INSTRUCTIONS
Apple Cider: Cook the apple cider at a low boil until it’s reduced by half. This will help concentrate the flavor and really add so much to the bread!
Mix: Beat the brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. Next beat in the egg and vanilla until it is just combined.
Batter: Pour the reduced apple cider into the mixing bowl along with all of the remaining dry ingredients including the flour and apple pie spice. Stir by hand until it is just combined.
Bake: Grease your loaf pan (we use a 9×5) and then pour in the bread batter. Bake the apple cider donut bread for 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Topping: Melt some butter and then brush it over the sides and top of the loaf of apple cider bread. Finally, mix together some cinnamon and sugar and start sprinkling it over the bread! Use as much or as little as you like.
Serve: You’ll want to let the apple cider donut bread cool for about an hour before slicing and serving.
Donut Bread:
The thing that sets this apart from a regular quick bread is that we’ve brushed the outside of the bread with melted butter to give it that rich flavor and add a little fat, like you’d get with deep frying a donut.
The cinnamon and sugar liberally sprinkled over the bread add crunch and texture that also helps mimic an apple cider donut.
Apple Cider Donut Bread
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 2 cups apple cider
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For topping:
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
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Add the apple cider to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool while the oven preheats.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
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Add the butter and brown sugar to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
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Add all of the dry ingredients to the mixture along with the reduced apple cider. Stir by hand until just combined.
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Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
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Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
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Remove the bread to a cooling rack set over a sheet pan.
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Brush the top and sides of the bread with melted butter.
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Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
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Sprinkle liberally over the top and sides of the bread to coat, letting excess cinnamon sugar fall to the pan below.
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Let cool for 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Tips & Notes:
You may use apple juice if that’s all you can find in store, though the end result may be a bit sweeter.
Reducing the apple cider will take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how high your heat is. Don’t skip this step – it really concentrates the flavor and helps the apple cider shine in the bread. You’ll start with 2 cups of apple cider and reduce it down to 1 cup. 1 cup of reduced cider will be added to the bread.
Brushing the bread with melted butter and liberally sprinkling on the cinnamon and sugar is key to giving donut vibes to what is technically a loaf of bread. The richness of the butter and the crackly sugar crust really mimic the flavor and texture of an apple cider donut here.
