Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped and tossed in flour

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. With electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla.  In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Combine flour mixture with butter mixture until just blended. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined; do not over mix. Carefully fold in strawberries. Dough will be thick. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from pan. 

For Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla and cream together until creamy. Drizzle over bread before serving.

*Note: may add toasted pecans and whole fresh strawberries for garnish.

First Place — Shirley Lumsden, Cherokee County