Tessa Kiros' Apple Bread with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Topping

 Is there anything more glorious than the smell of apples and brown sugar baking away in the oven?

Grate a few of your favorite apples. We are obsessed with Honeycrisp apples, so Honeycrisp it is. Add those grated apples to a batter spiced with cardamom and cinnamon. We're talking major fall vibes here.

Top the batter with a mix of brown sugar, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon. I don't have to tell you that this topping is delicious. We all know that brown sugar is like magic. Think candied walnut topping here.

This bread is deeper in color than other classic quick breads and that's ok because again, brown sugar friends. So don't fret. The crumb holds plenty of moisture from the apples and the topping, well....it speaks for itself. 

Apple Bread with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Topping

Adapted from Apples for Jam

by Tessa Kiros

Cuts into 10-12 slices

Bread:

scant 3/4 cup sugar

1/4 pound, plus 3 tablespoons butter (11 tablespoons)

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

salt

about 2 apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely grated

2/3 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped (omitted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

2/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 12 by 4-inch loaf pan. Beat together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs, and beat them in well. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, and cinnamon in, and add a pinch of salt. Mix well. Add the apples, walnuts, and vanilla, and mix those through well. Scrape the mixture into the pan.

For the topping, mix together the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon, and then scatter abundantly over the top of the batter. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is crusty brown and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes and cover the top with foil if it is already quite brown.

Cool slightly before turning out carefully. Do this over your serving plate so that you don't lose any topping. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, on its own, with whipped cream, or with a simple vanilla ice cream.