Orange-Banana Nut & Fruit Bread

A holiday-style fruit-and-nut loaf that sits between traditional banana bread and a fruitcake, brightened with orange juice and candied fruit pieces. The mashed bananas and orange juice work together to keep the crumb tender, while the candied fruits and raisins make every slice look like Christmas in cross-section.

This is the kind of loaf people wrapped in foil and gave as gifts during the holidays in the 1950s. It travels well, slices clean, and tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld.

Dredge the candied fruits and raisins in a tablespoon of flour from the measured amount before mixing them in. This stops them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf during baking, a common quick-bread problem with heavy mix-ins.

The wax-paper-lined pan is the small detail that makes a difference. With this much fruit and nuts, the loaf can stick at the bottom even with greasing. Wax paper guarantees a clean release every time.

Long cool in the pan, then on the rack. Quick breads with heavy fruit need 20-30 minutes resting before turning out, or the still-warm crumb tears at the bottom.

Serve sliced thick with butter, cream cheese, or just plain alongside afternoon tea.

Pro Tips

• Use very ripe, spotty bananas. Yellow firm bananas don’t have the sugar or moisture this loaf needs.
• Toast the chopped nuts in a dry pan for 5 minutes before adding. The flavor difference in a fruit-heavy loaf is significant.
• Wrap fully cooled loaf in foil and let sit overnight before slicing. The crumb sets and the flavors marry; day-two slices are noticeably better.
• Tent loosely with foil if the top browns too fast at the 45-minute mark. Long bakes like this one risk dark crusts before the inside finishes.

Variations

• Substitute dried cranberries and chopped dried apricots for the candied fruit for a less-sweet, more contemporary version.
• Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest to the wet ingredients for stronger citrus flavor.
• Glaze cooled loaf with a simple orange icing (powdered sugar plus orange juice) for a more festive presentation.