Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Print Version)

Moist bread with creamy cheesecake filling and sweet caramel swirls

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bread Batter

01 - 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
02 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 2 tablespoons baking powder
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 2 cups whole milk
07 - 2/3 cup vegetable oil

→ Cream Cheese Filling

08 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
09 - 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
10 - 1 large egg

→ Topping

11 - 1/4 cup caramel sauce

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat eggs, milk, and vegetable oil until thoroughly combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain a tender crumb.
05 - Divide half of the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
06 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg together until smooth and uniform.
07 - Spoon cream cheese mixture in a line down the center of the batter in each loaf pan.
08 - Spread remaining batter gently over cream cheese layer to cover completely, avoiding disruption of the filling.
09 - Drizzle a stripe of caramel sauce over the top of each loaf. Using a knife, gently swirl the caramel into the batter with minimal passes to create a marbled effect.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Some cream cheese residue on the toothpick is acceptable.
11 - Allow loaves to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The cream cheese center stays impossibly tender and creates these pockets of cheesecake-like goodness that make each bite a little adventure.
  • You can prep both loaves in under 15 minutes with ingredients you probably already have, which has saved me countless times when unexpected guests call to say theyre dropping by.
02 -
  • The first time I made this, I sliced into it straight from the oven and watched in horror as the beautiful cream cheese center collapsed into a gooey mess, so give it full cooling time no matter how tempting it smells.
  • After forgetting the salt once, I discovered its the invisible ingredient that makes all the sweetness pop, without it the bread tastes oddly flat despite all that sugar and caramel.
03 -
  • After years of making this bread, Ive learned that room temperature ingredients truly make a difference in how evenly it bakes, so set everything out at least 30 minutes before you begin.
  • If your caramel is too thick to drizzle nicely, microwave it for just 5-10 seconds and stir well before trying to create those beautiful swirls.
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