Description
This festive Christmas Bread is a delightful sweet loaf packed with colorful sprinkles and a rich vanilla icing, perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy winter breakfasts. Soft and moist with a hint of cinnamon, it's a cheerful treat that looks as good as it tastes.
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 softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy to build a smooth base for the bread.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing just until combined, then mix in the sour cream and whole milk until fully incorporated; set aside the wet mixture.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon to evenly distribute the leavening agents and spices.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, ensuring no flour streaks remain to keep the batter tender.
- Fold in sprinkles: Gently fold in the Christmas sprinkles without overmixing to avoid color bleeding into the batter.
- Bake 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 golden brown.
- Cool bread: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely for best slicing.
- Prepare icing: While the bread cools, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth and spreadable.
- Ice and decorate: Spread the icing over the cooled bread and smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle extra Christmas sprinkles on top if desired, then allow the icing to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If the bread starts browning too quickly during baking, place a foil tent loosely over the loaf to prevent over-browning while it finishes baking through.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding sprinkles to avoid color bleeding in the bread.
- Ensure the bread is completely cool before icing to prevent the glaze from melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
