Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake
Need a smaller portion apple cake? Use your loaf pan! This Dutch Apple Loaf Cake has a crumble topping that is a bit messy, sure, but it’s also delicious.
I used three small apples in this cake, which came to about 2 cups diced up. That would probably equal two mediums or one really huge apple. You have more wiggle room in this recipe’s fruit content than you would in, say, an apple pie where the volume is more obvious.
This is an especially nice recipe to cut into slices and freeze for later. They thaw fast, too, making them great to pack for the road to enjoy on a trip or for a snack or lunch–though remember, they might be a little crumbly, so maybe eat where the birds can enjoy those crumbs.
Bready or Not: Dutch Apple Loaf Cake
Equipment
- 9×5 loaf pan
- parchment paper
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Topping:
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter cold, cut up
Cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups apple pieces peeled and diced (about 3 small apples)
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
Mix topping
- Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Tuck into fridge while the loaf is made.
Create loaf cake
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cut parchment paper to fit into loaf pan like a sling, the paper extending up both long sides. apply nonstick spray into middle.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add the buttermilk and vanilla.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold in the apple pieces and the walnuts. Pour batter into the pan and even out. Sprinkle topping mix to cover.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in pan before using the parchment to lift the cake onto a rack. Keep stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap or otherwise covered. Pieces can also be individually wrapped and frozen.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter-Pecan Roll
This Apple Butter-Pecan Roll is something special, a gorgeous and small round of braided bread jeweled with pecans. It’s perfect for a few people to share as a treat.
Honestly, I’d rather have this than most cakes. It is as delicious as it looks, but it does take time to make and dirties a lot of dishes in the process. Definitely a special occasion kind of thing.
I modified this immensely from a recipe called Sweet Potato-Pecan Sweet Roll in Bake from Scratch’s September/October 2023 issue. Obviously, I replaced the sweet potato, but I also extensively rewrote the recipe to try to clarify what should be used and when. I find it very confusing when, in an already complicated recipe, I need to divide things within the ingredient list.
I hope that some of you take on the challenge of this recipe and find my new version doable even if it is still daunting!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Butter-Pecan Roll
Equipment
- instant read thermometer
- nonstick spray
- cake pan
- Rolling Pin
- kitchen shears or knife
Ingredients
Dry dough ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients for dough
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or soured milk [see note]
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Filling
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces
Topping
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or half & half
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter melted (5 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons pecan pieces
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry dough ingredients: flour, brown sugar, salt, yeast and nutmeg. Dig a well in the center.
- In a small saucepan, gently bring to medium heat the wet dough ingredients: buttermilk/soured milk, apple butter, and butter. Stir until the butter is melted and an instant-read thermometer is over 100-degrees. (Don’t go over 120 or the heat may kill the yeast.)
- Pour the saucepan contents into the well in the flour. Use a big spoon to stir until combined.
- Heavily flour a clean surface. Turn out the dough onto it and knead until the mixture is elastic and only mildly tacky, about 8 to 10 minutes. Flour hands and surface more if necessary.
- Apply nonstick spray inside a medium bowl. Place dough inside, turning to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for about 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put nonstick spray in a round cake pan.
- In a small bowl, stir together the first three filling ingredients: cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar.
- Punch down the dough and let it rest about 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface again and roll into a 14×8-inch rectangle. Spread the 2 Tablespoon softened butter over the dough, leaving a bare 1/2-inch frame around the edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the butter, forming a thick layer. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of pecan pieces on top.
- Roll up the dough, long-ways, and pinch the seam to seal it. Rock and roll the dough tube, stretching it out, evenly extending the length to 15 inches. Arrange it so the seam is on the side facing you.
- Use kitchen shears or a knife to cut the log in half lengthwise, but leave it connected by an inch at one end. Turn the cut sides to face upward. Carefully twine them together in a simple braid, bringing the uncut end around to tuck underneath, forming a braided circlet. Place inside cake pan with the cut sides facing up. Cover again to rise in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
- Place bread in hot oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes; an instant-read thermometer plunged into the middle should be over 190 degrees. If it’s looking very brown near the end, cover it with foil for the rest of the bake.
- Cool for about 20 minutes as the glaze is made.
- Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, butter and salt. Dribble over warm bread so that the glaze cascades along the ridges. Sprinkle pecan pieces over the top.
- Serve immediately. Any leftovers are best if warmed briefly in the microwave or oven.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
Bready or Not: Cider Pound Cake
This luscious Cider Pound Cake, made in a tube pan, is great by itself or eaten alongside fruit and/or ice cream.
There are no apples in this cake. That means it’s fast and easy to make, too. No peeling, or dicing or grating. Instead, the recipe relies on sparkling apple cider for sweetness and gentle flavor.
“Sparkling cider” means nonalcoholic. That doesn’t mean you should use any old apple juice, though. Apple cider has more flavor and heft (i.e. not so watery). I used a seasonal version from Aldi that is all Honeycrisp, but any basic sparkling cider will do!
Modified from Centennial Kitchen Fall Baking Magazine 2021.
Bready or Not: Cider Pound Cake
Equipment
- large tube pan
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks) softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sparkling apple cider
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon sparkling apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a tune pan with nonstick spray.
- In a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. Add the eggs in sequence, beating well after each addition.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Gradually add it to the large bowl along with the apple cider, going back and forth in increments. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to completely cool.
- Once the cake is cool, in a small bowl, combine the three glaze ingredients to make a thick but moveable glaze. Dribble over cake so that it oozes over sides.
- Let set at least 30 minutes before cutting. Store under a cake dome or cut into individual slices to encase in plastic wrap.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Spiced Apple Scones
These Spiced Apple Scones make for a delicious breakfast. They are great fresh, but they can also be frozen for a convenient meal on the go later in the week.
These are not super sweet. There is enough sugar inside to elevate them above what Americans regard as a biscuit; the glaze not only adds some sweetness, but a texture for contrast. If you want these plainer, just omit the glaze!
If you don’t have pie spice, just use cinnamon with perhaps a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Greatly modified from Bake from Scratch Magazine September/October 2023.
Bready or Not: Spiced Apple Scones
Equipment
- baking sheet with parchment or scone pan
- knife or bench knife
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons pie spice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes and cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup half & half or milk, plus more for tops if desired
- 1 medium baking apple (about 120 grams) peeled and diced
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar plus more if needed
- sprinkle pie spice
- 1 Tablespoon half & half plus more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or pull out a scone pan.
- In a big bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Cut in the butter, mashing it until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the vanilla and half & half, stirring until just combined. Fold in the diced apple.
- If using a baking sheet to bake, flour a work space. Flour hands and fold and pat the dough into a thick disc. Use a knife or bench knife to slice it into 8 wedges. Move wedges, spaced out, onto baking pan. Alternatively, press dough into scone pan to evenly fill each hole. Whichever method is used, chill scones for about 15 minutes.
- If softer scones are desired, measure out a tablespoon of milk and brush that atop the scones. If crisper tops are wanted, leave the scones be.
- Bake scones until tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Make the glaze. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, a sprinkle of pie spice, half & half, and clear vanilla until they achieve a thick but oozy texture. Drizzle over scones.
- Enjoy scones right away, or store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen and thawed for later enjoyment.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Coffee Cookie Bars
These Coffee Cookie Bars are infused with coffee flavor inside and out, the perfect complement to the chewy sweetness of the bars.
If the caffeine doesn’t give you a boost, the sugar will. These bars are not only sweet, but tend to caramelize along the edges and bottom. That means you need to be careful that the foil doesn’t adhere!
These bars are great for a breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Modified from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies 2021.
Bready or Not: Coffee Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tablespoon espresso powder plus 2 teaspoons
- 1 Tablespoon milk or almond milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
- In a small bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk and 1 Tablespoon espresso powder. Set aside 1/4 cup of this mixture.
- In a big bowl, mix together the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons espresso powder. Add the melted butter, eggs, both sugars, and vanilla, mixing well. Follow up with the flour, baking soda, and salt, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined. Set aside 1 cup of the dough.
- Place the bulk of the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan and even out with hands. Pour the larger amount of the sweetened condensed milk mixture over the top and spread out evenly. Crumble the reserved 1 cup of dough over the top.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set. Immediately brush the reserved 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk/espresso powder over the top. Cool completely.
- Lift onto cutting board to slice into bars. Be wary that caramelization may make the base quite sticky, so make sure no foil adheres to the bars. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves
These Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves are an easy make-ahead breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Use fresh or frozen raspberries–I used frozen!
I have a Pampered Chef Stoneware loaf pan that I swore I’d use more often because I bothered to haul the big thing from Arizona. It has spaces for four small loaves. This recipe can be made with that kind of pan, or use 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch disposable pans. The individual pans, with a tasty baked treat inside, are great for gift-giving!
Use any kinds of chocolate chips with this recipe, or a mix. Flavor-wise, I’d prefer white chocolate here, but brown chips or chunks certainly look better for pictures.
Modified from a muffin recipe at King Arthur Flour.
Bready or Not: Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Mini Loaves
Equipment
- Mini loaf pan with four spaces or 4-count 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 disposable pans
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Batter
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup milk or half & half
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chocolate chips any kind
- 1 cup raspberries fresh or frozen
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the loaf pans.
Make the topping
- Mix the topping ingredients together until the mixture is very moist and crumbly. Set aside. If the kitchen is warm, place the bowl in the fridge.
Make the loaves
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk or half & half, and eggs.
- Measure the flour into a large bowl. Into separate bowls, place the chocolate chips and the raspberries. Add a generous scoop of flour to the chocolate chips and toss them to coat. Repeat with the raspberries. This coating will help them to resist sinking in the batter.
- To the remaining flour, add the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold in the chocolate chips, followed by the raspberries.
- Divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans. Sprinkle the topping over each loaf to cover, pressing it in slightly to help it adhere.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes; separated pans may cook faster. When done, they should be browned across the top and pass the toothpick test in the middle. Cool for 30 minutes. If using a large pan with four mini loaves inside it, run a sharp knife around the edges of each divot and then carefully tip the loaves onto a pan or counter. Set them on a rack to completely cool.
- Store loaves in a sealed container at room temperature or freeze soon after making. Eat at room temperature or warmed in the microwave.
OM NOM NOM!
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