Time For A Coffee Cake Break

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

This is another recipe that I think originated with my brother, but to be honest, we've been making it for so long in our family that I'm not really sure where it's roots are. But it is very, very tasty. Soft, and cakey on the inside with ribbons of cinnamon sugar goodness, and just the right amount of  cinnamon crunch on top. It's fairly simple to throw together, and is best eaten within two days of being made. Eat it simply sliced, with a hot cup of tea or coffee. I have very fond memories of making this bread in the little shared kitchen of my first college apartment (one of those big late 19th century houses, that had been divided up into apartments - five unites on the first floor, and four on the second - each floor sharing a kitchen, laundry, etc.). The smell would fill the house, and slowly but surely my housemates would creep out of their rooms, and we would sit around the the kitchen table, eating cinnamon bread and getting to know one another. It made a great ice breaker.

This is also a good recipe to take to brunch, a breakfast meeting, or just when visiting a friend.

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Batter

• 1 cup almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup Earth Balance, or you could try using coconut oil (or 2 TBS EB + 2 TBS apple sauce, mashed banana or canned pumpkin)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 flax egg (1 TBS ground flax seeds + 3 TBS warm water mixed together) or EnerG Egg Substitute to equal one egg
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, or unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Cinnamon Sprinkle

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 TBS ground cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a 9”x5” loaf pan, and set aside.

Prepare the flax egg or EnerG (the box tells you how) in a large bowl, and set aside for a minute as you prepare your “buttermilk.”

In a glass measuring cup, mix the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar, and whisk lightly with a fork. Set aside to curdle, while you finish preparing the rest of your ingredients. Weird, I know - but it does amazing things for vegan baked goods!

Add the Earth Balance and sugar to the flax egg and beat together until well mixed. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together with a fork or small whisk to break up any lumps.

Now, begin to add the flour to the oil and sugar mixture, alternately with the buttermilk, about 1/3 at a time, until everything’s used up, and you have a nice batter.

 

In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon and sugar with a fork. Or your hands.

Cinnamon Sugar

Pour 1/3 of the batter into the loaf pan, and sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar mixture on top. Repeat this layering twice, so that you end with sugar sprinkles. 

Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire cooling wrack and allow to cool completely. Slice, serve, and enjoy!