Description
This Maple Cinnamon Quick Bread is a moist and flavorful loaf perfect for breakfast or a cozy snack. With the warm aroma of browned butter, sweet maple syrup, and a touch of cinnamon, this quick bread combines comforting flavors with a tender crumb. Finished with a luscious maple vanilla glaze, it’s an irresistible treat to enjoy any time of day.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick, divided)
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
Cinnamon Butter Chunks
- 4 tablespoons butter (half stick, chilled and cut into cubes)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Maple Cinnamon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or maple extract)
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the bread.
- Brown Butter: Place half a stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the butter turns a rich brown color and releases a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat once browned and set aside to cool.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and maple extract. Slowly whisk in the cooled browned butter until fully incorporated.
- Mix Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix to maintain a tender crumb.
- Prepare Cinnamon Butter Chunks: Retrieve the chilled cubed butter from the fridge, add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and use a knife or pastry cutter to mix until small pea-sized chunks form. Fold these chunks gently into the batter to distribute pockets of cinnamon butter throughout the bread.
- Pour Batter: Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and pour the prepared batter evenly into the pan.
- Bake Bread: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to keep the bread moist.
- Cool Bread: Remove the bread from the oven and let it sit in the pan for about 15 minutes before adding icing.
- Make Icing: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla (or maple) extract, and salt until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar for thickness or more cream for fluidity.
- Apply Icing: Drizzle or spread the maple cinnamon icing over the top of the bread or on individual slices before serving for a sweet finishing touch.
Notes
- Be careful not to overbake the bread to ensure it stays moist and tender.
- Adjust the amount of salt in the icing to taste, depending on your preference for sweetness balance.
- The cinnamon butter chunks create delightful pockets of rich cinnamon flavor throughout the bread.
- If you don’t have maple extract, vanilla extract alone works well.
- Allow the bread to cool slightly before icing to prevent the glaze from melting completely into the bread.
