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Perfect for a chilly fall morning with a cup of coffee, this apple cider bread is sweet, soft, and so yummy. Best served warm with a bit of butter, it tastes like fall!
About
This bread is everything good about fall in one bite. I love a good morning bread, and though my banana bread is suuuuper good, I've been craving something that tastes like fall.
So naturally, I opened my fridge to look for some inspiration, and laid eyes on my fav fall drink- apple cider! And the rest is history.
Make this bread and I promise it'll be a new fall staple in your household!
Key Ingredients
Apple Cider
The apple cider is reduced down to half of the volume it starts at. This concentrates the flavor so you get more from it!
Sour Cream
I like to use either sour cream or buttermilk in a lot of my baked goods. The acidity from them tenderizes the cake, and it brings even more moistness than regular milk.
If you don't have sour cream you can substitute it with buttermilk, milk, or yogurt, but know that the flavor and texture will be a little different!
Instructions
Prepare
- Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan. You can use a smaller one, but note that you'll have extra batter and it will cook more quickly!
- Preheat the oven to 350.
Reduce the Apple Cider
- Put the apple cider in a saucepan and heat over medium-low until reduced about half, to ¾ cup. This will probably take 10-15 minutes, but you can check its volume every 5 minutes or so.
- Once reduced, cool fully. You can put in the fridge, but often I'll put the reduced cider in a heat-proof bowl, then put the bowl in an ice-bath. This way it usually cools down after 5-10 minutes.
Make the Batter
- Ensure the butter is at room temperature, then in a stand mixer cream the butter and brown sugar for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add room temperature eggs and stir just until combined.
- Tip! If you forgot to put your eggs out beforehand, you can quickly get them to room temperature by putting them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
- Combine the cooled apple cider, room temperature sour cream, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- In 3 installments, alternate between adding the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients to the butter mixture until fully combined. Do not overmix.
Bake
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan, about ⅔ up the side of the pan. If you used an 8 ½ inch pan you may have extra. If this is the case you can make it in to a muffin or mini loaf!
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar together for the topping. Sprinkle on top of the prepared loaf batter.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
Yes! You can make this and freeze it for up to 3 months.
The bread will keep at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Changing up any of the main ingredients will change the texture, so I'd recommend fiddling with the spices! You can add more cinnamon, or add a bit of nutmeg, ginger, or cloves for some more fall spice!
Other Recipes You'll Love:
Apple Cider Bread
Ingredients
Bread Batter
- 1 ½ cups apple cider
- ½ cup butter room temperature, unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
Prepare
- Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
Reduce the Apple Cider
- Put the apple cider in a saucepan and heat over medium-low until reduced about half, to ¾ cup.
- Once reduced, cool fully.
Make the Batter
- Ensure the butter is at room temperature, then in a stand mixer cream the butter and brown sugar for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add room temperature eggs and stir just until combined.
- Combine the cooled apple cider, room temperature sour cream, and vanilla in a bowl.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.
- In 3 installments, alternate between adding the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients to the butter mixture until fully combined. Do not overmix.
Bake
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan, about ⅔ up the sides of the pan (if you used an 8 ½ inch pan you may have extra. If this is the case you can make it in to a muffin or mini loaf!).
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar together for the topping. Sprinkle on top of the prepared loaf batter.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition
Did you make this bread? I want to know! Post it on social media, tag @battersandblessings, and add #battersandblessings so I can see your creation 🙂
Hayley says
This was super moist and delicious! The cider flavour wasn't as up front and center as I was expecting, but it could be because I made some changes to the spices (a combo of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger) so those were a bit more forward. I made a loaf + extra 6 muffins. Other subs included using buttermilk in place of sour cream and raw sugar instead of white for the sprinkle topping (it has a nice crunch). I made the tragic mistake of trying to remove this from the pan before it had cooled sufficiently - and it all fell apart in a sad heap on the counter. My dumb brain didn't realize that even though it was pulling away from the edges of the pan, it was still going to be a soft and delicate crumb. DON'T BE LIKE ME. LET IT COOL.
I also found my muffins to be ready in 20 mins and the loaf done in 30 (with the toothpick test).
I'll definitely make these again, I'll probably start with more apple cider and let it boil down so I can get a more intense cider flavour. So so good!
Batters and Blessings says
Hayley, thanks so much for this kind review! We've all been there with not letting a loaf cool long enough 😀 Also really great to know that your loaf was done in 30 minutes- did you perhaps use an 8 inch loaf pan? If so, that might be the difference in the baking time, and I'd love to put that information in the recipe so others know as well!