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Sweet Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Donut Bread

A moist and tender loaf cake that captures the essence of a cinnamon donut, complete with a rich cinnamon-sugar swirl and topping. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 366
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Donut Bread
  • 250 g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 125 g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 2 large free-range eggs at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 120 ml whole milk at room temperature
For the Cinnamon Swirl & Topping
  • 100 g light brown soft sugar
  • 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 60 g unsalted butter melted

Method
 

  1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on the long sides to help you lift the loaf out later.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, salt, and ground nutmeg. Set this aside.
  3. Make the Swirl Mixture: In a separate small bowl, combine the light brown soft sugar and ground cinnamon. Pour in the 60g of melted butter and stir until it forms a thick, sandy paste. Set this aside as well.
  4. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the 125g of room temperature butter and the caster sugar on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy.
  5. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once incorporated, beat in the vanilla extract.
  6. Alternate Flour and Milk: With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts (begin and end with the dry ingredients). I find this method prevents the batter from splitting. Mix only until just combined – be careful not to overmix. The batter will be thick.
  7. Layer the Loaf: Spoon half of the batter into your prepared loaf tin and spread it evenly with a spatula. Crumble about two-thirds of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the top of the batter.
  8. Top and Swirl: Gently spoon the remaining batter over the cinnamon layer and spread it to the edges. Sprinkle the last third of the cinnamon mixture over the top. Take a skewer or a butter knife and plunge it into the batter, making two or three gentle figure-of-eight motions to create a light swirl. Don't overdo it!
  9. Bake to Perfection: Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. The loaf is done when it’s golden brown, firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
  10. Cool Completely: Let the donut bread cool in the tin for 15 minutes before using the parchment paper overhang to lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slicing it while warm can cause it to crumble.

Notes

For best results, allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.