Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe

There are three large apples packed on this apple bread! Loaded with heat cinnamon flavours, you’ll love how moist it’s with out being too candy. This can be a fast bread recipe which suggests, true to its identify, it’s a yeast-free loaf. Fabulous for morning tea or a breakfast deal with with a cup of espresso!

I’ve been engaged on my Apple Pie Undertaking (learn: my excellent apple pie) and am satisfied that that is the yr we are going to crack it! However both manner making apple pie is unquestionably a labour of affection, so in the meantime I additionally wish to share different candy methods with apples which are quicker and simpler. Some favourites from my current apple repertoire are Apple Muffins, Apple Bars, and Apple Crumble.

So right here’s a giant welcome to the most recent addition to my apple recipe assortment: right this moment’s Cinnamon Apple Bread!

This can be a good bread for sharing that’s comparatively quick to make. Leftovers make a terrific breakfast, flippantly toasted and smothered in (only a bit!) of butter.

Right here’s what it’s good to make this Cinnamon Apple Bread. There isn’t any lacking the cinnamon on this recipe! It’s within the batter, on the apple, and on the floor!

1. The Apple

• Apples – You will have 3 large apples for this recipe! 650g / 1.4 kilos in whole. I like to make use of Granny Smith as a result of I like the tartness and likewise as a result of they maintain their form higher when cooked. Nevertheless, any apple will work for this recipe, although it’s possible you’ll want to look at how rapidly the slices on the floor caramelise.

  You will have 2 of the apples chopped as much as combine into the batter, and 1 apple reduce into slices for adorning the floor. Although really, the ornamental topping is solely elective.

• Cinnamon and sugar (for apple within the batter) – I wish to toss the chopped up apples in a little bit sugar and cinnamon to get a little bit sweetness and flavour into the apple items earlier than folding into the batter.

• Demerara sugar and cinnamon (for topping) – Demerara sugar is a rough sugar with a touch of molasses flavour that’s preferrred to make use of for sprinkling onto issues to create a glittery little crust. Turbinado makes an ideal substitute. Nevertheless, when you don’t have both there isn’t any must get it particularly. Simply use brown sugar as a substitute.

• Walnuts – Fully elective! The add a stunning gentle crunch to the loaf. To be trustworthy, I’ve made this with out walnuts extra usually than with.

2. The Batter

• Cinnamon, ginger and allspice powder – I’ve known as this a Cinnamon Apple Bread as a result of it’s the dominant spice right here. However I like so as to add curiosity to the cinnamon flavour with a contact of ginger and allspice (blended spice additionally works nice). Nevertheless, the ginger and allspice are fully elective. You possibly can skip them and simply add extra cinnamon powder.

• Yogurt or bitter cream – A secret weapon to make desserts and breads which are fantastically moist. Yogurt provides wetness to batters with out additionally making it skinny (not like milk), which suggests you don’t want as a lot flour. Much less flour = extra moist! This additionally (often) means the batter doesn’t name for “cream butter and sugar with a beater” which suggests (a) no ready for butter to melt; and (b) it’s hand blended with only a picket spoon.

  Yogurt isn’t appropriate to make use of for all desserts (like my basic Vanilla Cake, Chocolate Cake) however I do use it fairly frequently in baked items – like Yogurt Lemon Cake, Simple Blueberry Cake, Strawberry Cake and Chocolate Muffins, to call a couple of. Even for my Tacky Mediterranean Muffins (nice non-sweet morning tea possibility!).

• Baking powder and baking soda (bicarbonate soda) – I like to make use of a mixture of baking powder and baking soda as a result of whereas they each make baked items rise, they behave otherwise. For one factor, baking soda is about 3x stronger than baking powder and for loafs comparable to this, it makes the floor dome extra. Through the use of a mixture of the 2 you possibly can management the form of baked items. For this apple cake, I particularly wished simply the slightest dome to maintain the apple slice ornament largely in place (large dome = apple slices splayed out in a disorderly manner!).

  Nevertheless, the great factor about this loaf is that the batter may be very forgiving so you should utilize simply baking soda or simply baking powder. The form of the floor might be barely completely different (baking powder = stage or barely sunken, baking soda solely = rounder dome), however the crumb is mainly the identical. I’ve popped instructions within the recipe notes.

• Flour – Simply plain / all-purpose flour. Self-raising flour (as a substitute of flour + baking powder + baking soda) will work but it surely doesn’t rise fairly as properly. Gluten-free – I haven’t tried!

• Eggs – Ideally at room temperature so it incorporates extra simply into the batter however for this batter, it’s really not an issue if they’re fridge-cold as a result of as famous above, it’s a really forgiving recipe!

• Oil – One other secret to creating desserts with a moist crumb. Butter has higher flavour but it surely dries desserts out. Why then, don’t I solely use oil in desserts? As a result of oil is flavourless. It actually solely works in desserts the place there’s different large flavours to compensate – like cinnamon, on this case.

• Brown sugar – Not very a lot really! Simply 3/4 cup. I actually like that this loaf isn’t too candy.

• Vanilla extract – For a complementary somewhat than dominant flavour. I actually really feel it’s lacking one thing with out vanilla .

• Salt – Only a pinch brings out different flavours in candy baked items. It positively doesn’t make it style salty in any respect. That is typically good observe for baking, a tip I’ve picked up over time. You’ll discover my older cake recipes should not have salt in them.

It’s very, very straight ahead. It takes longer to cut the apples than to make the batter!

1. The Batter

1. Toss the apple items with cinnamon and sugar, and put aside when you make the batter. This can make the apple sweat barely – we combine the juices into the batter – and infuse the apple with a little bit of sweetness and cinnamon flavour.

2. Dry – Whisk the Dry elements in a bowl.

3. Moist – Whisk the Moist elements in a separate bowl. (PS. I do know sugar isn’t “moist” however within the baking world it’s thought-about a moist ingredient and truly it behaves like a moist ingredient when blended with liquids).

4. Mix moist and dry – Pour the Moist elements into the Dry elements bowl then combine till mixed.

5. Stir by means of the apple (together with all juices within the bowl) and walnuts, if utilizing.

6. Scrape the batter right into a ready loaf pan and stage the floor.

   Lining the loaf pan – I simply use a single sheet of paper to line the bottom and lengthy sides, with loads of paper overhang. There’s no must line the quick finish – this cake isn’t that sticky. Additionally the overhang might be used to carry the cake out as a result of we don’t wish to flip it out the wrong way up as it would mess up the highest.)

   Batter stage – The batter must be round 1.7cm / 2/3″ beneath the rim of the loaf pan. No extra else it might overflow.

7. Apple slices – Adorn the floor utilizing the apple slices in any manner you would like. I fan them out barely, as pictured, and use 3/4 of an apple.

8. Sprinkle the floor with the Demerara sugar blended with (extra!) cinnamon powder.

2. Baking

This loaf takes 1 hour 25 minutes to bake: Partially uncovered, to caramelise the floor properly, then lined to complete cooking it by means of.

1. 1 hour uncovered – Bake the loaf uncovered for 1 hour at 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan). That is barely greater than the same old 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). This decrease temperature not solely took an additional 20 minutes to prepare dinner however the loaf didn’t rise as properly. 200°C for the win!

   FIRST CHECK at 45 minutes to make sure the apple slices should not burning. If they’re, cowl with foil early.

2. 25 minutes lined – Take away the loaf from the oven and loosely cowl with foil. Then bake for an extra 25 minutes or till a skewer inserted into the center comes out clear.

3. Cool 1 hour – Cool for quarter-hour within the pan. Then use the paper overhang to carry the loaf out on to a rack to chill for an extra 1 hour earlier than slicing. I do know it’s super-tempting however don’t slice and eat it right away as a result of though it’s absolutely cooked, it would paradoxically style a little bit uncooked. You actually need to relaxation any baked good (breads included) to let the within end cooking and “dry out” a bit. The bigger it’s, the longer it’s good to relaxation it. On this case, due to the additional moisture from the apple, it wants a great 1 hour. On the very least, half-hour!

It won’t shock common readers to listen to that I also have a view on one thing so simple as slicing a loaf!! 😂

For me, the proper width of a slice is between 2 – 2.2 cm (that’s 0.78 – 0.87 inches).

Thicker = cake-to-butter ratio is out.

Thinner = stingy plus too fragile. If it breaks when slices fall like dominos as you narrow the loaf up, it means the slices are too skinny.

Please don’t decide me! Or – do. I don’t thoughts. As a result of I’ll be the one consuming the proper slice of Apple Bread!

Eat it barely heat and plain, like cake. Or flippantly toast it within the oven or in your toaster then slather with butter. Leftovers will preserve for days and days (round 5) and freezes completely. So even when it’s simply you, there’s no excuse to not make this! 🙂 – Johnsat x

Cinnamon Apple Bread Recipe

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Serves: 10 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 1 hour

Nutrition facts: 394 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 Granny Smith apple , quartered, cored, thinly sliced 3 mm / 1/8" thick (Note 1)
• 1 1/2 tbsp demerara sugar (or turbinado sugar, Note 2)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 cups diced Granny Smith apple , 1/2” cubes, skin on (approx 2 large apples) (Note 2)
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder (Note 3)
• 1/4 tsp allspice (or mixed spice) (Note 3)
• 1 3/4 cups plain / all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda , sifted (Note 4)
• 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup yogurt , plain unsweetened (sub sour cream), at room temperature (Note 5)
• 2 eggs , at room temperature (Note 5)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts , toasted, roughly chopped into 1cm/1/3″ pieces (not too small) (Note 6)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Position shelf in the middle of the oven.
2. Loaf pan (Note 7): Use a 21.5 x 11.5 x 7 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 x 2.75" pan. Spray with canola oil then line the long side + base with a single piece of paper leaving some overhang (don’t worry about lining short sides).
3. Topping: Mix the Demerara sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Cinnamon Apple: Mix Cinnamon Apple ingredients in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the batter (the sugar will make the apple sweat = good thing!).
5. Batter: Whisk the Dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk Wet ingredients. Pour Wet mix into the Dry bowl, whisk just until smooth. Stir in apples (including all juices) and walnuts. Batter should be thick but dollop-able (not pourable in thin stream, nor thick like sticky bread dough). Scrape into loaf pan, smooth surface.
6. Topping: Take 1/4 of the apple slices, fan out (so they're overlapping) then arrange on top. Repeat in two more lots of 1/4 of an apple. (I find to cover the surface, I only use 3/4 of the apple.) Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
7. Bake 60 minutes. Cover loosely with foil, bake for further 25 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out smooth.
8. Rest 15 minutes in the pan then use paper overhang to remove to a rack. Cool at least 1 hour on rack before slicing!
9. Serving – The bread is moist and flavoured enough to eat plain though nobody complains if it's lightly toasted and slathered with butter!

Notes

1. Apple quantity – You will need about 650g / 1.4 lb apples in total (3 x 220g / 7.5 oz large apples).
Apple varieties – This recipe should work fine with most apple varieties. Some apples will cook up softer than others. I like Granny Smith for the slight tartness and it holds its shape well when cooked. If using really sweet apples, you may want to reduce the brown sugar down to 1/2 cup.
Apple topping – I can only fit 3/4 of an apple’s worth of slices on top. If you want to squeeze all of it, go right ahead!
2. Demerara sugar – This is a coarse sugar with a hint of molasses flavour that creases jewel-like crust on the surface. Substitute with 2 tbsp brown sugar.
3. Spices – I like this combination of spices for my apple loaf but if you don’t have them, feel free to substitute with more cinnamon powder.
4. Baking soda (bi-carb) is basically baking powder on steroids with ~3x lifting power. I find a combination of the two works best for crumb texture and surface shape. If you don’t have it, substitute with an extra 2 teaspoons baking powder. The surface of the loaf may end up a little more level rather than attractively domed but the crumb will be similar.
Self-raising flour can be used instead of plain flour + baking powder + baking soda but it won’t rise quite as well. It does work though!
5. Room temperature – It’s best for the eggs and yogurt to be at room temperature as the batter will be quite stiff if they are fridge-cold. However this recipe is quite forgiving so it’s not the end of the world if they are fridge-cold (speaking from experience here!).
6. Toasted walnuts – Spread on a tray and bake for 8 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), shaking the tray once.
7. Loaf pan – If yours is larger, that’s fine. It’s just that the loaf won’t end up as tall as you see pictured.
8. Leftovers – Stays fresh for 5 days. It’s best to keep in the fridge and serve warm (microwave, or oven/toaster to toast). Freezes 3 months.
9. Nutrition per serving, assuming 10 slices.

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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