Description
A festive and colorful Christmas Bread featuring a moist vanilla loaf studded with vibrant holiday sprinkles and topped with a sweet vanilla glaze, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting.
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 and prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) 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 the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and flavorings: Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract. Next, blend in the sour cream and whole milk until fully incorporated.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon until evenly combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir gently until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in sprinkles: Carefully fold in the Christmas sprinkles to the batter to avoid bleeding the colors.
- Bake the bread: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Cool the bread: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the icing: While the bread cools, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Glaze and decorate: Spread the icing over the cooled bread using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle additional Christmas sprinkles on top for decoration. Let the icing 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 allowing it to finish cooking.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding the sprinkles to prevent the colors from bleeding into the bread.
- Ensure the bread is completely cooled before applying the icing for the best glaze texture.
- Use a 9×5-inch loaf pan for best results; a different size may affect baking time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 60 g)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
