In a medium mixing bowl, whisk sugar, flour, baking powder and salt together to combine. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat eggs, milk and oil until just combined.
Gradually add dry mixture to wet until just moist. Fold in the orange zest.
Grease 6 miniature baking dishes and pour mixture an inch below to the top to compensate for rise. Garnish with orange slices and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes
Substitutions
Milk - You can use whatever milk you have on hand. Readers have even shared positive experiences with almond milk.
Vegetable Oil - Vegetable Oil makes the bread incredibly moist. You can substitute canola oil or melted butter in a pinch.
Orange Zest - For a vibrant orange flavor, the zest is added into the dough and the bread is finished with the citrus slices. You can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon extract or 2 teaspoons grated candied peel. Use fresh zest for the best results, but you can use dehydrated orange zest. It's not a 1-1 substitution because it is more concentrated, so start with 1/3 of the amount and add to taste.
Variations
Large Loaves – Don’t want 6 miniature loaves? You can also make this Sweet Bread recipe in 2 – 1 pound loaf pans or cut the recipe in half for just 1 loaf pan and bake 50 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
Make Muffins – If you prefer to make them into muffins, just grease miniature muffin tins and fill each to 2/3 full. Bake 12 minutes.
Make it Ornate – Alternatively, you can also bake it in an ornate loaf pan with the same minimal effort!
Add a Glaze - This bread is amazing on it’s own, but you can also cover sweet bread with Glaze (or drizzle if you show any restraint). Cream Cheese Glaze, Orange Glaze Recipe or Lemon Glaze are some of our favorites!
Add Fruits - Make it a Cranberry Orange Bread by folding in fresh or dried cranberries.
Add Nuts - Pecans or candied walnuts work well!
Add Chocolate Chips
How To Get A Strong Orange Flavor
Zesting the outer, colorful skin of unwaxed oranges (clementines or mandarins also work) adds a lot of flavor and aroma. Simply use a zester to zest the orange. If your oranges are waxed, run them under warm running water and use a vegetable brush to scrub it off.Reserve the orange to slice and garnish the top of your bread. It looks so pretty as well as enhancing those citrus flavors.
When Do You Know The Bread Is Baked?
Cooking times will vary depending on your oven, but it will take about 40 minutes to bake the bread. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer/toothpick in the middle of the loaf, it should come out clean.
How To Store
Room Temperature - Let the baked bread cool and then place it in an airtight container and it will keep for around 4 days.
Refrigerate - You can extend the life of the bread by storing it in the fridge. It will keep well for around a week.
Freeze - Wrap the cooled bread in foil and place in a freezer bag and it will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw it at air temperature.