Description
Ina Garten’s cranberry cream cheese bread combines tangy cream cheese with festive cranberries in a moist, delightful quick bread. Bakers can savor rich flavors and simple preparation, making this recipe perfect for holiday gatherings or morning treats.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (227 grams / 8 oz) butter, softened
- 8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups (354 ml) sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups (473 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (473 ml) cranberries, fresh or frozen, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsps vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F with center rack positioned for optimal heat circulation.
- Creaming: Whip softened butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth and silky, gradually incorporating sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Egg Integration: Blend whole eggs into the creamy mixture one at a time, ensuring complete incorporation after each addition.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: Sift flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a separate bowl to eliminate potential lumps.
- Batter Assembly: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, maintaining a delicate touch to prevent overmixing, then carefully incorporate cranberries and pecans for even distribution.
- Pan Preparation: Generously grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans with butter or non-stick spray, evenly spreading the batter and smoothing the surface.
- Baking Process: Slide pans into preheated oven and bake for 50-65 minutes, verifying doneness by inserting a clean toothpick that comes out free of raw batter.
- Cooling and Finishing: Let loaves rest in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing to maintain structural integrity.
Notes
- Butter Temperature Matters: Ensure butter and cream cheese are softened at room temperature for smooth, lump-free mixing that guarantees a silky texture.
- Handle Batter Gently: Minimize stirring when combining wet and dry ingredients to prevent tough, dense bread by avoiding gluten development.
- Cranberry Distribution Technique: Lightly dust chopped cranberries with flour before adding to prevent sinking and ensure even spread throughout the bread.
- Toothpick Test Precision: Check bread doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center – it should come out clean with minimal to no crumbs for perfect baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg