Description
Rustic Almond Apple Bread merges sweet autumn flavors with rich rum-soaked raisins and creamy cheese. Warm spices and tender apples create a comforting slice perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea moments with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups diced small apples
- 2 well-beaten eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup room temperature butter
Sweeteners and Sugars:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Spices and Extras:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
Rum Raisin Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) softened cream cheese
- ¾ cup chopped raisins
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch of cloves
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and thoroughly grease an 8 x 5 inch (20 x 13 centimeters) loaf pan with butter, then dust with flour to prevent sticking.
- Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry ingredient mixture.
- Using an electric mixer, cream unsalted butter with granulated and brown sugars until the mixture becomes light, pale, and fluffy in texture, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, which helps create a smooth batter.
- Alternately fold in the dry ingredient mixture and milk in three separate additions, mixing gently after each addition to maintain batter consistency.
- Fold in sour cream until just combined, then carefully coat diced apples in a thin layer of flour to prevent them from sinking during baking.
- Gently fold the flour-coated apples and chopped almonds into the thick batter, distributing them evenly throughout.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula and sprinkling additional chopped almonds over the surface.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top achieves a golden-brown color.
- Remove from oven and let the bread cool completely in the pan for approximately 30 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- For the rum raisin cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at low speed until light and airy.
- Gradually incorporate brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves into the cream cheese mixture.
- Gently fold raisins soaked in rum into the cream cheese mixture, ensuring even distribution.
- Once the bread is completely cooled, spread the rum raisin cream cheese frosting evenly over the top before serving.
Notes
- Ensure oven and pan prep happen first to set the stage for baking success, creating a smooth workflow from start to finish.
- Sifting dry ingredients prevents lumps and distributes spices evenly, guaranteeing a consistent flavor throughout the bread.
- Beating butter and sugars until fluffy creates a light, tender texture that makes each slice melt in your mouth.
- Coating apple chunks and almonds in flour helps prevent sinking, keeping ingredients perfectly suspended in the dense, moist batter.
- Baking time and color are crucial indicators of doneness, with golden brown tops signaling a perfectly baked loaf.
- Cooling completely allows structural integrity, ensuring clean slices and preventing crumbly, messy servings when cutting into the bread.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 31g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 70mg