Apple Bread

Quick breads are a mainstay in Southern kitchens. They make a welcome gift for a friend or neighbor, or in my case a darling toddler! And this vintage quick bread is a gorgeous loaf. It’s lightly sweet, spiced with cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, full of apples, and a delightful crunch from toasted pecans.

This was a recent request from one of our youngest family members – bring Apple Bread with me on my next visit. This loaf is a blend of several old recipes and was met with his approval. It’s a beautiful bread, made with creamy butter and gently sweetened with sugar, applesauce, and fresh apples. A touch of buttermilk delivers a tender bite and toasted pecans bring their wonderful nuttiness. Add a generous pour of pure vanilla extract then spice things up with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Quick breads freeze beautifully, and like most, the flavors mellow as the bread sits on your counter, the spices deepening in tone, the apples becoming sweeter.

This recipe makes two large loaves – or three smaller ones – so you’ll have plenty to share.

Served with a dollop of yogurt, you’re ready for smiles!

Apple Bread

1 cup butter, room temperature

1-½ cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs, room temperature

6 tablespoons buttermilk

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups sweetened applesauce

1-½ cups chopped apples

1-½ cups toasted chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Spray 2 large metal loaf pans (9”x 5”x 3”) with cooking spray and line the pans with a sheet of parchment paper. (You can also grease and flour the pan in place of the parchment paper.) Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until light and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar, about ½ cup at a time, beating in on medium speed.

Add the eggs, one at a time on medium-low speed, beating well after each.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour along with the baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Add the flour mixture, alternately with the buttermilk, mixing in on low speed, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until the flour disappears.

Stir in the vanilla extract, applesauce, chopped apples, and the pecans.

Scoop the batter into the loaf pans and bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the pans for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 large loaves of bread.

Parchment paper is great for a quick release from the pan, but it tends to curl when pulled off the roll. You can hold it in place by using small binder clips on the sides of your pan.