Call it a loaf or a bread and somehow it’s suddenly appropriate to eat dessert first thing in the morning. While it may not make much nutritional sense, I’m fully on board with this reasoning. You’ve probably had your share of lemon loaves and banana bread, but if you’ve never tasted orange loaf then you are in for quite the treat.
Made with a whole package of cream cheese and the zest of a full orange, this recipe packs a real punch on the flavor front. Reminiscent of pound cake in texture and rich as can be, you’d think one slice would be enough, yet it rarely is! We did keep the batter simple for this recipe, but if you wanted to add in some inclusion walnuts or dried cranberries would be delicious options.
This recipe makes for one very large loaf, but you can always split the batter into two pans or go the mini loaf route if you’re looking to share. These would make for wonderful holiday gifts (especially with cranberries for a festive touch!). Whether it’s a slice for breakfast or dessert, you really can’t go wrong with this indulgent treat.
Orange Cream Cheese Loaf
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese (1 package), softened
- ½ cup butter, 1 stick
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¼ cups AP flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- zest of 1 orange
- topping: ¼ cup orange juice
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 and grease a bread loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Once thoroughly combined, slowly add the dry ingredients and milk to the wet ingredients.
- Mix orange zest into the batter.
- Transfer batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let loaf cool for 15 minutes then pour the orange juice over the top. Allow juice to soak in before slicing.
Recipe adapted from Feminologie.com