I built this recipe around apples from Apple Holler in Wisconsin: buttery sautéed apples, yogurt batter, and a crisp cinnamon-sugar top. These photos are from my first bake.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 8 tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (360 g) peeled, cored, diced apples (about 3 medium or 4 small; measured raw)
- 1 tbsp (12 g) granulated sugar, for the top
Let’s make it
-
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk 2 cups (240 g) flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, and 1½ tsp cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.
-
Prep the oven and pan. Heat the oven to 350°F conventional or 325°F convection, with a rack in the center. Butter a 9 × 5-inch metal loaf pan and line with parchment. Mix ½ tsp cinnamon with the 1 tbsp granulated sugar for the topping.
-
Cook the apples. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add 3 cups (360 g) peeled, cored apples, cut into ⅜-inch dice, and cook 8–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender with golden edges and no pooled juice. Stir in 1 tbsp packed brown sugar and cook 1–2 minutes. Add 1 tsp cinnamon and toss briefly to coat all the apples, no more than 30 seconds. Take off the heat as soon as they’re coated; cooking longer can make the sugar-and-cinnamon coating sticky and hard as it cools. Spread the apples and buttery coating on a plate to cool for about 10 minutes, until barely warm.
-
Mix the wet ingredients. Melt the remaining 6 tbsp butter and let it cool until warm, not hot. Whisk with the remaining 7 tbsp packed brown sugar (88 g), then 2 large eggs, ½ cup (120 g) yogurt, ¼ cup (60 ml) milk, and 2 tsp vanilla until smooth.
-
Combine. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until a few flour streaks remain. Add all the cooled apples and their buttery coating, then gently fold until no dry flour is visible. Stop mixing there; the batter will be thick.
-
Bake. Spoon into the pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with all the prepared cinnamon sugar (1 tbsp sugar + ½ tsp cinnamon). Bake 55–65 minutes, checking at 50. Tent loosely with foil if the top browns early. A skewer in the center should come out without wet batter; try another spot if you hit an apple.
-
Cool. Leave in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift onto a rack. Wait at least 1 hour before slicing so the center can set.
A few notes
- Apples: Use firm apples, ideally a mix of sweet and tart. Measure the 3 cups (360 g) after peeling and coring, before cooking. Use the whole cooked batch.
- Flour: Weigh it, or spoon into the measuring cup and level off.
- Timing: Allow about 1¾ hours through baking, plus 75 minutes to cool. The listed cook time includes the skillet and oven.
Storage
Cool completely before wrapping. Keep covered at cool room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze individual slices for longer storage and rewarm in a toaster oven.