Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

With the current Banana Bread rage, I thought I’d add a new flavor to the conversation.  There is something really wonderful about the combination of lemon and blueberries.  Lemon makes the blueberry flavor pop.  We are officially in blueberry season so blueberries in the markets are likely fresh, sweet, and perfect for my Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread!

Let me know how you like it and be sure to upload pictures of your bread to this post so everyone can see your accomplishment!!

Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread

½ cup butter

1 ¼ cup sugar divided

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest from 2 lemons, divided

3 eggs divided

1 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1-pint container blueberries

1-8 ounce package cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a hand held mixer, prepare cream cheese filling by mixing the cheese with 1 egg, ½ cup sugar and ½ of the zest and set aside.  Prepare the batter by adding the butter and remaining ¾ cup sugar to a stand mixer and beat until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, vanilla remaining zest and salt.  Mix flour and baking powder together in a bowl.  Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and beat to combine.  Add milk and mix well, followed by remaining flour.  Do not over mix.  Fold blueberries into batter by hand.  Spoon half of the batter into a greased 8-inch loaf pan.  Spoon the cream cheese mixture on top then cover with remaining batter.  Bake for 38-42 minutes until loaf is puffed and browned and set in the center.  Cool completely before removing the loaf from the pan.  Refrigerate loaf.

Tip: Don’t skip the step of allowing the bread to cool completely before removing it from the pan.  For extra insurance, you can even refrigerate the loaf.  the bread is softer in the center because of the cream cheese filling.  if you remove it before it is cooled, the center of the loaf may blow out.