Apple Cinnamon Bread
A soft, cake-like apple cinnamon bread with a real brown sugar and cinnamon swirl running through the middle, tender apples in every slice, and an optional vanilla glaze on top.
Equipment
- 9x5 inch loaf pan
- Glass mixing bowls - One large, one medium, one small
- Balloon whisk
- Parchment paper - For lining the pan
- Paring knife - For dicing the apples
- Butter knife - For swirling the batter
- Toothpick - For testing doneness
- Aluminum foil - (optional) For tenting the loaf if it browns too fast
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - 250 g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder - aluminum free
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter - 113 g, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup granulated sugar - 150 g
- ¼ cup light brown sugar - 55 g, packed
- 2 large eggs - at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk - 120 ml, at room temperature
For the Apples
- 2 medium apples - about 2 cups / 260 g once diced, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour - 8 g, for tossing the apples
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Swirl
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar - 67 g
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Optional Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar - 120 g
- 2 tablespoons milk - 30 ml
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides, and lightly grease any exposed pan surface.
- In a small bowl, stir together ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Peel, core, and dice the apples into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces. Toss them with 1 tablespoon (8 g) flour until every piece is lightly coated so they stay suspended in the batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups (250 g) flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and nutmeg until the leavening is evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each, then whisk in the vanilla and buttermilk until uniform.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a silicone spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the flour-coated apples with two or three strokes; a few small lumps are fine.
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it level. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the cinnamon sugar over the batter, spoon the remaining batter on top, smooth it, then sprinkle the last of the cinnamon sugar over the surface. Drag a butter knife through in a few S-shaped passes to swirl.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast around 40 minutes, tent loosely with foil for the rest of the bake.
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment overhang onto a wire rack. Cool at least another 45 minutes before slicing so the crumb can set.
- Once the loaf is fully cool, whisk the confectioners' sugar, milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla into a smooth, pourable glaze. Drizzle over the top and let it set for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Dice the apples small, about ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces. Larger chunks steam into wet pockets that never set properly.
- Tossing the diced apples in 1 tablespoon of flour is what keeps them suspended instead of sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
- Buttermilk gives a more tender crumb than plain milk because its acidity softens the flour's gluten as it bakes. If you don't have it, stir ½ tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into ½ cup milk and rest 5 minutes.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in. Stir only until the dry streaks disappear, or the loaf turns tough and dense.
- Weigh your flour if possible. Too much flour is the most common reason a quick bread comes out dry; spoon and level it if using cups.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature so the melted butter doesn't seize into clumps when the eggs and buttermilk go in.
- Start testing for doneness at 55 minutes, inserting the toothpick away from any obvious pocket of apple. Ovens vary.
- Let the loaf rest fully before slicing. Cutting too early is the fastest way to end up with a gummy interior.
- Storage: wrap tightly or keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. Freeze pre-sliced with parchment between slices for single servings.
- If you plan to freeze the loaf, hold off on the glaze and add it fresh after thawing.
- Variations: fold in ½ cup (60 g) chopped walnuts or pecans, add ⅓ cup (50 g) raisins or dried cranberries, swap the glaze for a caramel drizzle, or add ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice for a deeper spice profile.
- To bake as muffins, divide the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake for 18 to 22 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SliceCalories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 4gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 230mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27g
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