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Orange Rhubarb Bread

Orange rhubarb bread is a moist quick bread loaf with orange-scented crumb and pink rhubarb pieces throughout, finished with a simple orange glaze. Bake until the center sets and a toothpick comes out clean for a tender loaf cake slice at breakfast.
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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: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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
glaze
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange juice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan, keeping the pan ready for immediate baking.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined with no visible dry pockets.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice, and orange zest until the mixture looks uniform.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed, then fold in fresh rhubarb, finely diced to distribute pink pieces throughout.
Bake
  1. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  2. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes so it firms up for unmolding.
  3. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and cool until ready to slice, about 30 minutes total resting time.
Glaze
  1. Mix powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth, then drizzle over warm bread for a glossy top.

Notes

For the moist crumb, stir the batter only until the dry ingredients disappear; overmixing can make quick bread tough. Cool fully before slicing for cleaner pieces. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, this recipe already uses no dairy—just ensure your orange zest is from fresh orange if avoiding bottled concentrates.