Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Print Version)

Moist quick bread swirled with cream cheese filling and sweet caramel drizzle. Ideal for breakfast or dessert with 20 generous slices.

# What You 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 or 2% milk
07 - 2/3 cup vegetable oil

→ Cream Cheese Filling

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

→ Topping

11 - 1/4 cup caramel sauce

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat eggs, milk, and vegetable oil until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - Divide half of the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
06 - In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth and creamy.
07 - Spoon cream cheese mixture in a line down the center of the batter in each loaf pan.
08 - Spread remaining batter gently over the cream cheese layer in each pan, covering completely.
09 - Drizzle 2 tablespoons caramel sauce in a stripe over the top of each loaf. Using a knife, gently swirl the caramel into the batter in a figure-eight pattern, being careful not to overblend.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into 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, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like cheesecake and cinnamon rolls had a baby, but you don't need to wait for dough to rise or worry aboutwater baths.
  • The caramel swirl makes every slice look bakery perfect, even when you're still in pajamas.
  • It uses pantry staples and comes together faster than most people can decide what to have for breakfast.
  • You get two loaves, which means one for now and one to freeze, gift, or pretend you were planning to share all along.
02 -
  • Don't skip softening the cream cheese or you'll end up with lumps no amount of beating will fix, I learned this the hard way in front of guests.
  • Swirl the caramel gently just once or twice, overswirling turns it muddy instead of marbled and you lose that gorgeous stripe.
  • Leave at least an inch of space at the top of each pan because this bread rises beautifully and will overflow if you're greedy with the batter.
  • Let the bread cool completely before slicing or the cream cheese center will smear everywhere, patience is annoying but worth it.
03 -
  • Use a scale to measure your flour if you have one, 4 cups can vary wildly by scooping method and too much makes the bread dry.
  • Line your pans with parchment paper if you want the loaves to slide out perfectly every single time without sticking.
  • Make the cream cheese filling first and let it sit while you mix the batter, it becomes even smoother and easier to swirl.
  • If your caramel is too thin, simmer it on the stove for a minute or two to thicken it up before swirling.
Go Back