Description
This festive Christmas Bread is a delightful, colorful treat perfect for the holiday season. It features a soft and moist vanilla-flavored loaf studded with Christmas sprinkles and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze, making it both visually appealing and delicious. Ideal for holiday breakfasts, snacks, or dessert, this easy-to-make bread brings a cheerful touch to any occasion.
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 your oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, then set it aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base.
- Add eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and milk: Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract just until combined. Next, incorporate the sour cream and whole milk until all is evenly mixed; then set this mixture aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon to distribute the leavening and spices evenly.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined with no visible flour streaks; avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
- Fold in sprinkles: Carefully fold in the Christmas sprinkles, taking care not to overmix as this could cause the colors to bleed into the batter.
- Fill pan and bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Cool the bread: Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare icing: While the bread cools, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth to create the glaze.
- Glaze and decorate: Spread the icing evenly over the cooled bread using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle additional Christmas sprinkles on top if desired. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If the bread starts to brown too quickly during baking, tent it loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning while the inside finishes baking.
- Ensure not to overmix the batter after adding flour and sprinkles to maintain a tender texture and prevent colors from bleeding.
- Use a rubber spatula for spreading the icing to get a smooth, even layer on the bread.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before glazing to prevent the icing from melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 1/12 loaf)
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
