Apple Spice Sweet Bread with Crunchy Streusel Topping

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With my kids heading back to school and temperatures dipping down into the 50’s it’s definitely feeling like fall these days.  I am not a huge baker, but my sister is, and since she has been staying with us we’ve been getting down and dirty in the kitchen more and more. She is totally a from scratch kind of baker, whereas I like to semi-homemake things.  So we decided to get together and collaborate on this apple streusel loaf.

I headed to Walmart to pick up some cheater ingredients that were more my speed, and some more traditional baking supplies to make her happy.  She might have told me that I have the most pathetic baking selection in my pantry she had ever seen…

I gave her a rough idea of what I would make and challenged her to put her own fancy spin on it.  Nothing like a little friendly competition between sisters.  Right? You can also enter to win your own prizes with the #BakeintheFun contest below. Here’s what she came up with.

Apple Loaf Ingredients

• Pillsbury™ Moist Supreme® White Cake
• 1/2 cup Mott’s® Applesauce (as egg substitute in cake mix)
• Oil (as directed on cake mix box)
• Water (as directed on cake mix box)

Streusel Ingredients

• 1/2 bag of M&M’s® Pecan Pie (crushed)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 rolled oats
• 2 Tbsp softened butter
• cinnamon and nutmeg (use your judgement)

Start off by getting your cake batter ready.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.  The volcano method (pictured below) is the technically correct way to do this. Who knew?

Once your batter is ready to go fill your loaf pan halfway full.  Stop there.  Here’s where things get real.  You are going to add some streusel to the top of your batter until you can’t see the batter anymore.  This doesn’t have to be an exact measurement. Just wing it. 😉

Then you are going to add the rest of your cake batter on top of that until your loaf pan is 3/4 full. Then add the rest of the streusel to the top. Toss that bad boy in the oven (just like the box says) until a toothpick comes out clean.

While you loaf is baking you are going to whip up your icing.  The kitchen will be warm at this point so make sure you are staying hydrated.  I really wanted to try the new Snapple® Fall Spice flavor, but I had to settle for Peach Tea instead.

Icing Ingredients

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp Mott’s® Apple Juice
• cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice as desired

Mix all of these ingredients until they form a drizzlable consistency.  Not too thick, not too thin.  If it gets soupy add more sugar.  If it’s pasty add more juice.  Not rocket science.  At least not according to me, my sister might argue…

Let your apple loaf cool for at least half an hour (or until the pan is cool enough to handle with your bare hands).  With a spoon apply the icing in whatever rustic or fancy manner you like.  Really there is no wrong way to do this.  Well, unless you don’t add the icing at all.  That would be wrong.

Then cut it up and eat it!  You’re not going to want to share this with anyone, but do the right thing and give everyone a little nibble off your loaf.
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Be sure to check out more delicious Fall-inspired recipes here. I’d love to hear your favorite!