Makes: 1 large loaf
Pan: 9 × 5-inch loaf pan
Bake: 350°F / 175°C for about 55–70 min
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- ¾ cup fresh/frozen cranberries, chopped
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup chopped dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
- 1–2 clementines/mandarins, segmented and chopped
Orange glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp melted butter
For the dramatic topping
- Fresh blueberries
- Cranberries
- Clementine/mandarin segments
- A few chopped nuts
- Extra glaze or honey
Method
- Prepare the pan. Heat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment and lightly grease it.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat butter, sugar and orange zest for 3–4 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt separately.
- Mix the sour cream with orange juice. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour-cream mixture. Stop mixing as soon as combined.
- Toss the cranberries, blueberries, dried cranberries and nuts with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold them into the batter. Fold in the chopped mandarin last.
- Transfer to the pan and smooth the top. Bake 55–70 minutes, tenting loosely with foil if the top becomes too dark. It’s done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely.
- Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, orange juice, zest and melted butter until thick but pourable. Drizzle generously over the loaf.
- Make it look like your photo: While the glaze is still tacky, pile on blueberries, cranberries and mandarin pieces. Drizzle another thin layer of glaze/honey over the fruit.
⭐ My key trick
For the really moist, bakery-style texture in your photo, don’t rely on fresh fruit alone. Use fresh citrus + fresh berries + a little dried fruit + sour cream. And don’t overbake it—the center should remain tender.
For an even more luxurious result, brush the hot loaf with 2 tbsp orange juice mixed with 1 tbsp sugar before glazing. This type of orange soak is also used in King Arthur’s fruitcake recipe to keep the cake moist and intensify the citrus flavor.
