Fresh Strawberry Bread with Cream Cheese Drizzle

By mitzzy

No yeast, fresh berries, a bright, tangy taste by the slice. This quick bread is perfect spring baking – it is a jaunty quick bread, with a moist crumb, bejeweled with chopped strawberries which dart through it. A gorgeous cream cheese fondant drizzle crowns it (but it is fine without it).

Ingredients

• Cake Batter
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed, dried and hulled (about 2 cups, barely, once diced)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Zest of one orange, finely minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Cream Cheese Drizzle
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Confectioners sugar
• Orange juice, as required

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously spray a 8 by 4 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Prepare the berries - after washing and drying, dice into 1/2 inch or so (quarter the berries is fine) and set aside.

In a mixer bopwl, cream the sugar, butter and zest well, until fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and blend well. Fold in the flour, baking powder, soda and salt, and then the walnuts. Gently fold in the berries by hand. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake until cake springs back when gently touched, about 50-55 minutes.


To make the Cream Cheese Drizzle, in a small bowl, whisk the cream cheese and 1-2 cups confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and some orange juice to make a loose glaze to drizzle on the cooled cake.