Cinnamon Apple Bread

Ingredients

• 1 Granny Smith apple (, quartered, cored, thinly sliced 3 mm / 1/8" thick (Note 1))
• 1 1/2 tbsp demerara sugar ((or turbinado sugar, Note 2))
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 cups diced Granny Smith apple (, 1/2” cubes, skin on (approx 2 large apples) (Note 2))
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder ((Note 3))
• 1/4 tsp allspice ((or mixed spice) (Note 3))
• 1 3/4 cups plain / all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (, sifted (Note 4))
• 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup yogurt (, plain unsweetened (sub sour cream), at room temperature (Note 5))
• 2 eggs (, at room temperature (Note 5))
• 1/2 cup canola oil ((or other neutral flavoured oil))
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup walnuts (, toasted, roughly chopped into 1cm/1/3" pieces (not too small) (Note 6))

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan). Position shelf in the middle of the oven.

2. 2

   Loaf pan (Note 7): Use a 21.5 x 11.5 x 7 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 x 2.75" pan. Spray with canola oil then line the long side + base with a single piece of paper leaving some overhang (don’t worry about lining short sides).

3. 3

   Topping: Mix the Demerara sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. 4

   Cinnamon Apple: Mix Cinnamon Apple ingredients in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the batter (the sugar will make the apple sweat = good thing!).

5. 5

   Batter: Whisk the Dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk Wet ingredients. Pour Wet mix into the Dry bowl, whisk just until smooth. Stir in apples (including all juices) and walnuts. Batter should be thick but dollop-able (not pourable in thin stream, nor thick like sticky bread dough). Scrape into loaf pan, smooth surface.

6. 6

   Topping: Take 1/4 of the apple slices, fan out (so they're overlapping) then arrange on top. Repeat in two more lots of 1/4 of an apple. (I find to cover the surface, I only use 3/4 of the apple.) Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.

7. 7

   Bake 60 minutes. Cover loosely with foil, bake for further 25 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out smooth.

8. 8

   Rest 15 minutes in the pan then use paper overhang to remove to a rack. Cool at least 1 hour on rack before slicing!

9. 9

   Serving - The bread is moist and flavoured enough to eat plain though nobody complains if it's lightly toasted and slathered with butter!