Easy Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Lemon Glaze

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This recipe came about because I really wanted cinnamon buns and I wanted them STAT. But I wanted them without all the work and time it takes to actually make them. I also didn’t have any yeast; yeast is a little hard to come by these days…

So I made this Cinnamon Swirl Bread instead. With a simple and delicious 2 ingredient lemon glaze, this Cinnamon Bread is super easy and satisfying and it’s just like eating a cinnamon roll, but in the form of an easy loaf!

Cinnamon Bread (with lemon glaze)

It’s surprising what a fabulous pairing cinnamon is with lemon. Many years ago I learned that adding some lemon zest to your cinnamon bun dough is the secret to extraordinarily delicious Cinnamon Buns! And although I make mine in the bread machine, they still take considerably more time than this bread. And I really didn’t have the time or energy required to mess around with making actual cinnamon rolls. So not only did I add a lemon glaze to the top of this cinnamon bread, I added some lemon zest to the batter. And WOW does it ever work!

Cinnamon Loaf

My Overnight Cinnamon Sticky Buns are also quicker and easier than most cinnamon bun recipes out there, but I really didn’t like the idea of having to wait overnight, nor did I have any frozen dinner rolls. Plus these days, there’s not a lot of running out to the grocery store to get a couple of things. This quick and easy cinnamon loaf was the ideal solution!

Cinnamon health benefits

And the great news – cinnamon is really good for you! Cinnamon also contains large amounts of polyphenol antioxidants. Antioxidants can help protect the body from disease and are found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. Some other health benefits of cinnamon noted are aiding in digestive discomfort and short-term reduction in blood pressure. You can read more about cinnamon’s health benefits HERE. 

Quick cinnamon bread

This cinnamon bread is a quick bread so you don’t need yeast. Quick breads rise because they use chemical leaveners like baking soda, baking powder or cream of tartar instead of yeast. And quick cinnamon bread is exactly what I wanted when I set out to satisfy my cinnamon bun fix! It only takes a few minutes to prep and an hour to bake. And not only is it superb with a cup of coffee, it makes a great breakfast, a mid-morning snack or even dessert!

So if you’re also looking for a quick and easy way to get your cinnamon roll fix, then give this bread a try. You won’t be disappointed!

And if you love quick breads, then check out my other quick bread recipes: Old Fashioned Date Nut Loaf, Healthy Carrot Loaf, Easy Tropical Banana Bread and my Classic Lemon Loaf.

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5 from 6 votes

Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Lemon Glaze

This Cinnamon Swirl Bread tastes like cinnamon buns but without all the work! It's a quick bread so it has no yeast and uses shortening instead of butter. With a simple lemon glaze that adds a welcome zip, it strikes the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Canadian, North American

Keyword bread, cinnamon, dairy free meatloaf

Prep Time 15 minutes

1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 8 slices

Calories 342kcal

Author Adapted from Cinnamon Loaf, Pg. 38 "Cooking with Tradition" Darlingford Centennial Cookbook 1999

Ingredients

Loaf

• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp baking soda

Swirl

• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Lemon Glaze

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup powdered (icing) sugar

Instructions

Bread

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9X5 loaf pan
• Beat shortening and white sugar together with electric mixer, then beat in eggs.
• Mix flour, baking powder salt and lemon zest together in a separate bowl.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
• Mix sour cream and baking soda together and add to mixture.

Swirl

• In another small bowl mix brown sugar and cinnamon together.
• Add ½ the batter to the loaf pan.
  
• Then add ½ the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture.
  
• Mix in with a butter knife by cutting in and twisting knife in swirl motions in about 4 different spots.
  
• Then swirl it a little more. *You don't want to swirl too much (you'll want to have some white showing/color contrast) or it won't look as nice when you slice it.
  
• Repeat with remaining batter, then the rest of the cinnamon sugar and same cutting and swirling technique as above.
  
• Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F, then turn down to 300 degrees F and bake for 10- 15 additional minutes or until cake tester or toothpick come out clean.
• Remove and cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Cool on rack for another 5 minutes.

Lemon Glaze

• Whisk lemon juice and powdered sugar together and pour over loaf.
• Let set in fridge for 5 minutes to harden glaze. Then sprinkle on a additional cinnamon. Slice and serve.

Notes

*NOTE: This bread freezes well

Nutrition Facts

Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Lemon Glaze

Amount Per Serving

Calories 342 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 44mg15%

Sodium 291mg13%

Potassium 184mg5%

Carbohydrates 65g22%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 41g46%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 133IU3%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 99mg10%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 1mg

 This recipe is part of The Country Cook Weekend Potluck!