Snickerdoodle Apple Bread

Snickerdoodle Apple Bread - made March 21, 2015 from Cookies and Cups

On the heels of my last post where I said I didn’t feel like baking and you can’t tell since I usually have a backlog of 2 weeks’ worth of posts to put up so technically I can go two weeks without baking before anyone notices – yeah, the reason you don’t notice is once those 2 weeks are up, I’m usually back in the baking saddle once more.

As is the case here. I had an afternoon open last weekend when a friend couldn’t make our original plans so I ended up puttering around in my kitchen; that’s baking speak for “I made stuff”. Besides 2 cookie doughs and a cake (future posts – I’m backlogged again), I made this Snickerdoodle Apple Bread. This goes under the category of “why I’ll never give up sugar”. Also known as “why I’m not losing the last 10 pounds anytime soon. Or ever.”

That’s my lead in to say, this is feckin’ delicious. When I make quick breads, which is what this is, I usually make my banana bread. This time I deviated into apple bread territory. Just as with most quick breads, this has a cakey-but-more-dense-than-cake texture. Not as dense as a pound cake but definitely more heft than a chiffon cake. The flavor was great, accentuated by the chunks of apples in the bread, something I normally don’t care for since I usually don’t like “stuff” in my cakes or quick breads but given the softness and moistness not to mention flavor of the apples, it was a good addition. Plus, anything topped with cinnamon sugar, c’mon. That’s just utter goodness.

One tip to make this easier to take out of the pan without dislodging the topping as you definitely don’t want to turn this upside down to get it out of the pan or you risk losing more of the cinnamon sugar than you should. Instead, tear off a strip of parchment paper that’s narrower than the length of the pan but wide enough that you can lift the baked loaf out of the pan. Place it in the middle of the greased pan before you pour the batter in and fold down the ends of the parchment strip so they don’t flop into your batter. Pour the batter in and smooth, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping over it and bake. Once your quick bread is baked, let it cool for a few minutes, run a spatula around the sides to loosen then gently lift up by the parchment strip to set it on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

I had a slice of this when it was lukewarm and I was in there-goes-the-diet-and-I-don’t-care territory. Delicious, I tell you. The pictures are from when the quick bread was still warm so the inside might look a little gooey but it wasn't so much mushy as moist. I had a second piece the next day and yup, it was still just as tasty. Which meant it was a good thing I gave the rest away or I would’ve probably eaten the whole loaf. As it was, my parents liked it too and didn’t even demur on the sugar topping. Success.

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups flour
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tablespoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ cup milk
1 Granny Smith Apple, finely chopped

Cinnamon sugar topping

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray. Line bottoms and up the ends with a strip of parchment paper (for easy removal) and spray again. Set aside.
3. Whisk together salt, baking powder and flour. Set aside.
4. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter, both sugars and cinnamon for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping sides as necessary. Add in both eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth, again scraping sides as necessary.
5. Turn mixer to low and add in flour mixture and milk in alternating additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
6. Finally add in apples and stir until just combined and pour batter into prepared pan.
7. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for topping and sprinkle on top of batter.
8. Bake for 50-55 minutes until bread is set and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.