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Orange Rhubarb Bread

Orange rhubarb bread is a moist quick bread loaf with pink rhubarb pieces throughout and an orange-glazed top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean for a tender crumb, then drizzle with a simple powdered-sugar glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf (12 slices)
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For bread
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup orange juice
  • 1 orange zest
  • 1.5 cup fresh rhubarb, finely diced
For glaze
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange juice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and mix
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan so the batter slides out cleanly. Use a thin, even coat and leave no bare spots.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until the dry mixture looks uniform. Keep whisking until no visible sugar clumps remain.
  3. Beat eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice, and orange zest until combined and smooth. Stop once the mixture is evenly colored.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. The batter should look thick with a few streaks still okay—don’t overmix.
  5. Fold in fresh rhubarb, finely diced so the pink pieces are evenly distributed. Mix only until no dry flour pockets remain.
Bake and cool
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the top. Tap the pan once to help settle the rhubarb.
  2. Bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. The loaf should look golden and feel set in the center.
  3. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. The loaf should hold its shape and steam should subside.
Glaze
  1. Mix powdered sugar and orange juice for the glaze until smooth and pourable. If it seems too thick, add a tiny splash of orange juice.
  2. Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread. Let it set briefly so the top forms a light sheen.

Notes

For best texture, stop mixing as soon as the dry streaks disappear so the crumb stays tender; overmixing can make quick breads tough. Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing: wrap slices (or the whole loaf) and freeze up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature. Dietary swap: substitute up to half the sugar with an equal amount of light brown sugar if you want a slightly deeper flavor without changing the bake time.