Description
This festive Christmas Bread is a sweet, buttery loaf bursting with colorful sprinkles and a smooth vanilla glaze, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting. With a tender crumb and a bright, cheerful appearance, it's an easy-to-make treat that brings joy to any breakfast or dessert table.
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 loaf pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside for later.
- 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.
- Add eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and milk: Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract just until combined, then add the sour cream and whole milk, stirring until incorporated. Set this wet mixture aside.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon thoroughly.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined with no visible flour streaks.
- Fold in sprinkles: Carefully fold in the Christmas sprinkles, being cautious not to overmix to prevent the colors from bleeding into the batter.
- Bake the bread: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top has turned golden.
- 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 the icing: While the bread cools, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Glaze the bread and finish: Spread the icing over the cooled loaf using a rubber spatula, smooth it out, and sprinkle additional Christmas sprinkles on top if desired. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Place a foil tent over the bread if it starts to brown too quickly while baking to prevent over-browning.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs for best mixing results and a tender crumb.
- Do not overmix once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense texture.
- Extra sprinkles on top add a festive touch and a bit of crunch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 260 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
