apple bread | thebrookcook

When I recently saw this recipe on The Company She Keeps– I needed an excuse to make it. Thankfully we had a surprise snow day! (We seriously didn’t even know that snow was in the forecast… ) I knew it would be the perfect special breakfast.

This recipe was adapted from The Baking Chocolatess. I modified the recipe to incorporate whole wheat pastry flour, unsalted butter, and coarse salt. I also baked the bread in my favorite Pullman loaf pan. Decadent and delicious.

Yield: Serves 8

For the Cinnamon Sugar:

1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Batter:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp coarse salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk or almond milk (I used whole milk)

For the Apple Mixture:

2 large apples, peeled and chopped (any kind – I used Pink Lady apples- my favorite!)
2 T granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
walnuts, to taste, optional

For the Glaze:

1/4 to 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons of milk or cream (depending on desired glaze thickness)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
Grease desired loaf pan with non-stick spray.
Make the Cinnamon Sugar: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.
Make the Batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat granulated sugar and butter together until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended in; add in vanilla extract.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add to creamed butter mixture and mix until blended.
Add milk to batter and mix until smooth.
Make the Apple Mixture: Combine chopped apples, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add nuts, if using.
Spread half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan; add half the apple mixture, then half of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.
Dollop the remaining batter over apple layer and top with remaining apple mixture, then the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.
Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a knife.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, approximately 45 minutes for a Pullman loaf or 50-60 minutes for a standard loaf.
Make the glaze: Mix the powdered sugar and milk or cream together until desired consistency is achieved. Mix well.
Remove loaf from pan. Let cool for about 15 minutes before drizzling with glaze.