Description
Ina Garten’s cranberry cream cheese bread delivers a perfect balance of tangy sweetness and rich, tender crumb. Homemade comfort shines through each slice, promising a delightful breakfast or afternoon treat you’ll savor with pure culinary joy.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups (473 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (473 ml) cranberries, fresh or frozen, roughly chopped
Dairy and Fat:
- 1 cup (227 grams) butter, softened
- 8 ounces (227 grams) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups (354 ml) sugar
Seasoning and Extras:
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the oven to a precise 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius), ensuring the rack is positioned in the center for even heat distribution.
- Utilize a spacious mixing bowl to thoroughly cream the softened butter and cream cheese, whipping until the texture becomes silky and uniform.
- Incrementally introduce granulated sugar and pure vanilla extract into the creamy base, continuing to blend until the mixture achieves a light, airy consistency.
- Gently incorporate whole eggs into the mixture, introducing them one at a time and thoroughly integrating each before adding the next.
- In a separate pristine bowl, carefully sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt, eliminating any potential lumps.
- Delicately fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring with minimal manipulation to prevent overworking the batter.
- Gently introduce chopped fresh cranberries and roughly chopped pecans, distributing them evenly throughout the mixture with a soft folding motion.
- Prepare two standard 9-inch by 5-inch (23 centimeters by 13 centimeters) loaf pans by generously coating with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing the top with a spatula to ensure uniform baking.
- Position the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 65 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a clean toothpick into the center – it should emerge without any raw batter clinging to it.
- Remove from the oven and allow the loaves to rest in their pans for 10 minutes, enabling them to set and cool slightly.
- Carefully transfer the loaves to a wire cooling rack, allowing them to cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
Notes
- Warm Ingredients Smoothly: Room temperature butter, cream cheese, and eggs blend effortlessly, creating a velvety soft bread texture that melts in your mouth.
- Chop Cranberries Strategically: Smaller cranberry pieces distribute their tangy burst more evenly throughout the bread, ensuring every slice gets a delightful fruity punch.
- Gentle Flour Mixing: Stir flour just until combined to keep the bread tender and light, avoiding tough or dense results that can ruin the delicate crumb.
- Precise Doneness Checking: Test bread’s readiness around 45 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center – a clean pick means perfectly baked goodness is ready to enjoy.
- Patient Cooling Process: Letting the bread rest in the pan for 10 minutes stabilizes its structure, preventing crumbling and ensuring clean, beautiful slices that hold together beautifully.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg