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Cinnamon Apple Bread

Cinnamon apple bread with a golden cinnamon-sugar swirl and tender crumb studded with finely diced apples. Baked in a loaf pan until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, then cooled for clean slices.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

all-purpose flour
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon for cinnamon swirl
nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
eggs
  • 2 eggs
granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar for cinnamon swirl
brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar, packed
vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 cup apples, peeled and finely diced

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Mix until evenly combined with no visible dry clumps.
Make the batter
  1. Whisk eggs, both sugars, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Stop when the mixture looks glossy and uniform.
  2. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold gently so the batter stays thick and does not overmix.
  3. Fold in the diced apples. The batter should be evenly dotted with apple pieces.
Add the cinnamon swirl and bake
  1. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Spread it into an even layer with a level top.
  2. Mix the cinnamon-sugar swirl and sprinkle half over the batter. Lightly scatter it so it forms a golden streak pattern.
  3. Add remaining batter on top and smooth the surface. Keep the top as even as possible for a clear swirl.
  4. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over the top. The crust should look speckled and lightly glossy.
  5. Run a knife through the batter once to create a subtle swirl. Make one controlled pass so the swirl remains gentle rather than mixed through.
  6. Bake 55-65 minutes at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The loaf should be golden on top with a set center.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool in the pan 15 minutes before slicing. This helps the interior firm up for neat, tender slices.

Notes

Pro tip: Finely dice the apples so they distribute evenly and bake through without pockets. Store this loaf wrapped at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days; freeze slices in an airtight bag up to 2 months for quick reheating. For a lighter texture, swap half the oil with unsweetened applesauce (use the same total amount of fat) while keeping the sour cream.