Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
Cinnamon swirl AND cinnamon streusel? We couldn't ask for anything more.
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You might see a dessert just flavored with cinnamon and think, boring. You would be incorrect. This Cinnamon Swirl Loaf is anything but. More pound cake than bread, it has a moist and buttery crumb that’s run through with an oh-so-cinnamon ribbon. But we wouldn’t stop there! There’s also a cinnamon sugar streusel topping, and I don’t know about you, but I can never resist a streusel topping.
This might seem a little fussy because it has three components — batter, swirl, topping — but it’s really not. See, you’re using the batter for the swirl portion too, so it’s not much extra work, and mixing up some cinnamon and sugar for a streusel topping is really no trouble at all. I’m glad we’re on the same page now.
Like most cakes, you’ll start by creaming together the butter and sugar before mixing in your eggs, and then adding your dry ingredients and mixing them until just combined. (Over-mixing can lead to a tougher, dense crumb and you definitely don’t want that here.) You’ll take about a cup of that batter and stir some milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar into it and you have your cinnamon swirl.
To put it all together, you pour a thin layer of the plain batter in your loaf pan and then dollop the cinnamon batter on top. Top that off with the remaining plain batter and then use a long skewer or a butter knife to gently swirl the batters together. Now you have your cinnamon swirl.
A little (or generous) sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on the top, an hour in the oven, and you’ve got a sweet loaf that makes cinnamon something to look forward to!
Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
Watch How It's Made
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For the batter:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup full fat sour cream
For the swirl:
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon milk
For the topping:
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325°F and grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream, then the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Transfer 1 cup of the batter to another medium bowl. Add the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl to it -- the brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk -- and stir to combine.
- Spoon a thin layer of the basic batter in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan, then dollop spoonfuls of the cinnamon batter on top. Top with remaining basic batter, then smooth out the top and use a long skewer or knife to lightly swirl the batters together. Just run through the batter a few times from side to side.
- In a clean bowl, make the topping by combining the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the loaf.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55-65 minutes.
- Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Let cool before slicing. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Seasons and Suppers.