Moist Strawberry Bread (One Bowl)
This strawberry bread is an easy, one-bowl, moist cake made with fresh strawberries and lemon. It is finished with a sweet, glossy strawberry glaze.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg
- ⅓ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
- ¾ cup Milk
- ⅓ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 cups Strawberries chopped
Strawberry glaze
- ⅓ cup Strawberries
- 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoon Milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, eggs, whole milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt directly into the wet ingredients.
- Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Stop mixing as soon as you see no more streaks of flour. Overmixing at this stage will develop too much gluten, making the bread tough instead of tender.
- Gently fold in the diced strawberries.
- Expert Tip: Toss the berries in a teaspoon of flour before adding them to the batter; this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50–60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
Make the strawberry glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of milk until a thick paste forms.
- Gently fold in the finely chopped strawberries. The moisture from the fresh fruit will naturally thin the glaze out.
- Adjust Consistency: If the glaze is still too thick to drizzle, add the remaining milk half a teaspoon at a time.
- Pour over the cooled bread. The chopped strawberries will settle beautifully on top for a professional, "bakery-style" finish.
Notes
- Don't Overmix the Batter: This is the golden rule for quick breads. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, fold them in gently with a spatula just until the flour streaks disappear. Overmixing develops gluten, which leads to a tough, rubbery loaf instead of a tender crumb.
- Toss Berries in Flour: Before adding your diced strawberries to the batter, toss them in 1–2 teaspoons of flour. This light coating helps the fruit "grip" the batter so the strawberries stay evenly distributed throughout the bread instead of sinking to the bottom.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your milk and eggs are at room temperature. This allows the ingredients to emulsify properly, creating a smoother, more uniform batter that rises better in the oven.
- The "Clean Toothpick" Test: Since fresh strawberries release moisture as they bake, the center can take a while to set. Test the bread by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the loaf; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Completely Before Glazing: If you apply the glaze while the bread is even slightly warm, the milk and sugar will melt and soak into the bread. For those beautiful "bakery-style" drips, wait until the loaf is stone-cold.
Nutrition
Calories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 177mgPotassium: 116mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 1mg
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