Description
Bright, zingy lemon meets a silky cream-cheese ribbon in this soft, buttery loaf. It’s perfect for breakfast, a bake-sale table, or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients — Bread
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Ingredients — Cream Cheese Ribbon
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and dust lightly with flour or line it with parchment.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, beating after each addition. Stir in the sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until the batter comes together. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are okay.
- For the cream-cheese ribbon, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice and mix until fully incorporated.
- Spoon half the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Drop half of the cream-cheese mixture in spoonfuls over the batter, then use a knife to swirl gently. Add the remaining batter, dollop the rest of the cream-cheese on top, and swirl again to create a marbled pattern.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Quick tips: Soften the cream cheese to room temperature so the swirl goes silky smooth. Don’t overmix the batter or the loaf may turn dense. Want extra zing? Drizzle a simple lemon glaze over the cooled loaf.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 270 kcal
- Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Protein: 13 g