Apple Cinnamon Bread

Name: Apple Cinnamon Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt; 2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) ground nutmeg (optional); 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed; ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable); ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature; 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; 2 medium (about 12 oz / 340 g) (340 g) firm baking apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 2 cups); 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon (5 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tender, moist loaf studded with fresh apple chunks and scented with cinnamon, with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar top. Easy to mix by hand and perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr
Wait: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 2 hr 30 min
Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices)

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the bread
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg (optional)
2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 medium (about 12 oz / 340 g) (340 g) firm baking apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice (about 2 cups)
For the topping
1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground cinnamon
For the pan
1 teaspoon (5 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan

Equipment (9)

9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Box grater or knife and cutting board
Wire cooling rack
Toothpick or instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs and buttermilk out 30 minutes ahead so they come to room temperature and mix smoothly.
Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Allow about 70 minutes for baking-pan cooling: the loaf needs 15 minutes in the pan and at least 45 minutes on a rack before slicing.
Measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off, or use the gram weight, so the bread isn't dry.

1
Prep the panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan with the softened butter.
- Line the bottom and the two long sides with a strip of parchment, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) overhang to use as handles.
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Ready when: Pan is evenly coated and parchment lies flat.
Tip: Parchment handles make unmolding easy without breaking the tender loaf.
2
Dice the apples
- Peel, core and cut the apples into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice.
- Keep the pieces small and even so they bake through and are distributed through every slice.
- You should have about 2 cups (340 g).
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Ready when: Pieces are roughly uniform, no larger than ¼ inch.
Tip: Dice apples just before mixing; they brown if left out, though browning won't affect the baked taste.
3
Mix the dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and the nutmeg (if using) for 30 seconds.
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Ready when: No streaks of cinnamon or lumps of leavener remain.
4
Whisk the wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar for about 1 minute until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Whisk in the oil, buttermilk and vanilla until fully combined and glossy.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniform, with no visible oil separating and no sugar clumps.
Tip: Press any brown sugar lumps against the bowl with the whisk to break them up.
5
Combine the batter
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula just until about 80% combined, with a few flour streaks remaining.
- Add the diced apples and fold 5 or 6 more times until no dry flour is visible.
- The batter will be thick.
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Ready when: No dry flour pockets remain and apples are evenly dispersed.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough and tunneled. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
6
Fill and top
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Stir the granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon together in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the batter.
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Ready when: Batter is level and the top is evenly dusted.
Tip: Tap the pan firmly on the counter once to release large air pockets.
7
Bake the loafOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) on the center rack for 55 to 65 minutes.
- Start checking at 55 minutes.
- If the top is browning too fast by the 35-minute mark, tent loosely with foil.
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Ready when: Top is deep golden brown and domed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter (about 205°F / 96°C inside).
Tip: If the toothpick hits a piece of apple it may look wet; test in a second spot.
8
Cool in the pan
- Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes.
- This lets the structure set so the loaf doesn't crumble when removed.
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Ready when: Sides pull slightly from the pan and the loaf feels set.
9
Unmold and cool
- Run a thin knife around the unlined short ends, then lift the loaf out using the parchment handles.
- Cool on the rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.
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Ready when: Loaf is just barely warm or at room temperature to the touch.
Tip: Slicing while hot compresses the crumb and makes it seem gummy.

Good to know

Tips

Use firm, tart-sweet apples; soft varieties like Red Delicious turn mealy and watery when baked.
Dice the apples small (¼ inch) so the loaf slices neatly and bakes evenly.
Do not overmix the batter. Fold gently just until the flour disappears.
For extra crunch, add ½ cup (60 g) chopped toasted walnuts or pecans when folding in the apples.

Make ahead

"Bake the loaf up to 1 day ahead; the flavor deepens overnight. Wrap once completely cool. You can also freeze the baked loaf for up to 3 months."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: wrap tightly or keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Fridge: up to 6 days, wrapped well. Freezer: wrap whole loaf or individual slices in plastic and foil for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Reheat slices in a toaster or in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes."

Substitutions

buttermilk → plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with a splash of milk, or milk soured with 1½ teaspoons lemon juice. Let soured milk stand 5 minutes before using; keep the total at ½ cup (120 ml).
neutral oil (canola or vegetable) → melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly. Gives a more buttery flavor; the crumb will be a little less moist.
light brown sugar → granulated sugar. Loaf will be a bit lighter in color and flavor, with less molasses depth.
firm baking apples (such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn) → firm pears, peeled and diced the same size. Choose firm, not fully ripe, pears so they don't turn mushy.