicious sweet bread. My mom makes her famous Cranberry Bread every Christmas and shares loaves and loaves with her lucky friends and neighbors. This fluffy bread is full of sweet cranberry sauce swirls and topped with a pecan glazed crust!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: servings (4 mini loaves)

Ingredients

Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 14-oz can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze

¾ cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons warm water
½ teaspoon almond flavoring

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each one. Cream for 3 minutes.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour.
Add the 1 teaspoon of almond flavoring and mix well.
Spray the bread pans with nonstick spray.
Pour the cranberry sauce into a bowl and break up the chunks.
Before assembling the loaves, keep in mind you will be spreading three layers of batter with two layers of cranberry sauce in between. Be sure to reserve enough for each layer as you go. To begin, spread a layer of batter on the bottom of each pan...enough to completely cover the bottom. Then spread a layer of cranberry sauce on the batter. Repeat with another layer of batter and cranberry sauce and top with batter. Pans should be no more than 2/3 full. Avoid filling pan too much or the bread will spill over in the oven.
Top with chopped pecans.
Baked for 55-60 minutes. Bread is done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan while you prepare the glaze.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, water and almond flavoring for the glaze. Drizzle in a back and forth motion over the tops of the breads.
Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan. When cooled, use a butter knife and gently loosen the bread from the pans by scraping all sides of the loaf. This will help the loaf to not stick to the sides of the pan. Let rest on cooling rack for 20 minutes to allow the bottom of the loaves to dry out a bit.
To store, wrap loaf in plastic wrap and keep on counter.

Notes

I prefer baking sweet breads in mini loaf size. The smaller size tends to bake more evenly. Pan sizes can vary. Be sure to not fill your pans more than 2/3 full. Depending on the size of your pans, you may get more or less loaves out of this batch.
Using softened butter and room temperature eggs will make it easier to cream with the sugar and will give you fluffier bread.
This bread makes super special and delicious holiday gifts. For prettier presentation, wrap in plastic wrap to keep fresh and package in cellophane bags for gifts.
This bread can be frozen in a ziplock bag for up to one month.

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