Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Ever since seeing the Cinnamon Coffee Cake on Christy's Kitchen Creations, I have been craving it with a nice hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Since my kiddos have been sick, I haven't had much time to spend in the kitchen doing a lot of baking. When I saw this quick bread, I knew I had found a great, fast alternative! I especially loved that the ingredients were all pantry staples, so it could be made without much prior planning. The recipe only took about 15 minutes to put together, so I was able to mix it up one night while waiting for our dinner to finish cooking. I baked it the night before and then waited to add the glaze until right before serving.

Before you bake the bread, you use a knife to swirl the cinnamon/sugar mixture into the batter. When I added the glaze the next day, it followed the knife lines into the bread to give a bit of extra sweetness throughout each slice. It presented well and was enjoyed by my entire family. The bread was moist and stayed that way as we ate on it through the week.

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1.5 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1.5 - 2 teaspoons milk

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and salt. Combine the buttermilk, egg and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and remaining sugar. Grease the bottom only of a loaf pan. Pour half of the batter into the pan; sprinkle with half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Carefully spread the remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon/sugar. Swirl a knife through the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners sugar and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over bread.

Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book