Snickerdoodle Bread with Cinnamon Ripples
Snickerdoodle Bread is a cinnamon lover’s dream. This quick bread has a crunchy, crackly cinnamon sugar crust on the outside and TWO cinnamon ripples on the inside.
Do you love Snickerdoodles? Since you’re reading this, I’ll bet you’re a fan of those wonderful, old-fashioned cinnamon-coated cookies. But there is more to the classic cookie than the cinnamon sugar coating.
The dough for a good snickerdoodle cookie includes cream of tartar and baking soda instead of baking powder. Why? Because the cream of tartar (an acidic by-product of wine making) gives Snickerdoodles their special, ever so slightly tangy flavor.
How to create a great Snickerdoodle Bread recipe:
Because I wanted to make Snickerdoodle Bread, not just cinnamon bread, I knew I had to use cream of tartar in the batter. Of course the loaf would also be gloriously coated in lots of cinnamon sugar.
So, how to create a recipe from there? I mean, you have to start somewhere. Since I won’t simply copy someone else’s recipe and just change a few ingredients to “make it my own”, I had to find a good starting point for this new quick bread.
Many quick breads (a bread without yeast) are mixed using the “muffin method”. The muffin method is a simple way of mixing a batter by combining the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another bowl, then mixing the two together.
Since I was going to make the bread using the “muffin method” I used one of my favorite muffin recipes as the starting point. From there I tweaked the ingredients to get the best texture and flavor for this amazing Snickerdoodle Bread.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make Snickerdoodle Bread with cinnamon ripples:
Why this is the best Snickerdoodle Bread:
- I use oil in the recipe instead of butter. I tested the recipe using both and preferred the softer texture and extra moisture in the bread made with oil.
- The first test loaf of Snickerdoodle Bread was great the day it was baked, but the next day it seemed a little dry. To improve the keeping quality of the bread, I increased the amount of sugar in the batter. Because sugar is hygroscopic, a little extra sugar helps the bread stay moist for days.
- I use cream of tartar and baking soda instead of baking powder to help the bread have a snickerdoodley flavor. The buttermilk also adds to the subtle tangy flavor.
- I use a parchment sling to help remove the soft bread from the pan after baking. If you don’t use parchment, butter and flour the pan before baking.
- I baked this recipe 5 times and every time the loaf needed the full 55 minutes to bake through. Because of the cinnamon ripples the lower part of the loaf can take a little longer to bake. Use a long skewer to check the center of the loaf to make sure it’s baked all the way through.
- The loaf must be completely cool before you slice it.
Hey cinnamon lover, you might also like these recipes: Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Sourdough Cinnamon Buns, Apple Cinnamon Galette, Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake, Date & Spice Scones.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Snickerdoodle Bread
Ingredients
Topping
- 4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Batter
- 11 ¼ oz all purpose flour (2 ¼ cups, see note)
- 6 oz granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 large eggs
- 8 oz buttermilk (1 cup)
- 5 oz vegetable oil (⅔ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan, or butter the pan and line with parchment paper in one direction.
- In a small bowl, combine 4 oz granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for the topping and set it aside while you mix the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl combine 11 ¼ oz all purpose flour, 6 oz granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar and ½ teaspoon table salt. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 8 oz buttermilk, 5 oz vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients all at once. Stir just until the flour is incorporated.
- Pour a third of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to an even layer. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar over the batter. Add half the remaining batter, smooth to an even layer and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar over the batter. Add the remaining batter, smooth the batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Carefully check the center of the loaf because the top of this loaf often bakes before the center is done.
- Cool the bread for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before slicing.
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What can be used to replaced cream of tartar?
The cream of tartar gives the bread the characteristic flavor. It would be possible to use baking powder (2 tsp) instead of baking soda and cream of tartar. The flavor would not be the same, but it should work ok.
How many calories does this have
It looks so yummy. Mouth-watering. 🙂
Superb! I always like your recipes.
Thanks!