Easy Apple Cinnamon Bread

This easy apple cinnamon bread is moist, perfectly spiced and loaded with fresh apples. Perfect for a quick breakfast or an afternoon tea treat.

About my apple loaf cake

When I see the first yellow leaves on the treas, apple baking season officially begins. This apple cake loaf takes only 20 minutes to mix together before sliding into the oven. Simply mix, pop it it the oven and come back in 60 minutes for a delicious fall treat. The loaf is finished with a lemon buttery glaze that is flash baked after applying it for caramelized flavor and color. The glaze is optional but adds some lovely flavors to the bread. My family loves the slice of this apple bread as an afternoon snack, and I enjoy it as a perfect addition to my morning coffee.

If you love recipes with apples, check out my apple sponge cake, apple cake roll, apple crepes.

Diced apples vs grated

• Grated apples: For the apples inside the bread batter, I love grating them on the coarse side of a box grater. Grates apples will blend in well into the batter, without creating soggy wet spots around pieces of fruit.

• Diced: If you want a beautiful textured topping, diced apples are the way to go. They hold their shape on top and look stuffing fresh out of the oven. My kid loves the taste of the pure cake itself without fruit inside, so I usually keep add the diced apples on the top!
• A mix of both: If you love texture inside the loaf but still want that rustic look on top, try using half grated and half diced!

What you'll need

Before you start, get everything ready as the batter comes together fast. Grease the standard 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F. You will also need a cutting board, chefs knife, whisk, kitchen scales or measuring cups and spoons.

• Apples: You can use any apples you have. I used Gala apples this time. You will need about 2 medium apples.
• Eggs: This loaf uses 3 eggs. Apples are heavy and have a lot of moisture,. Using three eggs ensures the loaf stays moist for several days without getting soggy or drying out.
• Milk: I prefer using whole milk. But I have also tested it with low-fat milk and it works well.

• Oil: You can use vegetable or mild extra virgin olive oil. You can also use melted butter in place of oil.
• Vanilla extract: You can also use vanilla paste.
• Flour: You will need all-purpose wheat flour.
• Sugar: I used granulated sugar. You can also use half brown sugar for deeper flavor.
• Salt: To balance the taste and bring up all the flavors together.
• Baking powder: This is the leavening agent for the loaf.
• Spices+sugar mix for apples: You will use cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom mixed with sugar to coat the apples before adding them to the batter.
• Glaze ingredients: Lemon zest, lemon juice, butter and brown or cane sugar.

How to make apple cake loaf

This is the recipe quick overview. For the ingredients quantities and a full recipe card, jump to the bottom of this post.

Prep the apples. Peel and core the apples. You can use a vegetable peeler and chef's knife. Slice peeled apples around the core and dice them into ¼-1/2 inch cubes.

Note: You can also grate apples and fold them straight into the batter.

Whisk wet ingredients. Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla. Add milk and olive oil. Whisk gain until well combined.

Add dry ingredients. Whisk flour, salt and baking powder. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Mix just until combined. A few small lumps are OK. The batter will be poarable, not thick

Add batter to the loaf pan and add the apples. Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan, scraping the bowl with a spoon to make sure you use all the batter. Spoon diced apples and place them on top of batter in a layer.

Bake apple bread. Bake the bread at 350°F for 60-75 minutes or until the top is golden and tooth pick comes out clean.

Note: Baking time may vary depending on your oven and also on the type of pan you are using. Start checking the loaf at about 60 minutes.

Prep the and apply the glaze. When the bread is almost done, melt butter in a microwave. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Once the bread is fully cooked, remove from the oven and brush the top with the prepared glaze. Place it back in the oven for 4-5 minutes to let the glaze set and caramelize.

Let it cool. Let the bread cool in a pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove it from the pan and let it cool just until warm, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve

Recipe tips

• Best apples to use: Firmer and tart apples are traditionally recommended for baking, but I love celebrating whatever the fall Harvest brings. If you have an option, go for Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji. You can also combine two or three types.
• Grate or dice the apples: If you want to keep the apples on top of the bread, keep them diced. If you want the apples to be inside the bread too, I recommend grating them on a coarser side of a box grater.

• Dice small: Cut the apples into small or medium dice ( about ¼ inch cubes). Larger pieces hold too much moisture and might cause the cake to fall apart.
• Do not over mix the batter: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together just until the flour streaks disappear. Overmixing the batter develops gluten, which can make the cake dense. We want it to be tender and soft.

• Tent with foil if needed: If the cake browns too fast on top, I recommend loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil over around the 30 minute mark.

How to store this apple loaf

• Room temperature: You can store the loaf in an air tight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.

• Refrigerator: It will last up to 7 days in the fridge.

• Freezer: Let the loaf cool down and freeze it for up to 3 months.

You may also like

• Strawberry ricotta bread
• Acorn squash bread with chocolate chips
• Honey banana bread
• Chocolate cranberry bread

📖 Recipe