Description
This festive Christmas Bread is a delightful sweet loaf studded with colorful Christmas sprinkles and topped with a smooth vanilla icing. Perfect for holiday breakfasts or dessert, this soft and flavorful bread combines classic spices like cinnamon with a rich buttery batter. The bread is baked to golden perfection and decorated with a festive sprinkle glaze for a cheerful appearance and delicious taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup Christmas sprinkles plus more for topping
Icing
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix just until combined, then mix in the sour cream and milk until incorporated; set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir in until just combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Fold in sprinkles. Lastly, fold in the sprinkles carefully, but do not overmix them to prevent bleeding of colors.
- Bake the bread. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is just golden.
- Cool the bread. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the icing. Meanwhile, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla to create a smooth glaze.
- Glaze and decorate. Spread the icing over the cooled bread and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with extra Christmas sprinkles, let the icing set, then slice and serve.
Notes
- If the bread is browning too quickly, tent it with foil during the last part of baking to prevent over-browning.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding sprinkles to avoid color bleeding.
- Use a toothpick to test for doneness; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Sour cream adds moisture and tenderness; you can substitute with yogurt for a similar effect.
- The bread keeps well for several days if wrapped tightly or stored in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
