Here’s a moist and tangy Lemon Cream Cheese Bread — soft, sweet, and full of bright lemon flavor 🍋🧀
Lemon Cream Cheese Bread
Serves: 8–10
Time: ~1 hour (15 min prep + 45 min baking)
Ingredients
For the Bread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
For the Glaze (optional):
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
1️⃣ Preheat Oven
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2️⃣ Make Cream Cheese Filling
- In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Set aside.
3️⃣ Make Bread Batter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla, sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Gradually fold in dry ingredients until just combined.
4️⃣ Assemble
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Spoon cream cheese filling evenly over the batter.
- Top with remaining batter and smooth the top.
5️⃣ Bake
- Bake 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.
6️⃣ Glaze (Optional)
- Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice, drizzle over cooled bread for extra sweetness and tang.
Tips & Variations
- Add poppy seeds or blueberries to the batter for a fruity twist.
- For extra lemon flavor, sprinkle a little lemon zest on top before baking.
- Store covered at room temperature for 2–3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
If you want, I can also give a quick one-bowl lemon cream cheese bread recipe that’s moist and tangy but takes under 45 minutes from start to finish.
