Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread with Crumb Topping

Circle B Kitchen

This recipe accommodates an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan. If you only have the larger 9 x 5 size, it will take a little less cooking time, so check it after 30 or 35 minutes. You don't have to swirl the cinnamon sugar into the batter with a knife in step 3, but it disperses it a little which is nice in the finished loaf. The buttermilk is an essential ingredient in this bread, the fresher the better. I do not suggest substituting powdered buttermilk because you need the lift that's created when the buttermilk and baking soda meet up. It creates a really wonderful texture! And speaking of texture... this bread has a very moist, delicate crumb that will seize up if overcooked. Every oven is different, mine was done perfectly at about 43 minutes. I would suggest testing it at 40 and taking it out of the oven as soon as your toothpick is just barely clean.

Ingredients:

¼ cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar:

2 ½ tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Crumb topping:

¼ cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

¼ cup butter, melted

½ cup all purpose flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray an 8 ½ by 4 1/2 –inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside the pan with a few inches of overhang (about 7 ½ x 13 inches), place it in the pan and then spray again with non-stick cooking spray. This will make removal from the pan super easy.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg, and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking soda, salt and flour. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly, and then pour 1 1/3 cups of the batter into the prepared pan.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the batter in the pan. Use a knife to swirl it though the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar, smoothing the top with a spatula.

Mix together the crumb topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Grab the ends of the parchment paper and remove the bread from the pan. Discard the parchment and place the bread on a wire rack to cool.