As the month of August ends, apple season begins. A much welcome sign foreshadowing the arrival of fall and the return of applesauce making and the apple baking season. In the next couple of weeks we will take a drive up to our favorite apple orchard to pick a couple of bushels of Honey Crisp Apples. In addition to making Homemade Applesauce, there will be a number of apple desserts and savory bites going into rotation. Joining the Apple Crisp, Apple Fritter Skillet Cake, Apple Fritter Cake, Caramel Apple Dutch Babies, and Cinnamon and Apple Crumble family this year will be this scrumptious, spiced, moist Apple Fritter Loaf. Having all of the flavors of apple fritters but taking only half of the work makes this the easiest, most crowd pleasing way to satisfy an apple fritter craving.
Other than warm cinnamon sugar coated Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts, there may be no other dessert better at capturing our cravings for the seasonal flavor of apples. When chunks of apples tossed in cinnamon and brown sugar are combined with layers of a sweet brown sugar-cinnamon mixture and a buttery, moist cake, the result is the most flavorful, gorgeous quick bread. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a mid-day snack, a thick slice of this Apple Fritter Loaf may be one of the most tempting, irresistible, droolworthy things you can make for your family and friends.
Other than allowing time for your butter and eggs to come to room temperature (I take mine out the night before), this isn't one of those recipes requiring a significant amount of preparation time. The entire loaf comes together in less than thirty minutes (maybe even closer to twenty) and bakes for somewhere between 55 and 65 minutes.
In addition to the Honey Crisp Apples, the cinnamon and dark brown sugar are what makes this Apple Fritter so incredibly flavorful. The dark brown sugar gives this loaf a depth of flavor (with nots of caramel and toffee) light brown sugar just can't.While many will say it's okay to swap out the dark brown sugar with light brown sugar, I am very reluctant to tell you it's okay in this particular recipe.
The layers of apples and dark brown sugar mixtures is what gives the loaf its' gorgeous dark stripes. In order to achieve a loaf with discernible layers of lusciousness, each component of the loaf is divided in half.
Baking time for the Apple Fritter Loaf is somewhere between 55 and 65 minutes. For that hour your kitchen will be swimming blissfully in the heavenly, intoxicating aromas of cinnamon, apples and dark brown sugar.
The key to making the perfect loaf is to neither over nor under bake this loaf. Begin checking for doneness at 50 minutes by inserting a long toothpick or skewer into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with very few crumbs, your loaf is done. Allow the loaf to rest in the pan for thirty minutes before you drizzle on the icing.
The confectionary icing truly is the literal and proverbial icing on the loaf. The sweetness and creaminess of the icing compliments and contrasts perfectly with the dense, spiced loaf.
Cut this Apple Fritter into thick, hefty (almost 3/4") slices for the absolutely best eating experience. This is not one of those cut into thin slice kind of loaf.
Bringing on the smells and flavors of fall in late August is one of the best decisions you can make! Sure you can wait until September to make this Apple Fritter Loaf if you are one of those delayed gratification kind of people. But there is much to be said about living in the moment. And the moment of apple season has arrived.
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Recipe
Apple Fritter Loaf
Makes one loaf
Ingredients
Apple Mixture
2 cups (1 pound/454g) Honey Crisp Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into a small 1/4'-1/3" dice (about 4 small or 2 large apples) - See notes
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sugar Mixture
1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Batter
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup (80g) sour cream
Icing
3/4 cup (90g) confectionary sugar, sifted
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of Kosher salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a metal 8" x 4"pan with parchment paper. Butter paper and sides of pan not covered by the paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the apples, dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter for approximately one minute.
5. Add in the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes).
6. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
7. Beat in the vanilla.
8. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Kosher salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
9 .In a small-medium bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream.
10. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter. Mix until blended.
11. Add half of milk-sour cream mixture to the batter. Mix until blended.
12. Repeat adding in the remaining flour and milk-sour cream mixture. Beat until well blended.
13. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
14. Evenly top with half of the apple mixture. Note: Do not add the liquid released from the apples.
15. Evenly top with half of the sugar mixture.
16. Repeat with remaining batter, apples and sugar mixture.
17. Place the baking pan on a baking sheet. Insert into oven and bake for 55-65 minutes our until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean. Note: My baking time was closer to 65 minutes and I rotated the pan midway through the baking process.
18. Remove from the oven. Let the Apple Fritter Loaf remain in the pan for 30 minutes.
19. Whisk together the icing ingredients (confectionary sugar, milk, vanilla and Kosher salt). Note: If your icing is too thick, add slightly more milk.
20. Remove the loaf from the pan. Drizzle the loaf with the icing.
21. Let the icing set and cake cool for another 30 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.
22. Serve and enjoy.
23. Store any leftover loaf in the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Note: The loaf was incredibly delicious on the day it was baked and equally, if not a tad more delicious the next day. So if you want to serve it for breakfast, you can make it the night before.
Notes: (1) Weight of the apples was before peeling and coring. (2) I love the flavor of baked Honey Crisp Apples. If you wanted a sweet, slightly tart Apple Fritter Loaf, use half Honey Crisp Apples and half Granny Smith Apples. But cut your Granny Smith apples into a slightly smaller dice.
