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Moist Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread Recipe with Cream Cheese Swirl

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A moist and tangy lemon poppy seed zucchini bread with a luscious cream cheese swirl, perfect for brunch or a crowd-pleasing treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil (canola preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
  • ½ cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • 1 ½ cups (150g) grated zucchini, squeezed to remove excess moisture
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
  2. Grate zucchini finely and squeeze out excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, whisk until lightened and thickened, about 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in vegetable oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the egg mixture.
  6. Slowly fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using a rubber spatula until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
  7. Fold in the squeezed zucchini gently until evenly distributed.
  8. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, egg, flour, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
  9. Pour half of the zucchini bread batter into the prepared pan. Dollop half of the cream cheese mixture on top in spoonfuls.
  10. Repeat with remaining batter and cream cheese. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese through the batter.
  11. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Tent with foil if top browns too fast.
  12. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Notes

Do not overmix the batter to avoid a tough loaf. Squeeze excess moisture from zucchini to prevent sogginess. Use a light hand when swirling cream cheese to maintain a marbled effect. If batter is too thick, add a splash of milk. Let bread cool before slicing for best texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon zucchini bread, poppy seed bread, cream cheese swirl, moist zucchini bread, lemon bread, brunch bread, easy zucchini bread

Find it online: https://milaspoon.com/moist-lemon-poppy-seed-zucchini-bread-recipe-with-cream-cheese-swirl-easy-and-perfect/