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Apple Fritter Bread Recipe

A brown butter and sour cream quick bread with a wide ribbon of cinnamon Honeycrisp apples through the middle, a cinnamon sugar crust, and a poured vanilla glaze.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Cooling Time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 376kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer

Ingredients

Brown butter batter

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup full-fat sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk, only if needed to loosen the batter

Apple filling

  • 2 ¼ cups small diced Honeycrisp apples (from about 2 medium apples, with another 1/2 cup diced and reserved for the topping)
  • 2 tablespoons browned butter, reserved from the batter step
  • ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Apple cinnamon sugar topping

  • ½ cup small diced Honeycrisp apples, reserved from the filling
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Vanilla glaze

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.

Brown Butter

  • Place 1/2 cup unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it foams and the milk solids turn deep golden brown and smell nutty, about 5-7 minutes.
    A saucepan with browned butter sits on a striped cloth next to two red apples on a light-colored surface.
  • Pour it into a heatproof bowl right away, setting 2 tablespoons aside for the apple filling. Let the rest cool for about 10 minutes.
    A bowl of melted butter on a striped cloth napkin, with two apples placed nearby on a light-colored surface.

Apple Filling

  • While the butter is cooling, in a medium bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups small diced Honeycrisp apples (from about 2 medium apples, with another 1/2 cup diced and reserved for the topping), 2 tablespoons browned butter, reserved from the batter step, 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, a pinch fine sea salt, and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour.
    A bowl containing chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour sits on a striped cloth next to two whole apples on a light surface.
  • Toss until every cube is evenly coated. If the apples are especially juicy, let the mixture stand 5 minutes and stir again before layering.
    A bowl of cinnamon-coated diced apples sits on a light surface next to two whole apples and a gray-and-white striped cloth.

Batter

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt.
    A glass bowl of flour sits on a gray and white striped cloth next to two red apples on a light countertop.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the cooled browned butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until well combined. Beat in 2 large eggs, room temperature one at a time,
    A mixing bowl with creamed ingredients and a cracked egg in the center, next to apples, a striped towel, and eggshells on a light surface.
  • Then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
    A mixing bowl with batter and a splash of vanilla extract, next to two apples, an empty small bowl, and a striped cloth on a light surface.
  • Add half the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
    A mixing bowl contains batter and flour, sitting on a striped cloth with two apples nearby on a light countertop.
  • Add 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream. If the batter feels unusually thick, stir in up to 2 tablespoons of milk.
    A mixing bowl with thick batter and a dollop of white yogurt, next to two apples and a striped kitchen towel on a light countertop.
  • Fold in the remaining flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
    A white mixing bowl with cake batter and flour, next to two apples and a striped cloth on a light countertop.
  • Spread half the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
    A loaf pan lined with parchment paper filled with unbaked batter, next to two apples and a striped kitchen towel on a light surface.
  • Spoon all of the apple filling over it in an even layer.
    A parchment-lined loaf pan filled with diced apples mixed with cinnamon sits on a counter next to two apples and a striped cloth.
  • Then carefully spread the remaining batter over the apples and smooth it to the edges.
    A loaf pan lined with parchment paper is filled with unbaked batter, with two apples and a striped cloth nearby on a light surface.
  • Scatter the reserved 1/2 cup diced apples over the surface. Stir 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon together and sprinkle it evenly over the loaf.
    A rectangular baking dish lined with parchment paper holds a baked apple dessert topped with cinnamon and diced apples. Two apples and a striped cloth are beside the dish on a light surface.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325 degrees F without opening the door. Continue baking for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, or the center registers 200 to 205 degrees F. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
    A loaf of apple bread with a cinnamon sugar topping sits on parchment paper next to two apples and a striped kitchen towel on a light countertop.
  • Cool the loaf in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment and move it to a cooling rack.

Glaze

  • Whisk 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, a pinch fine sea salt, and enough milk to make a thick but pourable glaze.
    Glass bowl of creamy sauce with a spoon, next to two apples and a gray-striped cloth on a light countertop.
  • Once the loaf is just barely warm, drizzle the glaze generously over the top and let it run down the sides. Let the glaze set before slicing.
    A hand pours white glaze from a small pitcher onto a loaf cake resting on a wire rack, with apples blurred in the background.

Notes

  • An instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to check doneness here. The center should register 200 to 205 degrees F, since baked apple can read as raw batter on a toothpick.
  • Let the loaf cool completely before slicing for the cleanest layers.
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