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Apple Zucchini Bread with Brown Sugar Frosting
4.5 from 291 votes

Apple Zucchini Bread with Brown Sugar Frosting

Apple Zucchini Bread combines grated apples and zucchini with warm spices and a moist batter to create a tender loaf. The bread is complemented by a rich brown sugar frosting that adds sweetness and a creamy texture. This loaf balances fruit and vegetable moisture content, yielding a flavorful bread great for breakfast or snacks.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Cooling Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 407 kcal
Course: Breakfast, Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Bread
  • 1 egg large
  • ½ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
  • ½ cup sour cream I used full fat sour cream, or Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¾ cup apple peeled first, blotted, and fairly firmly packed in measuring cup (see Notes, Granny Smith, freshly grated
  • ¾ cup zucchini blotted, and fairly firmly packed in measuring cup (see Notes, freshly grated
Frosting
  • ¼ cup butter unsalted
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons milk or cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cup confectioners' sugar if your sugar is particularly lumpy, sift before using it

Instructions

Bread:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, and spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
  2. To a large mixing bowl, add the egg, oil, sour cream, vanilla, sugars, and whisk to combine.
  3. Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and stir to combine; don't overmix.
  4. Add the grated apples and zucchini and fold to combine, don't overmix.
  5. Turn batter out into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula, and bake the bread for about 50 minutes (start checking earlier) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean from any raw batter. I highly recommend draping a sheet of foil, i.e. tenting the pan, at the 25 to 30-minute mark while baking to reduce excessive browning on the top and sides of your loaf. See Notes for baking tips.
  6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, or until it's cool enough to remove.
Frosting:
  1. To a high-sided small saucepan, add the butter and heat over medium-high heat to melt, whisking constantly until it melts.
  2. Add the brown sugar, milk or cream, and whisk to incorporate. The mixture should be bubbling around the perimeter of the saucepan. Allow the mixture to come to a boil so that in the center of the saucepan it's boiling. This will only take another 30-60 seconds.
  3. Once it comes to a boil in the center of the saucepan, turn off the heat, add the vanilla, salt, 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, and whisk vigorously to incorporate the confectioners' sugar. If you want a slightly thicker frosting, add the additional 1/4 confectioners' sugar after you check and see how it looks after the initial 1 1/2 cups.
  4. Immediately pour the frosting over the bread, noting you may not need quite all of it. I discarded about 10-15%. The frosting sets up very quickly so make sure after you whisk in the confectioners' sugar you move quickly and get it poured over the bread.
  5. Allow the frosting to set up fully before slicing into the bread.

Notes

  • Grate apples and zucchini separately then wring out about 50% of their moisture with paper towels before measuring to prevent excess wetness in the batter.
  • Use a foil tent over the baking pan at 25–30 minutes to avoid over-browning the loaf's top and sides.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out free of raw batter; baking time can vary up to 70 minutes depending on moisture and oven differences.
  • Store bread airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerate for up to 8 days, or freeze up to 4 months; frost after thawing if freezing to preserve frosting texture.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 407kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 75g (25%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g (24%) Cholesterol 42mg (14%) Sodium 275mg (11%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 58g (116%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 407

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 407kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 75g 25%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 275mg 11%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 58g 116%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.