Description
Red, white & blueberry bread delivers patriotic summer sweetness with layers of festive flavor. Juicy berries nestled in tender crumb create a delightful American classic perfect for holiday celebrations and lazy weekend mornings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup strawberries, chopped
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Dairy and Binding Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (3 oz or 85 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 8 oz (226 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 egg
Flavor and Leavening Ingredients:
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×5 inch loaf pan by greasing or lining with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage to prevent sticking.
- Craft the cream cheese mixture by blending cream cheese, sugar, egg, and flour until silky smooth, creating a luxurious swirl component for the bread.
- In a stand mixer, whip butter, sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon zest until the mixture becomes light and airy, approximately 2-3 minutes of vigorous mixing.
- Incorporate eggs into the butter mixture individually, mixing on low speed to maintain a delicate texture and prevent curdling.
- Separately, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a clean bowl, creating the dry ingredient foundation.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture, alternating between the two to ensure even distribution and prevent lumps.
- Gently incorporate strawberries and blueberries into the batter, ensuring even dispersion without overmixing.
- Transfer half the batter into the prepared pan, creating an initial layer as the base.
- Strategically dollop the cream cheese swirl across the first batter layer, using a knife to create elegant marbled patterns if desired.
- Carefully pour the remaining batter over the cream cheese layer, sealing the swirl within the bread.
- Optional: Sprinkle coarse sugar on top for added texture and visual appeal.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 50-60 minutes, monitoring for even golden browning and checking with a tester for doneness.
- If edges brown too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
- Allow the bread to cool within the pan for 30 minutes, enabling it to set and stabilize.
- Carefully transfer to a wire rack, letting the bread cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- This vibrant bread bursts with summer berry flavors, combining creamy cream cheese swirls and fresh strawberries and blueberries in every delightful slice.
- Swirling technique creates beautiful marbled patterns, making this bread visually stunning and incredibly delicious.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and consistent texture throughout the bread.
- Fresh berries work best, but frozen can be substituted by gently folding without thawing to prevent color bleeding.
- Cool bread completely before slicing to maintain structural integrity and prevent crumbling.
- Store wrapped tightly at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days for maximum freshness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 307
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 166 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg