Apple Butter Bread: A Study in Disguised Cake

This loaf is unapologetically autumnal. I stopped by Scott Farm this weekend and couldn’t resist their apple butter. Left with a few jars and, naturally, too many apples. This recipe doesn’t call for fresh ones (they’re destined for a Gâteau Invisible), but if you’re that kind of person, go ahead and fold some in. It’ll only make your kitchen smell better.


Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup apple butter
  • ½ cup pumpkin purée
  • 10 Tbsp butter, browned
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ⅓ cup labneh or Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 255 g all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 2½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Butter a 9×5” loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  3. In a small saucepan, brown the butter until nutty and fragrant. Let it cool slightly.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together apple butter, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, browned butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
  5. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
  6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined—don’t overmix.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 70 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and let cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • Next time I might try to top this off with a streusel topping

Source

Adapted from Molly Baz’s Brown Butter & Labneh Banana Bread Cake — reworked with apple butter instead of bananas.