Gluten-Free Cheesecake Swirl Peach Bread

Steps

Peach Bread Batter

1. 1

   Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180 °C) (180°C (350 °F)), and line a 9 × 5-inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pan with parchment or baking paper.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, mix the sugar, melted warm butter, oil, yoghurt, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.

3. 3

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.

4. 4

   Add the dry ingredients and chopped peaches to the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix until you have a fairly thick batter with no flour clumps and the peaches evenly distributed throughout.

Cheesecake Filling

5. 5

   In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Do not whisk or aerate the mixture, since incorporating too much air is undesirable.

Assembling the Peach Bread

6. 6

   Spread about one-third of the peach bread batter evenly over the bottom of the lined loaf pan.

7. 7

   Spoon half of the cheesecake filling over the batter and spread it into a fairly even layer.

8. 8

   Dollop another one-third of the batter over the cheesecake filling. Carefully spread it into an even layer so it completely covers the filling.

9. 9

   Spoon the remaining cheesecake filling over the batter and spread it into an even layer.

10. 10

    Dollop the remaining batter on top and spread it so it covers the cheesecake filling as much as possible. Smooth the top.

11. 11

    Cut cold butter straight from the refrigerator into very thin strips, about 1–2 mm or less than ⅛ inch thick. Arrange the strips in a line along the middle of the batter. This creates a natural weak spot that controls where the bread cracks during baking.

Baking the Peach Bread

12. 12

    Bake at 350°F (180 °C) (180°C (350 °F)) for about 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, until well risen, cracked down the center, and golden brown. An inserted toothpick or cake tester should show no raw or half-baked cake batter; some cheesecake filling on the tester is acceptable.

    Start 1-hour timer
13. 13

    If the top starts browning too much, cover the loaf with aluminum foil, shiny side up, and continue baking until done.

14. 14

    Cool the peach bread in the loaf pan for about 10–15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Start 15-minute timer
15. 15

    Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing for neat slices and well-defined cheesecake swirls. The loaf may settle and slump slightly during cooling, resulting in a gently rounded rather than highly domed top.

Storage

16. 16

    Store the cheesecake swirl peach bread in a closed container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.