Funfetti Christmas Loaf

Moist and delicious, packed with festive holiday sprinkles, and drizzled with a sweet glaze, this Funfetti Christmas Loaf is a perfect dessert for kids both young and old! There is never a bad time to bake with sprinkles, but no other occasion demands it quite like Christmas!

It shouldn’t be a big surprise to you by now to learn that I love to bake with sprinkles.  Any chance I get to gussy something up and make it just a little bit more festive, I’m going to go for it!  Lord Byron’s Kitchen has sprinkle recipes galore! Today, I’m sharing my Funfetti Christmas Loaf recipe with you. It has sprinkles baked into the batter and all over the top too. One can never have too many sprinkles!

I’m practically obsessed with sprinkles!  I’m so tempted to join a sprinkle-of-the-month club, but it would take away from the fun.  You see, both John.e and I love to pop into HomeSense, Marshalls, or Winners with the sole purpose of finding sprinkles.

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season. But first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. Over the past seven Christmases, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

Before we get to a list of ingredients and instructions for today’s recipe, let me tell you about this series and more! Welcome, Dear Reader, to my second Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Breads and Loaves Series! Even though this is the second series for this holiday season, you can always look back at previous years if you just cannot wait until the next recipe is published. Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

BAKED GOODS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

This loaf is so perfect for gift-giving, which is just what I did with it. Not only is this loaf great for giving to a friend or loved one, but it’s so easy to package and transport. It might be just me, but is there anyone else out there who loves to receive kitchen-related products as gifts?

If you’d like to gift this loaf to a friend, here’s what you should do. First, buy a new loaf pan and another kitchen item such as a whisk or a spatula. Bring them home, and wash and dry the loaf pan. Then, bake the loaf right into the new pan.

Once baked and cooled, garnish the loaf in any way you deem suitable. Wrap the loaf pan up in some cellophane, tie a ribbon on it, and attach the whisk or spatula. Now, you’ve got a dessert and a gift all in one! I’d love to get something like that; so thoughtful, right!?

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Sugar
• Butter – Make sure the butter is at room temperature.
• Eggs – Like the butter, make sure the eggs are at room temperature too.
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk – When baking, I always use whole milk.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Sprinkles – You will need sprinkles for the batter and for decoration.

For the Frosting:

• Confectioner’s Sugar
• Milk

HOW TO MAKE A FUNFETTI CHRISTMAS LOAF

To prepare the loaf, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a large loaf pan by greasing it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes.) Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and milk. Beat into the sugar and butter mixture until just incorporated. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until just mixed together. Add the sprinkles and fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Once you remove the loaf from the oven, it is very important to leave it in the pan. Place the pan onto a wire cooling rack. Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and allow to fully cool before serving.

Once the loaf is completely cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the confectioner’s sugar and milk until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over the cooled loaf. Top with the sprinkles to garnish.

THE RIGHT SPRINKLES FOR THE JOB

If you’re like me, you have a big stash of sprinkles. Honestly, Dear Reader, I have a small wooden crate full of jars and bags of sprinkles. For this recipe though, not all types of sprinkles will work. You really do need to use what is most commonly referred to as jimmies.

I never call them jimmies to be honest. To me, all sprinkles are called sprinkles. For this recipe, you will need sprinkles that have an elongated shape – like a miniature rod! The nonpareils (small balls) will not work very well at all. They are too small to hold up the heat and won’t look as pretty or distinctively separate in the finished product.

There are hundreds of different sprinkles out there. You might be tempted to use little chocolate balls, little candies, or festively shaped sprinkles. Please be advised that you are risking a not-so-good biscotti. I’m not endorsed in any way, and you can buy your sprinkles anywhere, but this type from Sweetapolita is what you need.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!