# What You'll Need:
→ Dairy
01 - 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 2 large eggs
→ Dry Ingredients
05 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ Fruit
12 - 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 1 1/2 cups; Granny Smith or Honeycrisp recommended)
→ Flavorings
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
→ Topping (optional)
15 - 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
16 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer or whisk until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Beat eggs in one at a time. Mix in ricotta, milk, vanilla extract, and lemon zest (if using) until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, gently mixing until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Gently fold diced apples into batter until evenly distributed.
07 - Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan. Mix turbinado sugar and cinnamon for the topping, sprinkle evenly over the batter.
08 - Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
09 - Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
