Strawberry Bread Loaf With Strawberry Glaze Recipe

I just made a Strawberry Loaf With Glaze that’s impossibly soft, studded with real berries, and so sweetly glazed you’ll want the recipe ASAP.

I am obsessed with this Strawberry Loaf With Glaze. I love how real fruit shows up everywhere, jammy bits in the crumb and sticky sheen on top.

I mean, I don’t need a party to want every slice; I want it for breakfast, snack, midnight sugar hits. The idea of using 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries fresh or frozen thawed and a simple for the glaze 1 cup powdered sugar makes me stupidly happy.

Bake With Strawberries and call it comfort food if you must. But mostly I just adore tearing into that soft, juicy sweet loaf.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: the sturdy base, keeps loaf together and tender.
• Baking powder: makes it rise light and fluffy.
• Baking soda: helps browning and a bit of lift.
• Salt: balances sweetness, makes flavors pop.
• Unsalted butter softened: richness and cozy, buttery crumb.
• Granulated sugar: sweetness and soft texture.
• Eggs: bind everything and add structure.
• Vanilla extract: warmth and familiar sweetness.
• Milk: moistness without weighing it down.
• Sour cream or yogurt: tangy creaminess, keeps it moist.
• Chopped strawberries: juicy bursts, pretty pink flecks.
• Lemon juice: brightens flavors, keeps it fresh.
• Lemon zest: Basically adds a little aromatic zing.
• Powdered sugar: smooth, sweet base for glaze.
• Pureed strawberries or milk: adds color and thinness to glaze.
• Glaze lemon juice: Plus, adds a tiny citrus kick.
• Butter or nonstick spray: prevents sticking, makes life easier.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries fresh or frozen thawed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (a little brightness)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional but nice)
• for the glaze 1 cup powdered sugar
• for the glaze 2 to 3 tablespoons pureed strawberries or milk
• for the glaze 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• butter or nonstick spray for the loaf pan

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray; line with parchment if you want easy lifting.

2. Whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl; set aside.

3. In a large bowl cream 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and a bit fluffy, then beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

4. Stir 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt into the butter mixture until combined.

5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gently until mostly combined; do not overmix or the bread will be tough.

6. Toss 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen thawed) with a tablespoon of the flour from the dry mix or a pinch of extra flour so they don’t all sink to the bottom, then fold them into the batter along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest if using.

7. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not raw batter; if the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil.

8. Cool the loaf in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely before glazing; if you glaze while it’s hot the glaze will melt off.

9. For the glaze puree fresh or thawed strawberries and strain if you want a smoother glaze, or use milk; whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons pureed strawberries or milk and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice until pourable but not too thin, adjust liquid to get the consistency you like.

10. Drizzle the strawberry glaze over the completely cooled loaf, let it set for a few minutes, slice and serve; store leftovers wrapped at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheated to 350 F)
2. 9×5 loaf pan (plus parchment or nonstick spray)
3. Mixing bowls (one big for batter, one for dry stuff)
4. Hand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon (for creaming butter and sugar)
5. Whisk and rubber spatula (whisk for drys and glaze, spatula for folding)
6. Measuring cups and spoons
7. Cutting board and knife (for chopping strawberries)
8. Blender or food processor (or a fork for mashing strawberries for the glaze)
9. Wire cooling rack (and a toothpick or cake tester to check doneness)

FAQ

Strawberry Bread Loaf With Strawberry Glaze Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour: swap with 1:1 gluten free flour blend for a gluten free loaf, or use half whole wheat and half all purpose for nuttier flavor (may make loaf a bit denser).
• Unsalted butter: use equal amount neutral oil like canola or melted coconut oil for a moister crumb, or use salted butter but cut back a pinch of added salt.
• Milk: sub with any unsweetened plant milk such as almond, oat, or soy at same volume; buttermilk works too if you want extra tang and rise (thin with a little water if it’s very thick).
• Eggs: replace each egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes) for vegan option, or use 1/4 cup applesauce per egg for lower fat, slightly sweeter loaf.

Pro Tips

1. Let the butter really soften at room temp before you start, not melted though. If it’s too cold the batter will be lumpy, and if it’s melted the loaf will be dense. A quick test: press your finger in and it should give but still hold shape.

2. Toss the strawberries in a little flour, not too much, right before folding them in. This keeps most of the fruit from sinking and stops the batter from turning pink and runny. Frozen berries need extra gentle handling so they don’t bleed too much.

3. Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Stir until you still see some streaks of dry flour and that’s it. Overmixing = tough bread. If you have little clumps of flour they’ll bake out fine.

4. Glaze only when the loaf is fully cool, otherwise the glaze will slide right off. If you want a shinier glaze, add a teaspoon more lemon juice to balance the sweetness, or warm the glaze slightly to thin it before drizzling.