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My husband stopped at the bakery for an apple fritter every Saturday morning for thirty years. Then one October morning I baked this loaf, and he never stopped there again. He cuts the end piece for himself because it carries the most glaze, and he likes to remind me that the bakery never once gave him the end. Apple fritter bread has every flavor of a fritter: tender apples, brown sugar and cinnamon in ribbons, a buttery crumb and a sweet vanilla glaze that sets white and cracks when you cut it. The difference is that it bakes quietly in a loaf pan while you drink your coffee.
The batter is plain and buttery, a little like a good butter cake baked in a bread pan. The apples are the whole show, and the one thing that decides whether this loaf looks like a fritter or like a cake with apples at the bottom is how you layer them. Chopped small, tossed in brown sugar, cinnamon and a spoon of flour, and laid in two layers between the batter, they stay right in the middle where they belong. Here is exactly how to do it, and how to time the glaze so it sinks into the cracks.
Why this apple fritter bread works
- Small apple pieces. Chopped to about 1/2 inch, the apples cook tender in the time the bread takes to bake, with no hard bites.
- Floured apples. A spoon of flour on the apples helps them grip the batter, so they stay where you layer them instead of sinking.
- Two layers, one swirl. Half the apples in the middle, half on top, and one pass with a knife: you get ribbons of cinnamon through the loaf without turning it to mush.
- A thick batter. A firm, buttery batter holds the apple layers up. A runny batter lets them drop to the bottom.
- Glaze on a warm loaf. Poured while the bread is warm, some glaze sinks into the cracks like a real fritter and the rest sets white on top.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x5 inch loaf, about 10 thick slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the apple layer
- 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 cups, 250g)
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (65g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the bread
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (190g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (130g)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk (120ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Firm apples hold their shape: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala or a mix. Keep the pieces small and even, so none of them are still hard when the bread is done.
How to make apple fritter bread
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with a strip of parchment, leaving the ends hanging over as handles.
- In a bowl, toss the chopped apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon and the 1 tablespoon flour until every piece is coated. Set aside.
- Whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the soft butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk, and stir only until no dry flour shows. The batter will be thick.
- Spread half of the batter in the pan. Scatter half of the apples over it in an even layer, pressing them lightly into the batter.
- Spread the rest of the batter over the apples, then scatter the remaining apples and any sugar left in the bowl over the top. Run a butter knife down the length of the loaf once in a zigzag, just to swirl the top layer in. Do not stir.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deep golden and cracked and a toothpick in the center comes out with no wet batter. If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment onto a rack.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and the vanilla into a thick glaze, adding the last spoon of milk only if it is too stiff to pour. Pour it over the warm loaf so it runs into the cracks and down the sides. Let it set for 15 minutes before slicing.
Tips that make the difference
- Coat the apples with flour right before layering. Left to sit, they give off juice and the flour turns to paste.
- One swirl is enough. Stirring the apples through the batter makes a wet, heavy loaf.
- Test the center with a toothpick in two places. Apple pieces stay moist, so look for wet batter, not crumbs.
- Use a metal loaf pan if you have one. Glass bakes the edges darker before the middle is done.
Variations
- Pecan. Add 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans to the apple mixture.
- Muffins. Layer the batter and apples in 12 lined muffin cups and bake for 22 to 25 minutes.
- Brown butter glaze. Brown 2 tablespoons of butter until nutty and whisk it into the glaze.
- Pears. Firm pears work in place of the apples in late fall.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the loaf wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. The apples keep it moist.
Slices freeze well for up to 2 months, wrapped one by one. Thaw at room temperature or warm for 15 seconds in the microwave.
To refresh a day-old slice, warm it in a toaster oven for a few minutes; the glaze softens and the edges crisp again.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep the apples from sinking to the bottom?
Chop them small, coat them with a spoon of flour, and layer them in two layers between a thick batter instead of stirring them in. The flour helps them grip and the thick batter holds them up.
Can I use a different apple?
Yes, any firm baking apple works. Very soft apples such as Red Delicious turn mushy and wet.
Why is my loaf raw in the middle?
Usually the apples were cut too big or the oven runs cool. Bake until a toothpick in the center shows no wet batter, covering the top with foil if it browns too soon.
Is this a bread or a cake?
It is a quick bread, leavened with baking powder, with no yeast. It slices like a loaf and tastes like a fritter.
Cut the end piece first. In our house it belongs to whoever used to drive to the bakery.
Apple Fritter Bread (Bakery Fritter Flavor, No Frying)
Apple fritter bread: a buttery quick bread layered with chopped apples tossed in brown sugar and cinnamon, swirled once with a knife, baked at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes and finished with a thick vanilla glaze poured on warm.
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples, peeled and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with a strip of parchment, leaving the ends hanging over as handles.
- In a bowl, toss the chopped apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon and the 1 tablespoon flour until every piece is coated. Set aside.
- Whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the soft butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk, and stir only until no dry flour shows. The batter will be thick.
- Spread half of the batter in the pan. Scatter half of the apples over it in an even layer, pressing them lightly into the batter.
- Spread the rest of the batter over the apples, then scatter the remaining apples and any sugar left in the bowl over the top. Run a butter knife down the length of the loaf once in a zigzag, just to swirl the top layer in. Do not stir.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deep golden and cracked and a toothpick in the center comes out with no wet batter. If the top browns too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment onto a rack.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and the vanilla into a thick glaze, adding the last spoon of milk only if it is too stiff to pour. Pour it over the warm loaf so it runs into the cracks and down the sides. Let it set for 15 minutes before slicing.
