Effortless Lemon Cream Cheese (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Bread

01 - 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1 cup white sugar
04 - 2 eggs, large
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 cup sour cream
07 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel (2 lemons)
08 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1 1/2 cups plain flour

→ For the Cream Cheese Swirl

11 - 1 large egg yolk
12 - 4 oz (115g) cream cheese, softened
13 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
14 - 1/4 cup sugar

# Instructions:

01 - Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grab a 9×5 loaf pan, grease it, then sprinkle on a light coat of flour. This'll make sure the bread slides out easily.
02 - In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. This step evens everything out so you won't end up with pockets of plain flour later.
03 - Use a mixer to beat your softened butter and sugar until they get light and airy, around 2-3 minutes. This makes the batter puff up nicely!
04 - Beat in the eggs one by one, mixing fully each time. Stir in the sour cream, lemon juice, and zest until smooth. Don’t sweat it if it looks a little curdled - the lemon juice does that.
05 - Combine the wet and dry ingredients by gradually adding the flour mix to the butter mixture. Stir just until the powders disappear. Overmixing is a no-go – it'll make the texture dense.
06 - In another bowl, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Be sure there aren't any chunks left!
07 - Pour half of your batter into the loaf pan and smooth it out. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mix over the top, then swirl it using a knife. Don't overdo it - you're aiming for swirls, not mixing!
08 - Spread on the last half of the batter, smoothing it out. Add the remaining cream cheese mix in dollops, then swirl it again with a knife for a pretty marbled finish.
09 - Bake for 55-65 minutes. It’s ready when the top’s brown and a toothpick in the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil the last 15 minutes.
10 - Let the loaf sit in the pan for about 10 minutes. Switch it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and enjoying. This part makes slicing easier and cleaner.

# Notes:

01 - For a stronger lemon kick, always use fresh lemon juice instead of the bottled stuff.
02 - Want more lemony goodness? Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice and drizzle it over the cooled loaf.
03 - Keep this bread fresh by sealing it in an airtight container. It lasts up to 3 days at room temp or a full week in the fridge.
04 - Soft cream cheese works best for the swirl. Leave it at room temperature for at least an hour to avoid lumps.

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