Here’s a moist, bakery-style Cream Cheese Cranberry Loaf that’s perfect for holidays or anytime 🍞🍒
Cream Cheese Cranberry Loaf
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberry Loaf
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
- (If using dried, chop and soak in warm water 10 minutes, then drain)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease or line a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Make cream cheese swirl: Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Combine: Stir dry ingredients into wet just until mixed. Fold in cranberries.
- Assemble loaf:
- Pour half the batter into the pan.
- Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over it.
- Top with remaining batter.
- Swirl gently with a knife.
- Bake 50–60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove to cool completely.
Optional Topping
- Dust with powdered sugar or
- Drizzle with a simple glaze (powdered sugar + milk + vanilla)
Tips & Variations
- Orange cranberry: Add 1 tablespoon orange zest to the batter.
- Extra rich: Replace milk with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Mini loaves: Bake 30–35 minutes.
If you want a quick bread with no swirl, gluten-free version, or holiday glaze, just tell me 😊
