Christmas Morning Cornbread Loaf Cake is flavored with vanilla bean, nutmeg, and rosemary, and studded with cranberries; it doesn’t any more festive!
I love hearing about holiday breakfast traditions. Some people do the bulk of the work the night before with something like a strata or bread pudding that just has to be baked in the morning. Others make a huge batch of pancakes or waffles and get the whole family involved. Or maybe it’s the classic failsafe, bacon, eggs, and toast.
In my family, we frequently go the route of homemade pastries. Sometimes it can be as simple as muffins or scones, but if I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll take on a batch of homemade Cream Puffs before anyone else is up. There’s nothing better than waking up to freshly made pastries on Christmas morning!
But let’s be honest, in terms of pastries, it’s a commitment of a few hours and sometimes there’s only time for something quicker, like muffins, scones, or even quick bread, which can be whipped up the night before!
A while back I came up with a recipe for Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones} that somehow captures the essence of Christmas morning. (And to all of you who have emailed me saying that my scones are now a part of your family’s Christmas morning tradition, know that you are the reason I blog.)
I wanted to morph those scones into something with a similar flavor profile, and quick bread came to mind. I used cornmeal because I wanted the texture to be a little different than a basic quick bread. The texture of this cake is similar to a cornbread pound cake, but just a bit lighter. I used dried whole cranberries that I plumped in boiling water before adding to the batter; if you want them flavored, you could reconstitute them in hot tea (maybe cinnamon tea?) instead.
The other integral flavor components are vanilla bean, a hint of nutmeg, and a touch of rosemary. There is a sweet, slightly woodsy aroma going on that makes me think of Christmas trees and pine forests and I can’t think of anything more festive.
Here are a few other ideas that would be great for Christmas morning:
Christmas Morning Scones {aka Vanilla Bean, Nutmeg, and Rosemary-Scented Scones}
Eggnog Muffins with Cranberry Filling
And here’s even more inspiration from around the web:
- Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Rolls from Two Peas & Their Pod
- Banana Bread French Toast from Add a Pinch
- Spinach and Gruyere Cheese Quiche with Hash Brown Crust from Happily Unprocessed
What is your family’s Christmas morning tradition?
- ½ cup (60 g) dried whole cranberries
- ½ cup (120 ml) boiling water
- 1¼ cups (150 g) yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup (128 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1¼ cups (250 g) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180 ml) avocado oil (or neutral-flavored oil of your choice)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) milk (I used whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1½ teaspoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons water
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
- Put the cranberries in a small bowl and pour the boiling water on top. Let them soak for 10 minutes, and then drain.
- Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil, milk, vanilla, vanilla bean paste, molasses, and rosemary.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the drained cranberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted inside comes out clean, about 65 to 70 minutes. Cool completely before drizzling on the glaze.
- For the glaze, whisk just enough water into the powdered sugar until it reaches a thick glaze-like consistency. Drizzle over the cooled loaf. Let the glaze set before slicing.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Natalie says
December 15, 2017 at 6:50 amYUM! This cornbread looks so delicious and perfect for Christmas ♥