Ruby red fruits interspersed among delicate white flowers are the quintessential embodiments of spring and summer. And while many long to bite into a sweet strawberry, they’re not always available, at least not at an affordable price. To have that strawberry and cream taste any time of year, turn to this recipe for Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf Cake.

While strawberries and cream are delicious, it’s not always a practical dessert. The fresh strawberries and the whipped cream are time-sensitive and prone to becoming a soft, melted mess. Here, Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf Cake has all of the flavors of strawberries and cream that last more than a second. A butter-based cake is swirled with strawberry jam for a delightful pop of pink. Cream cheese blends with the tiniest touch of sweetness to create a silky, rich topping. A sliceable bite of a summertime treat? Count me in!

This loaf cake doesn’t follow your average mixing method. You start by stirring the butter, making sure it’s smooth and spreadable.

Next, you sift in your flour, baking powder, and salt over the butter, and stir to combine.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together until the mixture turns a pale yellow color.

Whisk the eggs into the butter-dry ingredient bowl. Switch to a stand or handheld mixture and beat all of the ingredients until light and fluffy.

Once the dry ingredients and milk are incorporated, remove some of the batter and mix that small portion with strawberry jam. I mixed some gel red food coloring into the jam to maintain a nice color. Without the coloring, the straw gets less of a red and more of a brown-gray tone. You can omit the coloring, but be aware that there will be a color variation.

After folding the strawberry batter back in, all of the batter gets transferred to a pan and is ready to bake.

Removed from the oven and cooled completely, the loaf cake is ready for the finale. Cream cheese is smoothed and partnered with the tiniest addition of powdered sugar and a hefty pour of vanilla for a luscious finish.

Sliced and served, this Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf Cake is a treat that can cover many bases. It’s exactly like those loaf cakes you see in fancy coffee shops but better. Not only are you saving money, but you’re also getting a treat full of flavor. The strawberry is a subtle companion swirled between a soft, buttery cake crumb. Partnered with the cream cheese and you have yourself a winner.

This cake is definitely the snack to have in the morning or as an afternoon snack. It’s a great dessert to share or give as a gift to neighbors or bring to potlucks as well.

The best thing about this cake is that it can be made any time of the year, you’re not restricted to the strawberry season. If you have a hankering for a bite of warm weather, then this is the dessert for you!