Welcome Spring with a loaf of this delicious homemade Strawberry Bread jam-packed with fresh strawberries and toasted pecans and served with a smear of whipped strawberry butter.

Extremely moist, full of fresh strawberry flavor, and super easy to make, this quick bread recipe is perfect for a weekend brunch or even served as dessert.

Strawberry Bread

Sometimes good things — in this case, delicious things — sort of happen by accident, like my Strawberry Bread and whipped strawberry butter combo. This yummy quick bread recipe has dollops of strawberry jam swirled into the top of the loaf, so instead of adding a glaze, I thought a strawberry “shmear” would be a nice addition.

I was first introduced to “shmears” or whipped sweet crème butters at Dame’s Chicken and Waffles and all I can say about that is, “Oh, my goodness!”  And here’s the best thing, any leftover whipped Strawberry Butter is also tasty spread on toast, English muffins, biscuits, and even pancakes! That’s a big bonus, don’t you think?

Strawberry Butter

To make sweet crème butters, simply whip together two tablespoons of softened butter and a cup of powdered sugar with either two tablespoons of fresh fruit or jam until smooth.

Let your imagination run wild. For example, use orange marmalade to make sweet crème orange butter or use peach preserves to make sweet crème peach butter. Get the idea? There are so many sweet crème possibilities!

Store strawberry butter in the refrigerator, but be sure to bring it to room temperature before serving so it’s easier to spread.

Fresh or frozen?

You can use either fresh or frozen fruit in many quick bread recipes, but my experience is that fresh berries always yield the best results.

Here’s my reasoning on this. The natural amount of water in strawberries expands when frozen, and as they thaw the berries become mushy. Fresh berries will become soft during baking, of course, but they don’t release a lot of extra liquid like frozen berries.

Quick bread tips

Follow these quick bread baking tips for the best results:

• Always preheat the oven before baking the loaf to ensure a good rise.
• Bake the loaf on the middle oven rack for even cooking.
• Like with muffins, it’s important to only stir the ingredients until the dry ingredients are just moistened. A few lump in the batter is actually desirable. Stir the batter too much and the bread texture will be chewy and tough.
• Grease the loaf pan on the bottom and only 1/2 inch up the sides. I also like to place a piece of parchment paper cut to size in the bottom of the pan for guaranteed easy removal.
• Check for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick near the center of the loaf. It should comes out clean without any crumbs.
• Cool strawberry bread for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan. This bread is dense and heavy, so don’t rush it. Use a thin knife to loosen around the edges, if needed, then gently turn out onto a plate.
• Slice quick bread with a long serrated knife to avoid crumbling when you run into fruit or nuts.

How to toast pecans

I make it a practice to toast my nuts before adding them to any baked recipe so that they don’t get soggy and will retain their crunchiness. Toasting pecans is easy and can be done on top of the stove or in the oven in just minutes.

For a small amount of pecans like in this recipe, I usually toast them on top of the stove. Here’s how:

Add the pecans to a non-stick frying pan over medium low heat. Cook and stir occasionally until they become fragrant and have turned just a bit darker, about 5 to 10 minutes. Cool before adding to the batter.

Related recipes

Quick breads freeze well and are perfect for sharing with friends. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Cherry Chocolate Chunk Bread — Made with fresh cherries and topped with a powdered sugar glaze.
• Peppery Cheese Bread — With just the right amount of spice, this quick bread makes a great compliment to red bean chili or taco soup.
• Whole Grain Banana Nut Bread — Moist and delicious! Enjoy it for brunch or on a coffee break.
• Pumpkin Bread — The original recipe from the University of Tennessee bakery.
• Cranberry Orange Bread — Use sweet oranges and tart cranberries for a bit of freshness in this moist and delicious bread topped with a zesty orange glaze.
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread — This super moist loaf tastes even better the next day.

You’ll love the heavenly aroma that comes from your oven while you bake Strawberry Bread. I think it is especially delicious warm from the oven with a “shmear” of strawberry butter, and it can also be served at room temperature. Because of the fruit, I like to refrigerate any leftovers.

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