Lemon Cream Cheese Bread
This Lemon Cream Cheese Bread perfectly combines a bright, zesty lemon loaf with a rich, velvety cheesecake center. The sour cream in the batter keeps the bread incredibly moist, while the sweetened cream cheese swirl adds a decadent, marbled middle. It’s a refined treat that feels more like a dessert than a typical quick bread, making it a standout for brunch or afternoon tea.
Ingredients:
- Sugar — 1 cup
- Eggs — 3
- Sour cream — 8 oz
- Canola oil — ½ cup
- Lemon zest — 2 lemons
- Lemon juice — 1 lemon
- Vanilla extract — 1 tsp
- Flour — 1 ½ cups
- Baking powder — 2 ½ tsp
- Salt — 1 tsp
- Cream cheese, softened — 8 oz
- Powdered sugar — ⅓ cup
Instructions
Step 1: Prep and Mix Wet Ingredients
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a standard loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and oil until smooth.
Step 2: Sift Dry Ingredients
In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt to remove lumps and create a lighter texture.
Step 3: Combine
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined—avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender. Set aside.
Step 4: Make the Cream Cheese Swirl
In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until creamy and smooth.
Step 5: Layer and Marble
Pour half the lemon batter into the loaf pan. Spoon half the cream cheese mixture on top and swirl gently with a knife. Repeat with remaining batter and cream cheese, creating a marbled effect.
Step 6: Bake
Bake for 65–70 minutes. To prevent over-browning, loosely tent the pan with foil for the last 20–30 minutes.
Step 7: Cool
Let the bread cool completely in the pan before slicing so the cream cheese center firms up for clean, beautiful slices.
