Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Print View)

Tender bread swirled with cream cheese and caramel, delivering a cheesecake-like center in each slice.

# 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 granulated white sugar
10 - 1 large egg

→ Topping

11 - 1/4 cup caramel sauce

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together light 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 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 softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth and fully incorporated.
07 - Spoon cream cheese mixture in a single line down the center of the batter in each pan.
08 - Top with remaining batter, gently spreading to cover the cream cheese layer without disturbing it.
09 - Drizzle caramel sauce in a stripe across the top of each loaf. Using a knife, gently swirl the caramel into the batter with minimal movement to create visual appeal.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with minimal cream cheese residue acceptable.
11 - Allow loaves to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like cheesecake and cinnamon roll had a bakery baby, but you don't need yeast or patience.
  • The cream cheese doesn't just flavor it, it creates an actual ribbon of richness that makes every slice different.
  • You can pull this together in ten minutes with pantry staples and still look like you planned ahead.
02 -
  • Do not skip softening the cream cheese, cold cream cheese will never blend and you'll end up with chalky pockets instead of a smooth swirl.
  • Leave at least an inch of space at the top of each pan or the batter will spill over the sides and burn onto your oven floor.
  • The toothpick test can be tricky because of the cream cheese, look for mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
03 -
  • If your caramel sauce is too thick to drizzle, warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds and it'll flow like a dream.
  • Use parchment paper strips in the bottom of the pans for foolproof release, just leave some overhang to lift the loaves out.
  • Don't slice the bread until it's completely cool or the cream cheese layer will smear and you'll lose that beautiful swirl.
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