Lemon Cream Cheese Bread

Lemon Cream Cheese Bread

Bright, tangy, and decadently moist, this Lemon Cream Cheese Bread is a beautifully simple quick bread with a luscious cream cheese swirl running through the middle. The combination of zesty lemon and rich creaminess makes it perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a midday indulgence.

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Ingredients

For the Bread:

Ingredient	Amount
Sugar	1 cup
Eggs	3
Sour cream	8 oz
Canola oil	½ cup
Lemon zest	Zest of 2 lemons
Lemon juice	Juice of 1 lemon
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
All-purpose flour	1 ½ cups
Baking powder	2 ½ teaspoons
Salt	1 teaspoon

For the Cream Cheese Swirl:

Ingredient	Amount
Cream cheese (softened)	1 (8 oz) package
Powdered sugar	⅓ cup

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Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Oven & Wet Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a standard loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and canola oil until smooth and fully blended.

Step 2: Mix in the Dry Ingredients
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined—don’t overmix. Set aside.

Step 3: Make the Cream Cheese Layer
In a small bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until silky and smooth.

Step 4: Assemble the Loaf
Pour half of the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Dollop half of the cream cheese mixture over it and gently swirl with a knife. Add the remaining batter, followed by the rest of the cream cheese mixture. Swirl again lightly for a marbled effect.

Step 5: Bake the Bread
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 65 to 70 minutes. To prevent over-browning, loosely cover the bread with foil during the final 20–30 minutes.

Step 6: Cool & Slice
Let the loaf cool completely in the pan. This helps the cream cheese swirl firm up for cleaner slices. Once cooled, remove, slice, and enjoy!