Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Printable)

Moist bread swirled with cream cheese and caramel for a decadent breakfast or dessert treat.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 - ⅔ cup vegetable oil

→ Cream Cheese Filling

08 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
09 - ¼ cup granulated white sugar
10 - 1 large egg

→ Topping

11 - ¼ cup caramel sauce

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat eggs, milk, and oil until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - Divide half of the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans.
06 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth and fully incorporated.
07 - Spoon cream cheese mixture in a line down the center of the batter in each pan.
08 - Top with remaining batter, spreading gently to cover the cream cheese layer completely.
09 - Drizzle a stripe of caramel sauce over the top of each loaf. Using a knife, gently swirl the caramel into the batter with restraint to maintain defined layers.
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, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cream cheese layer bakes into something between cheesecake and buttery filling, dense and tangy in the best way.
  • It tastes like a fancy bakery treat but uses pantry staples and comes together in under fifteen minutes of actual work.
  • You get two loaves from one batch, so theres always one to give away or freeze for later.
02 -
  • Do not fill the pans more than two thirds full or the batter will spill over the sides as it rises, I ruined a batch and my oven learned that lesson together.
  • The cream cheese must be truly soft or it will not blend smoothly, leave it out for at least an hour or microwave it in short bursts.
  • Swirling the caramel too much will mix it entirely into the batter and you will lose the pretty streaks on top.
03 -
  • Use a light hand when spreading the top layer of batter, pressing too hard will push the cream cheese to the sides instead of keeping it centered.
  • Let the loaves cool completely before slicing or the cream cheese layer will smear instead of staying in a clean ribbon through each slice.
  • If you only have one loaf pan, bake one loaf and refrigerate the other prepared batter for up to two hours, then bake it fresh when the first one comes out.
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