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Orange Zucchini Bread

Orange zucchini bread made as a tender citrusy orange loaf with a sweet orange glaze drizzle. Grated, squeezed-dry zucchini keeps the crumb moist while the orange zest and juice perfume every slice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup fresh orange juice
  • orange zest of 2 oranges Zest from 2 oranges (save extra zest for the glaze if desired).
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Orange Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the loaf
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan. Set up the pan so the batter can go in right after mixing.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Whisk until evenly blended with no visible lumps.
  3. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, fresh orange juice, orange zest of 2 oranges, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix just until the batter looks glossy and fully combined.
  4. Stir in zucchini, grated and squeezed dry. The batter should distribute the zucchini evenly without wet streaks.
  5. Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Stop mixing when you no longer see dry flour for a tender crumb.
  6. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan and bake 50–58 minutes at 350°F. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden.
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool the loaf for 15 minutes. The loaf should firm up slightly before glazing.
  2. Whisk powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, and orange zest until smooth. Drizzle generously over the warm loaf right after mixing for a glossy finish.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini firmly so the loaf bakes up with a golden top instead of turning gummy. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months for best texture. For a lighter option, replace sour cream with full-fat plain Greek yogurt for similar moisture and tang.