Anything that has the word donut in it gets my attention...and this bread/donut/dessert is worthy of your attention, too. We've had two consecutive snow days in Seattle, which is a big deal for us. School cancelled, people staying home from work and even the aisles at Coscto were clear! No one knows how to drive in the snow in Seattle, and even those who think they do, can't because of all of the others on the road who genuinely don't have a clue. I think Seattle has about 10 snowplows...maybe 11...and we won't see one of them in our neck of the woods until the snow is melted and the rains return and the plow shows up just for fun. Maybe we do have more plows but they really can't plow the roads because of all the deserted cars everywhere! People start to slide so they just turn their car off and leave it! It's just crazy...this is how things would work if I ran the world...if someone abandons their car on a hill in snow then they should leave the keys so when someone else comes along who actually knows how to drive in the snow, they could jump in, move the car out of the way so the plows could do their job and as a thank you they should be able to keep the car. That would be my first act as Queen of the World. My second would be to declare every day powdered sugar donut loaf day.
I have a new found love affair with freshly grated nutmeg. It's so much brighter in taste than what comes already ground in jars. World Market sells whole nutmeg for a decent price and you can find a small grater like the one pictured here at any kitchen shop - it makes all the difference in this bread...I mean donut.
It's important to use parchment to line the baking pan, you need to be able to lift the loaf out in one piece after it's baked. The batter is super thick and the loaf bakes into a very dense crumb - just like biting into a powdered sugar donut.
Brushing the entire loaf with melted butter is so therapeutic! After the butter is soaked in, the loaf gets a thorough coating of powdered sugar, every single side, top and bottom, and maybe even a double dusting because why not? I think a better name for this bread would be Snow Loaf, and it's perfect on a snow day.
Powdered Sugar Donut Loaf - Adapted from Shauna Sever via The Kitchen
parchment paper for baking pan
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned (spoon it into the measuring cup so the flour doesn't become packed, keep it light!)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg (if you don't have any nutmeg to grate then you can use ground nutmeg but fresh really does taste better)
14 tablespoons (1 and 3/4 sticks butter) at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs at room temperature (to bring to room temp quickly, fill a small bowl with hot water and place eggs in the water for 3 to 5 minutes)
1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken, at room temperature (you can bring butter milk to room temp by putting in the microwave for 30 seconds)
To finish:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted, plus more as needed
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Position a rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325°F. Line a 9 x 5-inch bread load pan with parchment paper, leaving it over-hanging on the sides so you can lift the bread out easily after it's baked.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and on low speed beat in 1/4 cup of the flour mixture. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and stir in the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk in 5 alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Finish folding the batter by hand to make sure everything is incorporated — the batter will be very thick.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the loaf is golden with a couple of cracks on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan set over a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the loaf from the pan. Let rest for another 30 minutes.
When the loaf is cool and firm enough to handle, peel the parchment from the cake. Melt butter for finishing. Gently turn the loaf over in 1 hand, and using a pastry brush, brush the bottom of the cake with some of the melted butter, then sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. From there, brush the sides with the butter, and sprinkle each side with powdered sugar. Lastly, brush the top with the butter, and generously sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. (I have a powdered sugar container with a sieved top that I use to do this but if you don't just put the powdered sugar into a sieve and shake over the buttered loaf. Your loaf will resemble a giant powdered sugar donut. Carefully transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving, touching up the loaf with a quick sifting of sugar as needed. This will serve 8 to 10, depending on how thick you make the slices.
Warning: If you slice it up and put it on a cute plate and leave the plate sitting on your counter, after 15 minutes or so it will all be gone.
