Here’s a soft, bakery-style Apple Cinnamon Swirl Loaf — moist apple bread with a sweet cinnamon ribbon inside and on top.
🍎 Apple Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
Ingredients
For the loaf:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 1½ cups finely chopped apples (about 1–2 apples)
For the cinnamon swirl:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Optional glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment.
- Mix dry ingredients
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together.
- Cream butter & sugar
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- Add sour cream
- Mix in sour cream until smooth.
- Combine
- Gradually add dry ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in chopped apples.
- Layer & swirl
- Pour half the batter into the loaf pan.
- Sprinkle half the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Add remaining batter, then top with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
- Use a knife to gently swirl.
- Bake
- Bake 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
- Optional glaze
- Whisk glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled loaf.
🍏 Best Apples for Baking
- Honeycrisp (sweet-tart)
- Granny Smith (more tart, holds shape)
- Fuji or Gala (sweeter and softer)
💡 Tips
- Don’t overmix — keeps it tender.
- Dice apples small for even distribution.
- For extra crunch, add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- A streusel-topped version
- A healthier / lower-sugar version
- A cinnamon roll–style pull-apart loaf
- Or a caramel apple version 😊
