This easy Cinnamon Swirl Loaf makes a tasty, quick bite for breakfast or when hunger strikes any time of the day. Stays moist and delicious for several days! The lovely aroma from the cinnamon will make your kitchen smell delicious. My favorite part? The crunchy tops and the caramelized ends – not too sweet and pairs well with your coffee or tea.
Whenever I bake this cinnamon swirl loaf, I slice it into individual portions (after it has cooled down) and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap before storing in the fridge. So anytime we want to eat one, it’s easy to get only the amount that we need. Warm it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds (using defrost mode) and we have a slice of delicious, moist cinnamon swirl loaf ready!
Try it for yourself and you’ll see what I mean. Here’s the step-by-step tutorial with photos. Enjoy!:)
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT:
- digital kitchen scale / digital kitchen scale CA
- oven thermometer
- mixing bowls
- parchment paper
- whisk
- spatula
- stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or a hand mixer
- cake tester (optional)
INGREDIENTS:
- 170 grams (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 300 grams (1 1/2 cups) white granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (about 210 grams)
- 306 grams (1 1/3 cups) full fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract
- 312 grams (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Let’s Get Baking!
Mise en place. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease, flour, and line a 9×5 inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper. Measure all the ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Prepare the cinnamon-sugar mixture by combining the brown sugar and cinnamon. Butter, sour cream, and eggs should be at room temperature.
Make the batter. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low.
Gradually mix one-third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with sour cream. Repeat the process, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
Transfer into pan. Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and generously sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar. Using a stick, swirl the cinnamon sugar around.
Add the remaining half of the batter and top with the remaining cinnamon sugar. You may have extra batter. Bake the extra batter in a smaller pan or muffin pan, if you don’t wish to waste it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Fill up to 3/4 of your pan height – leave some space to avoid overflowing when the bread starts to rise!
Bake and cool. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Storage. Wrap tighly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. I usually slice them into individual portions, wrap each in plastic wrap before storing in the fridge. I warm each slice in the microwave using defrost function (low heat) for about 30 seconds. It’s still gonna be moist and delicious!
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Cinnamon Swirl Loaf
Ingredients
- 170 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 300 grams granulated white sugar
- 4 large eggs about 210 grams, at room temperature
- 306 grams sour cream – full fat, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 312 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- 100 grams brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- PREPARATION. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease, flour, and line a 9×5 inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.Measure all the ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture by combining the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- MAKE THE BATTER. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low.Gradually mix one-third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with sour cream. Repeat the process, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and generously sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar. Using a stick, swirl the cinnamon sugar around. (See NOTE!)Add the remaining half of the batter and top with the remaining cinnamon sugar. Remember to fill your pan up to 3/4 only to give space for the batter to rise. You may have extra batter. (See NOTE!)
- BAKE AND COOL. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
- STORE. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
My pan is 9.25 x 5.25, and I still had too much batter. I guess that’s a good problem to have, but the recipe probably does need adjusting down a little.
Other than that, absolutely delicious.
Thank you for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback – I appreciate it!
Confused why the recipe isnt just adjusted to make exactly what is necessary.
I didnt read the note until after it went in the oven, as ive never had any other recipe have an instruction like this so i didnt look out for it. Its obviously overflowing which is such a waste.
Hello, Jean. I am sorry that happened to you! What loaf pan size did you use? This recipe calls for 9×5 loaf pan as stated at the beginning of the recipe card (servings/yield: one 9×5 loaf) and also in step of 1 of the recipe instructions (Grease, flour, and line a 9×5 inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.).
The batter perfectly fits a 9×5 pan. Using a smaller pan will, of course, overflow. I understand that some overlook this detail which is the reason why I highlighted in step 2 of the recipe instructions to fill your pan up to 3/4 only and that you may have extra batter.
There are several sizes of loaf pans, the most common are 9×5 and 8.5 x 4.5 inches. Though there is only a small difference in size between these 2 pans, the 9×5 pan is about 15% more in terms of volume.
can i use light sour cream? I don’t have full fat
Light sour cream should be ok!
Followed exact recipe….made one loaf and 4 muffins….absolutely delicious…will definitely make again!
Thank you for sharing your results, Lynn! I am glad you liked them!=)
This smells amazing as it’s cooking, but I had a lot of leftover batter that wouldn’t fit in my pan so I made some muffins too. The loaf is also overflowing out of the pan too. Have you ever had this issue?
Hi, Chelsey! Sorry to know that it is overflowing – I’ve never had that issue. As a rule of thumb, fill only up to 3/4 full to give space for the bread to rise. Great idea on using the leftover batter to make muffins!
Thanks everyone, for your visit and kind words! 🙂
This looks delicious! The perfect weekend breakfast 🙂
Yum! I’ll have to try making this for my kids for a great schoolday breakfast. (And a slice for me with my coffee once they’re on the bus!)
Love the tip to store it by the slice – portion control is key with this kind of loaf because I would eat the entire thing! So yummy!
Amen!!! 🙂
This looks super yummy! Love the entire walkthrough as well!