Filled with sweet, jammy swirls and topped with a nutty streusel, this quick bread makes for a hearty breakfast or tasty dessert. Substitute the jam for whatever fruit preserves or spreads you have at home. If you’re out of cinnamon, use nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom to spice things up instead. Get more delicious bread recipes in our Bread 2020 special issue!
Cinnamon Jam Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (180 grams) sour cream*
- 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda
- ½ cup (160 grams) blueberry jam, divided
- Nut Streusel (recipe follow)
- Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8½x4½-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, whisking just until combined.
- Spoon one-third of batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Top with ¼ cup (80 grams) jam, leaving a ¼-inch border. (Spread jam gently, so that it doesn't bleed into cake layer too much.) Spoon another one-third of batter over jam, spreading evenly. Top with remaining ¼ cup (80 grams) jam. Spoon remaining batter over jam, spreading evenly. Top with Nut Streusel.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cover with foil, and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes more. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Drizzle with Sugar Glaze.
Notes
*We used sour cream, but you can also use the same measurement of buttermilk, crème fraîche, or yogurt.
Nut Streusel
Ingredients
- ½ cup (57 grams) chopped sliced almonds*
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (47 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together almonds, flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Using your fingertips, cut in butter until pea-size crumbs remain. Squeeze mixture into small and large clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
*Use the same measurement of whichever kind of nut you prefer and have on hand.
Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (127 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) whole milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Use immediately.
Notes
*If you don’t have milk on hand, you can also make this glaze with heavy whipping cream, half-and-half, or even water, although the glaze will not have as much flavor when made with water.
Nice flavor. Rose beautifully. Next time I’ll up the jam a little. Use raspberry maybe. Check for doneness after about 50 minutes so you don’t overbake. I think the streusel could use a little more butter too. Just my experience with it. Overall, love it. Thanks
I’ve made this twice now. The first time it was good but a little dry. The second time was fabulous after making a few alterations. I upped the butter by 2 tbsp and doubled the jam. Also the recipe calls for 30 minutes uncovered and then approximately 45 more minutes covered, then 10 minutes rest in pan before removing. Second time around, I cooked for 30 minutes uncovered, 35 minutes covered, and let it rest for 15 minutes in the pan. The bake was perfect this time and the loaf fully cooked yet not overly dry. I would highly recommend this recipe using whatever sweet jam variety you prefer.