Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Printer view)

Moist bread with cream cheese swirl and sweet caramel ribbon, perfect 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans thoroughly 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 eggs, milk, and vegetable oil together until well combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain a 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 the mixture is smooth and creamy.
07 - Spoon the cream cheese mixture in a line down the center of the batter in each loaf pan.
08 - Top the cream cheese filling with the remaining batter, spreading gently to cover completely without disturbing 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 movement to preserve distinct layers.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Light cream cheese residue on the toothpick is acceptable.
11 - Allow loaves to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks bakery fancy but mixes together in one bowl without any tricky techniques.
  • The cream cheese filling stays soft and tangy, cutting through all that brown sugar sweetness.
  • You get two loaves, so there's one to share and one to hide in the back of the freezer.
  • It tastes incredible warm, cold, or toasted with butter the next morning.
02 -
  • Do not fill the pans more than two thirds full or you'll have a caramel lava situation in your oven.
  • Cold cream cheese will not blend smoothly, it will stay in stubborn chunks no matter how long you beat it.
  • Swirling the caramel more than three times makes it vanish into the batter instead of creating that pretty marbled top.
  • The cream cheese layer may cause a toothpick to come out wet, check the bread part instead of poking straight into the filling.
03 -
  • Line your pans with parchment paper strips that hang over the edges, you can lift the loaves out without wrestling them.
  • Let the cream cheese and eggs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before starting, everything blends faster and smoother.
  • Use a light hand when swirling the caramel, restraint is what creates those gorgeous marbled streaks instead of a muddy mess.
  • Double the cream cheese filling if you want an even thicker cheesecake center, it won't overflow as long as you don't overfill the pans.
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