Before summer ends, savor the season with Cantaloupe Bread with Ginger and Browned Butter Icing. A fine quick bread, easy to make and easy to share.
“And summer passed into hot fragrant autumn.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
If you’re still summering making Cantaloupe Bread with Ginger and Browned Butter Icing will keep you planted firmly in the season. I expected so much from this recipe, the ease of a simple loaf cake paired with the sweet fragrance of ripe summer melon. Bonus was the recipe for Cantaloupe Bread with Ginger and Browned Butter Icing makes two loaves. One for us, one to share. The final product was less melon flavored than I’d hoped for, but still scrumptious enough to make again.
Essentials
I’m never ready to let go of summer. Others have already moved on. When the calendar turns to September there is a massive shift to pumpkin spice everything. Maybe it’s the Indian summer on the central coast of California. Our seasons are always late. Maybe it’s me, having a difficult time letting go. I’ve been going though my mother’s things. By things I mean, things she made, and projects unfinished. Things she cradled in her hands, spent untold hours and energy planning, and making. It’s difficult to let them go, a lot like summer.
The recipe for Cantaloupe Bread with Ginger and Browned Butter Icing is adapted from here. I switched up a few things. Less sugar in the recipe, ginger instead of cinnamon and easier, faster prep. The icing is optional, my recipe below or the original. Even without the icing this is a fine quick bread, easy to make and easy to share. I used Tuscan melon, a cantaloupe hybrid for Cantaloupe Bread with Ginger and Browned Butter Icing. Pick a ripe, sweet melon for maximum summer flavor.
| Cantaloupe Bread with Ginger, adapted from Clabber Girl | |
| 3 | eggs |
| 1/2C | neutral oil, avocado, grape seed or canola |
| 1T | finely grated fresh ginger |
| 1T | vanilla extract |
| 1-2/3C | lump free brown sugar |
| 2C | fresh cantaloupe, cut into 1” pieces |
| 3C/360gr | all-purpose flour |
| 2t | fine grain sea salt |
| 2t | baking power |
| 1t | soda |
| Browning Butter Icing |
|
| 3/4C/6oz | unsalted butter |
| 1/2C | powdered sugar |
| 1t | vanilla extract |
| 1/4t | fine grain sea salt |
| 1/3C | chopped pecans, toasted are best |
- Heat the oven to 325°. Grease or line two 9” x 5” loaf pans with parchment.
- In the bowl of a food processor add the eggs, oil and vanilla. Process until the eggs and oil are throughly mixed together. Add the brown sugar and mix again. There should be no visible lumps of brown sugar. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cantaloupe to the bowl of the food processor. Process until no large chunks of melon remain. Scoop the melon into the large bowl and mix all the wet ingredients together until well blended.
- Sift (or use a large sieve) the flour, salt, baking power and soda into the bowl of wet ingredients. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Do not over mix. A few small lumps in the batter will remain. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. When done a cake tester will come out cleanly, the edges of the bread will be brown and have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for five minutes, then remove from the pans to finish cooling before icing.
- To make the icing, prepare the browned butter by melting the butter in a saucepan or skillet with a light colored or shiny interior on medium heat. At first the butter may sputter for a bit as the milk solids cook. Gently swirl the pan until the milk solids are a warm toasty brown at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and cool to slightly. Stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth. Spread across the surface of the loaves. Garnish with pecans. As the butter cools the icing will firm up. Slice and serve.
This is a first for me, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of using melon in a cake recipe…I bet it is very good.
Thank you Karen! I hadn’t heard of melon bread either, had to give it a try!
This looks so delicious! I’m so intrigued. Never imagined melon in a bread before. I’ll definitely have to try it!
Thank you Kelly! Melon bread is new to me too. I just had to give the recipe a try.
Well now that’s a new one. I’ve never heard of cantaloupe bread. What a gorgeous color and so moist and just love the use of ginger as the spice. Lovely bread!
Thank you MJ! The recipe was so different, I had to give it a try.
Deb, this bread looks fantastic, what a great idea to use cantaloupe in your bread and I can taste the ginger, yummy!
Thank you Gerlinde!
What a lovely transitional bread! Your gorgeous browned butter icing looks simply irresistible! 🙂
Thank you Laura!
We really enjoy autumn since the heat is finally gone so we shall enjoy this one quite soon ! Thank you Deb !
Thank you 2Pots. Our warm weather comes in September and October, still waiting!
I’m ready for fall, but I can certainly see wanting to hang on to summer. Particularly with this dish to reminds us of its warm weather glory. This looks terrific — thanks.
Thank you John! I’m easing my way into the new season.
How interesting! This is the first time I see a bread .made out of cantaloupe. I need to try it.
Thank you Denise! This is a fabulous end of summer recipe.
Cantaloupe bread with ginger, brilliant. I’ve never had this bread, but plan to soon. Call me crazy, but I’m thinking a slice of prosciutto would go well with this bread.
Thank you Ron! Not sure about the prosciutto, the bread is sweet!
Yes Deb, I’m definitely still ‘summering’!
This cake is intriguing. Cantaloupe is certainly an interesting ingredient for a quick bread, and I imagine it lends a unique flavor all its own.
Thank you Mary! I am just not ready for autumn.
I’ve never heard of cantaloupe bread but it sounds wonderful and I bet super moist.
Thank you Vicki! It is a delightful quick bread recipe.
This looks, and the recipe sounds good! Love cantaloupe, although I have never heard of it being used in a bread. Might give this a try. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Mindy!
I’m intrigued. I’ve made dozens of recipes with melon but never bread. I’m super excited to try it before the melons leave my market. I love short breads and am thinking It’ll be especially lovely with my coffee in the morning. Can’t wait. I’ll report back. 🙂
Thank you Valentina! I also found the recipe intriguing. It was a fun bake.
I made this last night. I used a GF flour, which might have changed it a bit, but really wanted my son (w/ Celiac) to be able to try it since he’s a huge melon lover. We all loved it and it was fun to make. The melon-ginger combination is really lovely. It was dessert and breakfast this morning. 🙂
So pleased you and your family enjoyed the recipe! If only the melon season lasted longer!