Such a great recipe! It’s actually tastier the next day… if you can resist!

This Lemon Cream Cheese Bread is a delightful quick bread that combines the bright tang of fresh lemon with a rich, creamy swirl of sweetened cream cheese. The result is a moist, flavorful loaf with a beautiful marbled appearance, perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

For the Lemon Drizzle:

Instructions:

1. Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8×4-inch loaf pan. This is important to ensure your cake releases easily after baking.
2. Make the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter and white sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat for another minute until all the wet ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients in the large bowl, beating after each addition until the batter is smooth. Stir in the sour cream, mixing until just combined. The finished batter should be thick and creamy.
4. Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, large egg, sugar, and flour together until the mixture is smooth and completely lump-free. The filling will be thick but spreadable.
5. Assemble the Loaf:
   • Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly.
   • Next, carefully spoon the cream cheese filling over the batter, spreading it out gently to keep it mostly separate from the cake batter.
   • Once the cream cheese filling is in place, pour the remaining cake batter on top, covering the cream cheese completely. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth; the cake will rise and bake around the cream cheese, creating that beautiful ribbon effect.
6. Bake the Cake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (avoiding the cream cheese layer if possible) comes out clean, with just a few moist crumbs. The top should feel firm and be lightly browned. If you notice the top browning too quickly during the last 10 minutes of baking, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil.
7. Cool and Drizzle: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
   • While the cake cools, make the lemon drizzle: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
   • Once the cake has completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top using a fork for a delicate finish.
8. Serve and Enjoy: Once the glaze has set (this may take 15-30 minutes), slice the cake and serve. This lemon cream cheese bread is perfect on its own or paired with a cup of coffee or tea.