Obsessed Cakes

French Toast Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf

A cinnamon-maple cake-donut loaf layered with buttery streusel, finished with vanilla-maple crackle glaze, and topped with flaky sea salt.

Prep
30 min
Bake
55-90 min
Total
About 2 hr 15 min, plus glaze setting
Yield
One 9x5-inch loaf

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Ingredients

Classic Buttery Streusel

  • 115 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 40 g (3 tablespoons + 3/4 teaspoon) granulated sugar
  • 40 g (3 tablespoons) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 113 g (1/2 cup) cold butter, cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

French Toast Donut Loaf

  • 260 g (2 1/8 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 15 g (2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon) cornstarch
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 70 g (1/3 cup) light brown sugar, packed
  • 120 g (1/2 cup) neutral oil
  • 200 g (7/8 cup) plain unsweetened yogurt, room temperature
  • 135 g (5/8 cup) milk, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon maple emulsion
  • 1/4 teaspoon butter extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Vanilla Maple Crackle Glaze

  • 250 g (2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 60 g (1/4 cup) milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1/8 teaspoon maple emulsion
  • Pinch fine sea salt

Finish

  • Maldon flaky sea salt

Before Baking

  • Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and fully line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt for the streusel. Add the cold plant butter and vanilla bean paste. Work together with your fingertips until a mixture of fine crumbs and large buttery clusters forms. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, yogurt, milk, vanilla bean paste, maple emulsion, butter extract, and apple cider vinegar until completely smooth.
  4. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain.
  5. Spread just under half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
  6. Sprinkle half of the chilled streusel evenly over the batter.
  7. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the streusel until completely covered.
  8. Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the top, leaving plenty of large buttery clusters.
  9. Sprinkle the top lightly and evenly with coarse sanding sugar just before baking.
  10. Bake for 55-90 minutes. Check the loaf at 45 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the streusel is browning quickly. The loaf is done when the center reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C), the center no longer jiggles, and a tester inserted into the cake portion comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
  11. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully lift the loaf onto a wire rack.
  12. Once the loaf is on the wire rack and feels warm but no longer hot, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, maple emulsion, and salt until smooth and pourable. Spread the glaze evenly over the top, allowing it to naturally drip down the sides.
  13. Immediately sprinkle lightly with Maldon flaky sea salt while the glaze is still wet.
  14. Allow the glaze to set on the counter for 3-4 hours, or refrigerate the loaf for about 30 minutes for set glaze with a still-warm center. Serve warm or fully chilled.