Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Printable)

Moist quick bread with cream cheese filling and sweet caramel swirl, ideal for breakfast or dessert.

# 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 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

# How-To:

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, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, beat together 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 together softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth and uniform.
07 - Spoon cream cheese mixture in a single line down the center of the batter in each loaf pan.
08 - Top cream cheese layer with remaining batter, spreading gently with a spatula to completely cover the filling.
09 - Drizzle caramel sauce in a stripe over the top of each loaf. Using a knife, gently swirl caramel into the batter with minimal strokes to create marbling effect.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes, or 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. Remove from pans and transfer to wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like cheesecake and coffee cake had a baby, but you mix it in one bowl and skip the fuss.
  • The caramel swirl makes every slice look bakery perfect, even when you're still in pajamas.
  • It freezes beautifully, so you can pull out a loaf on a random Tuesday and feel like you planned ahead.
02 -
  • Don't overfill the pans, leave at least an inch of room or the batter will spill over and burn onto your oven floor.
  • If your cream cheese isn't fully softened, it will leave lumps in the filling that won't smooth out no matter how long you beat it.
  • The caramel swirl is gorgeous but delicate, one extra pass with the knife and it vanishes into the batter like it was never there.
03 -
  • Use parchment paper strips in the pans with overhang on the sides, it makes lifting the loaves out effortless and prevents any sticking.
  • Let the loaves cool completely before slicing, the cream cheese layer firms up and the slices hold their shape instead of falling apart.
  • If you're making this ahead, bake it the night before and let it sit covered overnight, the flavors meld and the texture gets even more tender.
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