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Moist Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Loaf with Cream Cheese Swirl

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A bright, tangy, and moist lemon poppy seed zucchini loaf featuring a creamy cream cheese swirl. Perfect for easy homemade baking and a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (about 1 medium) fresh zucchini, grated and lightly squeezed
  • Zest of 2 medium lemons
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • For the cream cheese swirl:
  • 4 ounces (115 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
  2. Grate zucchini and squeeze out excess moisture using a clean towel or paper towels.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
  5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Fold in grated zucchini carefully.
  6. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add a splash of milk if too thick.
  7. Pour half of the zucchini batter into the loaf pan. Dollop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over batter. Add remaining batter on top.
  8. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese through the batter to create a marbled effect.
  9. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  10. If browning too quickly, tent with foil after 40 minutes.
  11. Cool loaf in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

[‘Remove excess moisture from zucchini to avoid soggy loaf.’, ‘Use room temperature eggs and cream cheese for smooth blending.’, ‘Avoid overmixing batter to keep loaf tender.’, ‘Swirl cream cheese slowly with figure-eight or zigzag motions for a pretty marbled effect.’, ‘Check doneness starting at 50 minutes due to moisture from zucchini.’, ‘Tent with foil if browning too fast.’, ‘Loaf can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerated up to a week, or frozen in slices.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon poppy seed loaf, zucchini bread, cream cheese swirl, moist loaf, quick bread, homemade baking, easy dessert

Find it online: https://forkmila.com/moist-lemon-poppy-seed-zucchini-loaf-recipe-perfect-for-easy-homemade-baking/