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Lemon Cream Cheese Bread — Moist Lemon Loaf with a Cream Cheese Ribbon

Bright lemon and a creamy cream-cheese center — this Lemon Cream Cheese Bread is a soft, tangy loaf that’s easy to make and even easier to love. It’s great for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a thoughtful homemade gift. Below is a clear, step-by-step, SEO-optimized recipe with tips, variations, storage instructions, and a ready-to-use meta snippet for your blog.

Why you’ll love it

Balanced flavor: bright lemon zest + tangy lemon juice cut through the richness of the cream-cheese ribbon.
Moist texture: sour cream keeps the cake tender.
Showstopping but simple: ordinary ingredients, beginner-friendly method, bakery results.

Ingredients

For the cake batter

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh recommended)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream

For the cream-cheese filling

8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (23 g) all-purpose flour

For the lemon drizzle

½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Step-by-step instructions

1 — Preheat & prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8×4-inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper allowing a little overhang for easy removal.

2 — Make the cake batter

In a large bowl, cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar with a hand or stand mixer until light and slightly fluffy (about 1–2 minutes).
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in 2 tbsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp vanilla.
In a separate bowl whisk together 1½ cups flour, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture gradually, mixing just until combined. Fold in ⅓ cup sour cream until the batter is smooth and thick. Do not overmix.

3 — Prepare the cream-cheese filling

In a medium bowl, beat 8 oz cream cheese until smooth. Add 1 egg, ¼ cup sugar, and 3 tbsp flour; beat until lump-free and spreadable.

4 — Assemble the loaf

Pour half the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread into an even layer.
Spoon the cream-cheese filling down the center of the batter in a line, leaving about ½–¾ inch of cake batter visible at each edge so the filling won’t seep out.
Carefully pour or spoon the remaining batter over the filling, smoothing lightly so the filling is fully covered.

5 — Bake

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion (not the cream-cheese center) comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.

6 — Cool & drizzle

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a wire rack. Whisk ½ cup powdered sugar with 2 tbsp lemon juice until smooth; drizzle over the cooled loaf.

7 — Slice & serve

Slice to reveal the creamy ribbon center. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Tips for consistently great results

Room-temperature ingredients: butter, eggs, and cream cheese mix smoother and produce a better texture.
Use fresh lemons for zest and juice — bottled juice lacks brightness.
Don’t overmix: fold dry into wet just until combined to keep the loaf tender.
Test for doneness carefully: avoid inserting the toothpick through the cream-cheese center.
Prevent cracks: the filling can cause some top splitting — that’s normal and doesn’t affect flavor.

Variations & add-ins

Lemon-poppy seed: add 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds to the batter.
Blueberry lemon: gently fold 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries into batter before layering (toss frozen berries in a little flour).
Pound-cake style: replace sour cream with Greek yogurt for tang and a firmer crumb.
Glazed frosting: swap the simple drizzle for a cream-cheese glaze (mix 4 oz cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tbsp lemon juice).

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerator: store sliced or whole loaf in an airtight container for up to 5 days (cream cheese filling requires refrigeration).
Freezing: wrap cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge or at room temperature, then drizzle fresh glaze.
Make-ahead: bake the loaf a day early — the flavors meld overnight and it slices cleaner chilled.

Troubleshooting

Runny filling: either underbaked or too much liquid in the filling. Ensure the filling had the correct flour ratio and bake long enough.
Dense loaf: overmixing or too much flour — measure flour by spooning into the cup and leveling.
Top browning too fast: tent with foil during the last 10–15 minutes.

Serving suggestions

Serve plain or with a smear of softened butter.
Pair with Earl Grey or green tea to complement the citrus.
For brunch, serve alongside fresh berries and whipped cream.

Lemon Cream Cheese Bread