Description
This Christmas Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread is a delightful holiday treat featuring a moist and tender loaf swirled with creamy cheesecake and bursting with fresh blueberries. It offers a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors, enhanced with vanilla and lemon zest, making it an inviting addition to your festive brunch or dessert table.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup melted butter
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Fruit
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until evenly combined to create the base for your bread batter.
- Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, blend the melted butter, milk, and eggs until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest to infuse brightness and flavor into the mixture.
- Incorporate cream cheese: Gently fold the softened cream cheese into the wet mixture to create deliciously creamy swirls throughout the batter.
- Add blueberries: Carefully mix in the fresh blueberries, taking care not to mash them to keep their shape and juiciness intact.
- Assemble batter: Pour the prepared batter into the greased loaf pan, smoothing the top. Optionally, sprinkle additional blueberries on top for a decorative and flavorful finish.
- Bake the bread: Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve: Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This ensures easier slicing and better texture.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese for easy folding and smooth swirls.
- Fresh blueberries yield the best texture; if using frozen, thaw and drain them to prevent excess moisture.
- To prevent blueberries from sinking, toss them lightly in flour before folding into the batter.
- For extra lemon flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon juice along with the zest.
- Check doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center; if it comes out with wet batter, bake a few minutes longer.
