This easy, flavorful quick bread recipe has two layers of spiced fresh apples, plus a vanilla glaze over the top.
Ingredients
Apple Pie Spice Sugar + Apple Filling
⅔cuppacked light brown sugar
2½teaspoonsApple Pie Spice(or substitute 2½ teaspoons cinnamon mixed with ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg)
2cupspeeled, cored, and small-diced (¼") baking apples(see Notes below for baking apple varieties)
Bread
½cup(1 stick) unsalted butter,softened
½cupgranulated sugar
2largeeggs
1tablespoonpure vanilla extract
1¾cupsall-purpose flour
2½teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoonnutmeg
½teaspoonMorton kosher salt
⅓cupwhole milk
¼cupfull-fat sour cream
½tablespoonunsalted butter,melted
Glaze
½cuppowdered sugar(sifted, if particularly lumpy)
2teaspoonswhole milk
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1big pinchfine sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray the interior of a light-colored metal 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan, then add a parchment paper sling. Set aside.
Apple Pie Spice Sugar + Apple Filling
First, make the Apple Pie Spice Sugar by adding brown sugar and Apple Pie Spice to a small bowl. Stir until evenly combined. This mixture will be used in 3 separate places in the recipe.
Then prepare the apple filling. The bread bakes up best when you dice the apples nice and small, to ¼". Place diced apples in a medium bowl and sprinkle 5 tablespoons prepared Apple Pie Spice Sugar over the top; fold to evenly combine. Set aside.
Bread
In the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then beat in eggs and vanilla, just until combined.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Add this flour mixture to the butter mixture and then stir to just combine.
Add milk and sour cream, and mix on medium-low speed until just combined.
Add slightly more than half of the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
Fold apple filling to evenly combine. Then evenly spoon half of the apples over the batter in the pan. Gently press the apple filling into an even layer. Then evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons Apple Pie Spice Sugar over the top of the apple filling.
Spread remaining batter over the apple filling, in an even layer. Spoon the remaining apple filling over the batter in an even layer; do not press. Then evenly sprinkle remaining Apple Pie Spice Sugar over the top of the apple filling; do not press or spread. Evenly drizzle melted butter over the top.
Bake for about 65 minutes, or until set in the center and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a baking rack for 1 hour, then use the parchment sling to lift bread out of the pan. Let bread cool completely on a baking rack.
Glaze
Once bread has cooled, add glaze ingredients to a small bowl and stir until completely smooth. The glaze should be quite thick, yet have a consistency that lets you drizzle it over the bread in a thin ribbon. If too thick, add ¼ teaspoon of milk at a time, then stir. If too thin, add 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar at a time. When you have a thick yet drizzle-able consistency, slowly drizzle the glaze over the top of the bread. Let glaze set completely before slicing.
Notes
Apple varieties: It's important to use baking apples that retain a toothsome bite once baked. Use a single variety or a mixture of two or more kinds, for a more complex flavor. My favorite choices for this bread are Haralson (my favorite MN apple, very firm and tart), Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Cosmic Crisp.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.