Description
Lemon cream cheese bread brings zesty sunshine right to your kitchen counter, making weekend baking a total breeze. Creamy, tangy, and perfectly balanced, this simple bread turns an ordinary morning into something special.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Flavor Enhancers:
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 cup fresh blueberries or butterscotch chips (optional)
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan by coating it with butter and dusting with flour.
- Grab a large mixing bowl and blend 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1 cup sugar until completely smooth.
- Crack 2 large eggs into the cream cheese mixture, stirring thoroughly after each addition.
- Pour ½ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and zest from 2 lemons into the wet ingredients. Whisk until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Gradually fold your dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring carefully to prevent overmixing.
- If adding extra flavor, gently incorporate 1 cup blueberries or butterscotch chips into the batter.
- Transfer your batter to the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center.
- Cover the bread with aluminum foil if the top browns too quickly during baking.
- Remove from oven and let the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese and eggs to ensure a smoother, more evenly mixed batter that blends without lumps.
- Zest your lemon carefully to avoid the bitter white pith, focusing only on the bright yellow outer layer for the best citrus flavor.
- Check your bread at 45 minutes since oven temperatures can vary, and ovens running hot might cause faster browning or potential dryness.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend, which works perfectly in this tender quick bread recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes-1 hour
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 282 kcal
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg