Here’s a delightful recipe for Lemon Cream Cheese Bread!
Ingredients:
For the Bread:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the Cream Cheese Swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Lemon Glaze (optional):
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions:
- Preheat Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Make the Bread Batter:
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
- Mix in the sour cream (or yogurt) and lemon juice until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Swirl:
- In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Assemble the Loaf:
- Pour half of the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the batter and gently swirl with a knife.
- Pour the remaining bread batter on top, smoothing it out.
- Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool:
- Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Lemon Glaze (optional):
- In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle over the cooled bread.
Enjoy your Lemon Cream Cheese Bread! It’s perfect for breakfast or as a sweet treat any time of day!