Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf

Ingredients

Pan used

I personally prefer a light-colored aluminum pan for these loaves. Here is the one I use. Not sponsored. I don't earn a commission from this link.

Glass holds heat longer, so the edges can overbake before the center is done. If you use glass, loosely tent the loaf with foil early, as soon as the top starts to brown. The foil helps protect the top, but it does not stop the sides or bottom from baking too quickly.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan and fully line it with parchment paper.
2. Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold cubed butter and vanilla bean paste. Work the mixture together with your fingertips until fine crumbs and large buttery clusters form. Refrigerate while you prepare the batter.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, yogurt, vanilla bean paste, milk, and apple cider vinegar until completely smooth.
4. Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk just until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Spread just under half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Scatter about half of the chilled streusel over the batter in an even layer.
6. Add the remaining batter and gently spread it to fully cover the streusel. Do not fill the loaf pan more than 3/4 full, even if some batter remains. Top generously with the remaining streusel, keeping the texture loose and clustered; do not press down.
7. Sprinkle generously with clear coarse sanding sugar before baking. I sprinkle a lot.
8. Bake at 350°F for 55-90 minutes. Check the loaf at 45 minutes and tent it loosely with foil if the streusel is browning quickly. Make sure to keep the oven door closed instead of checking frequently.
9. 9

   Before you take the loaf out

   Baking time is a guide, not a deadline.

   Check the center: Insert a skewer or toothpick into the cake in the center, avoiding the streusel layer.

   Ready to come out: The tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs. No wet batter.

   Keep baking: Thick, paste-like batter: bake 3-5 minutes more. Wet batter: bake 7-10 minutes more. Then test the center again.

   The 205-210°F (96-99°C) range is an extra check. Batter on the tester still means keep baking, even at that temperature. A finished temperature of 210°F or even 212°F is perfectly fine.

   An underbaked center can collapse as the loaf cools.

10. Cool the loaf in the pan for 20 minutes, then use the parchment to lift it onto a wire rack. Let it cool until warm but no longer hot.
11. Make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, and salt until completely smooth and the glaze ribbons off the whisk without becoming watery.
12. Spoon or pour the glaze generously over the warm loaf once it no longer feels hot, allowing it to run naturally down the sides.
13. Allow the glaze to set before slicing.