Apple Fritter Bread

Before you start

Apple fritter bread borrows the flavors of a glazed apple fritter and builds them into a tender loaf: a buttery vanilla batter layered with cinnamon-sugared apple pieces and a ribbon of brown sugar and cinnamon, then drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze. It is a creamed-butter batter, closer to a pound cake than to an oil-based quick bread, so it slices neatly with a soft, fine crumb.

The apples are where it can go wrong. Cut them small, about 1 cm, so they cook through and do not create wet tunnels, and choose a firm, tart-sweet variety that holds its shape. Layer rather than fold, and swirl only once or twice with a knife: too much swirling turns the cinnamon sugar into a muddy band. The loaf is tall and moist, so it needs a long bake and a loose foil tent partway through.

Ingredients

• Apples and swirl300 g (about 2 cups) firm apples, peeled and diced 1 cm — about 2 medium, such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon — for the apples
• 70 g (⅓ cup, packed) light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon — for the swirl
• Batter190 g (1½ cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter — softened
• 135 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs — room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 120 ml (½ cup) whole milk — room temperature
• Glaze120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tbsp milk or cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the center. Grease the loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling.
2. Toss the diced apples with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. In another small bowl, mix the brown sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon for the swirl.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In the mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
4. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts, starting and ending with flour. Mix only until smooth.
5. Spread half the batter in the pan. Scatter half the apples (leaving any juice in the bowl) and half the brown sugar mixture over it. Spread the remaining batter on top, then the rest of the apples and brown sugar mixture, pressing the apples in lightly.
6. Draw a knife down the length of the pan in a gentle zigzag once, just deep enough to pull some of the topping into the batter.
7. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, tenting loosely with foil after 35 minutes. The loaf is done when golden, firm in the center and a skewer comes out clean apart from apple juice or melted sugar; the center should read about 96°C (205°F).
8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool for an hour on a rack. Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make a thick but pourable glaze, drizzle it over the loaf and let it set before slicing.

Tips for success

• Leave the apple juices behind in the bowl. Extra liquid makes the area under the fruit damp and gummy.
• A mix of a tart apple and a sweet one gives the most flavor; very soft apples such as McIntosh collapse into mush.
• Spray the knife or skewer with a little oil before swirling so the batter does not drag.

Substitutions

Whole milk

Buttermilk or thinned plain yogurt gives a more tender, slightly tangy crumb. Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda to balance the acid.

Fresh apples

Firm pears work the same way. Canned apple pie filling is too wet and sweet; if you use it, chop it and drain it well.

Unsalted butter

Salted butter is fine if you reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon. Plant-based baking sticks work, with a slightly less rich flavor.

Variations

Brown butter glaze

Brown 2 tablespoons butter until nutty, cool slightly and whisk it into the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons milk.

Apple fritter muffins

Layer batter, apples and swirl into 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20 to 24 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Wet, gummy band under the apples

The apples were cut too large or their juice went in. Dice them to 1 cm, leave liquid behind and bake until the center reaches about 96°C (205°F).

Topping sank and swirl looks muddy

The batter was overmixed or swirled too much. Cream properly, add flour on low just until combined and drag the knife through only once.

Top dark, middle raw

No foil tent or the oven runs hot. Tent at 35 minutes and verify oven temperature with a thermometer.

Storage

Cover the glazed loaf and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days; after that, refrigerate it for up to 5 days, since the fresh apple makes it more perishable. Freeze unglazed slices for up to 3 months.

Safety notes

Do not taste raw batter, which contains raw egg and flour. Contains wheat, egg and milk.