This recipe came from a lot of trial and error. I had wanted to make a Salted Caramel Loaf and it just wasn’t working out, and not from lack of trying. This was about the 7th recipe that came from a lot of loaves either tasting like just vanilla cake, or the loaf flavours not complimenting each other well at all.
This loaf has quite a few steps to it and I wouldn’t recommend making this your first loaf ever to make. I have tried to break this down into manageable steps, so hopefully, it all makes sense.
I thought this loaf would be a bigger hit than it really was, through the whole month of November I think I only sold about 5 of them. Which I don’t really consider a success, especially when there were some weeks in October that I sold 5 pumpkin loaves in a day.
Let me know if you make this and if you like it or if it was too difficult to make.
Caramel
INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp butter, cubed
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and salt and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring every so often until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until deeply golden, without stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes more. (If you’re using a candy thermometer, you want it to reach 350°).
Once the caramel is a deep copper colour, turn off the heat and immediately stir in cream and butter. The mixture will bubble up so be careful!
Let cool slightly in the pan, then transfer to a container to cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Apple Loaf
Apples
1 1/2 cups peeled & chopped apples (1/2 inch chunks; you need about 2 medium apples)
1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
Batter
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
For Crumble
1/2 cup flour
5 tbsp & 1 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
Apples: Stir the apples, and brown sugar together. Set aside.
Batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs and then beat on medium speed until combined.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
Beat in the yogurt and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. The mixture will look chunky and curdled– this is normal and expected.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, turn the mixer on low speed, and with the mixer running, slowly pour in the milk. Beat just until combined and do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be sticky and slightly thick.
Pour and spread about 1/4 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
Drain the apples, if you don’t it will make the loaf very wet. Mix in the drained apples to the batter that is still in the bowl. Pour and spread the remaining batter on top, making sure to scrape out every last drop of batter.
Crumble: Mix the flour, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingers until no longer floury and crumbs form
Sprinkle crumble on top of the loaf, make sure to spread it evenly across the loaf.
Bake for 60-75 minutes. This is a large heavy loaf, so if your bread is taking longer, that’s completely fine. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done. Begin checking at 60 minutes. Mine takes 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
Once cooled or nearly cooled, lightly drizzle caramel on top of the crumble and serve. I put my caramel in a disposable piping bag to drizzle caramel.
Apple Caramel Loaf
Ingredients
Caramel
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter cubed
Apple Loaf
Apples
- 1 1/2 cups apples peeled & chopped in 1/2 inch chunks; you need about 2 medium apples
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
Batter
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk room temperature
Crumble
- 1/2 cup flour
- 5 tbsp brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature
Instructions
For Caramel
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and salt and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring every so often until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until deeply golden, without stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes more. (If you're using a candy thermometer, you want it to reach 350°).
- Once the caramel is a deep copper colour, turn off the heat and immediately stir in cream and butter. The mixture will bubble up so be careful!
- Let cool slightly in the pan, then transfer to a container to cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.⅕
Apple Loaf
- Stir the apples, and brown sugar together. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and then beat on medium speed until combined.
- Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the yogurt and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. The mixture will look chunky and curdled– this is normal and expected.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, turn the mixer on low speed, and with the mixer running, slowly pour in the milk. Beat just until combined and do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be sticky and slightly thick.
- Pour and spread about 1/4 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
- Drain the apples, if you don't it will make the loaf very wet. Mix in the drained apples to the batter that is still in the bowl. Pour and spread the remaining batter on top, making sure to scrape out every last drop of batter.
Crumble
- Mix the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture with your fingers until no longer floury and crumbs form
- Sprinkle crumble on top of the loaf, make sure to spread it evenly across the loaf.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes. This is a large heavy loaf, so if your bread is taking longer, that’s completely fine. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done. Begin checking at 60 minutes. Mine takes 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Once cooled or nearly cooled, lightly drizzle caramel on top of the crumble and serve. I put my caramel in a disposable piping bag to drizzle caramel.