plum-blackberry cream cheese bread + oat streusel
I’m officially calling this summer the banner year of busyness. I just returned home from a weekend of potlucking, we’re moving this week to our new (and first — cue the hyperventilating) home and between it all are jobs to attend to, families to visit, friends to see and a whole lot of long to-do lists.
Please don’t misunderstand me — I am in no way complaining about these things, nor do I intend to glorify the idea of busyness. In fact, in my life I strive to do the opposite. For a long time I thought that feeling I got when my heart and lungs felt like they were being slowly strangled by a rope (I think they call it stress) meant I was doing something right — if I feel like I’ve got a lot going on, that’s a good thing, right? That means I’m busy, and our culture tells us if we’re busy that means we must be productive, influential and active members of society. Unlike those hippie-granola types out hiking in the woods right now. Pssh.
As I’ve gotten older and wiser (yes, I am oh-so-wise in my 26 old years), I’ve learned — mostly — to recognize that being busy is not always a good thing. I mean yes, if busy means you are spending a lot of time with the people you love, or with other foodie friends at a weekend retreat in Pennsylvania, or packing up your stand mixer and prop plates to move to a house you call your own, by all means it’s a good thing. And yet, it would be nice to have some time in all of that to just sit and be. To read because I want to and I can; to go for a long walk on the trail around the lake with my husband without checking my phone every few minutes to see what time it is; to let my cat sleep on my lap for longer than five minutes, because now I have to get up and do something else. It would be nice to be that hippie-granola type out hiking in the woods right now. It would be nice to just bake something for the sake of baking it, and to eat it without watching the TV screen and doing work on the laptop simultaneously, as I am both prone and known to do.
Alas, life does not always work out that way so easily. So I am striving to find those moments in the busyness, and in the meantime to embrace the busyness as well. Because it is good, this life. And just when we think we’ve run out of time to do what we want to do because we were busy making other plans (or “busy,” in the sense of scrolling through a Twitter feed or a Pinterest board for an hour of which someone is often guilty, ahem), we find ourselves forgetting about the times we did get to have a conversation with someone we loved, or a moment of baking batter bread in the kitchen. I hope in my continuing years of gaining wisdom — and of yes, busyness — I never let go of those things.
Plum-Blackberry Cream Cheese Bread
Bread recipe adapted from Bake or Break
Yields: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
For the bread —
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
3 ounces chopped plums, plus a few more pieces for topping
3 ounces blackberries, plus a few more for topping
4 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the oat streusel —
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Powdered sugar, for topping (optional)
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-by-4-inch or 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray with flour (like Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking Spray, or spray with regular cooking spray and lightly dust pan with flour).
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and slightly fluffy. Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla; stir to combine.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir to combine. Gently fold in chopped plums and blackberries.
In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and sugar. Fold into batter just a few times so there are streaks of cream cheese throughout.
Make the oat streusel: Add all ingredients except the powdered sugar to a small bowl and mix with fingers until a clumpy, cohesive, streusel-y mix forms.
Pour batter into prepared pan; top with a few pieces of chopped plums and blackberries, if desired. Top evenly with oat streusel.
Bake 1 hour (this could be less if you use a 9-by-5-inch pan) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with a tent of foil.
Cool bread 15 minutes in pan, then carefully remove and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Plums, blackberries, streusel what more could we ask for.
This looks like the perfect cake to have on the breakfast table with friends. And to escape from the the tyranny of busy-ness!
I really wish I could have a slice of this bread for breakfast!! It looks and sound so good!
Congrats on your first home! Absolutely loved this post – beautifully written! This bread is pretty beautiful too!
Ok I want 50 slices of this!!
I am in busyness mode as well. Sometimes I’m not sure how we get it all done but we do.
Bellini — Some of the best things in life, right? 🙂 Thanks!
Sarah — I agree! Thanks, dear 🙂
Tieghan — I wish I could mail you a slice or three (or have you over for breakfast :))! Thanks, darlin’!
Marie — Oh, thank you so much, dear!
Liz — Haha, I wish I could send you some! Thanks!
Meagan — Isn’t it funny how that works? Hope your season of busyness ends soon 🙂
It’s gorgeous! The streusel is so tempting looking!
I still think you wise for your age, not many 26 year olds. Not many are as reasonable and responsible responsible as you.
Lovely looking loaf, and I like the fact you included plums. So underrated as a fruit.
This looks just incredible, I’m scared I would devour the entire loaf in one sitting! 🙂
Anna — Thank you! The streusel is my favorite part. 🙂
Belinda — Oh thank you so much, dear — I sincerely appreciate that. 🙂 And yes, love me some plums; they’re especially good here right now!
Kelly — Definitely had to put the loaf in the freezer to save myself from eating it all (though I still know it’s in there, tempting me ;))! Thanks!
I sure hope you saved this bread for me because I want to eat the whole thing. In one sitting ;).
Preach on my food blogging sista! I completely agree. Sometimes it’s a good thing to sit and marinate and just be. Of course, I could just “be” with this streusel if ya know what I mean:)
Oh to be a granola munching hippy, hippying around in the woods. You said it, girly…being busy can be great and productive, but we need to stop and get a whiff of fresh air from time to time…cook to enjoy, rather than to blog. Your bread is killing every inch of me. Cream cheese?! YES! Oat streussel topping? Shoot me dead! I hope you had a fun and relaxing weekend!
Wow! So much goodness in this!!! Want some!!!
Laura — Haha, is half a loaf OK? I couldn’t help myself 😉 Thanks, dear!
Lauren — Thanks, lady! And you and me both with the streusel — it’s so yum 🙂
Julia — Thank ya, darlin’! Let’s hang out sometime and be granola-munching hippies and share a loaf of this bread together, k? 😉
Robyn — Thank you, dear!
This quick bread is stunning! Lovely recipe!
I must try this over the weekend, it looks so wonderful!!!
Katrina — Thank you! 🙂
Julie — You should! Hope you like it! 🙂
Really wish I could have made it to the potluck this year. Hope to meet you soon! And this bread – totally amazing!
This bread is just so gorgeous – love the flavors!
Cassie — Oh it would have been so nice to meet you there! Next year, for sure 🙂 Thanks, friend!
Kristen — Thanks so much! 🙂
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a house! congrats, girl!
I was totally camped out in the living room yesterday finishing up some work on my laptop, whilst watching Netflix on the tv, AND checking my email on my phone. I guess I’m a girl that needs a minimum of 3 screens, all at once. Guilty.
I love a streusel topped anything, anytime! this bread is pretty, pretty! I think you’ve inspired me out of my baking rut. I’ma make a bread today.
Well said, Steph! Making a good life for ourselves means time with family, friends and also doing things that we love and find fulfillment in. There’s room for all those things, if we choose.
Congrats on your new home. May it be filled with love, laughter, and the sweet aroma of something in the oven, like this beautiful bread.
daisy
Truer words have not been spoken Stephanie! Good luck with all you have to do. A lovely loaf like this and a hot mug of tea would make the perfect breakfast! Looks divine.
Cindy — Ha! Been there, done that. 🙂 Thanks, girl — and have fun baking today!
Daisy — Oh thank you, dear. I will definitely take your words to heart as we settle into our new home. 🙂 I’m excited!
Maria — Thank you so much!
This sounds amazing! Loving the gorgeous berries in it, the added cream cheese (yum!) and how could I ever resist a crumble topping?! Pinned! 🙂
Rachel — Thanks, dear! And thanks for pinning! 🙂
You had me at “oat streusel”…! Such a pretty way to use summer berries. Plums and blackberries both have that sour tang that works so well with cream cheese.
I couldn’t agree with you more, life is best when lived simply. I am always envious of Europeans for their ability to master it so much better than Americans.
This loaf looks amazing. Perfect for stone fruit season!
Irina — Haha, the oat streusel is my favorite part 🙂 Thank you!
Sarah — I agree! I need their secret (unless it’s just because they live in Europe, in which case, when can I move to Paris? ;)). Thank you!
I totally agree. I hate being busy and having an ever growing to do list, but being busy has it’s benefits. I guess. But holy moly, this bread! The cream cheese streusel swirl is soooo gorgeous and tempting. I want you to ad coming over to my house and bringing me some of this to your to do list!
This bread is just gawwwwgeous. Let’s have a few slices together while not being busy, ‘kay?
You are in good company with all your craziness going on. This loaf will keep things straight! Absolutely lovely!
Stefanie — Haha, added to the list! 😉 Thanks, dear!
Stephie — I like that plan very much. 🙂
dishing up the dirt — Oh, I can’t even imagine how busy you’ve been lately so I know you can relate. Wish I could send you a loaf to keep you company in all the busyness! 🙂
This “bread” looks like such a treat!
Yum!
Shashi — Thank you! 🙂
Oh my this looks fantastic Stephanie!!! I wish I had a loaf right now!
This is the kind of bread that totally embodies summer! I love how full of fruit it is! I could dig into a slice for breakfast… and lunch… and dinner. And all snacks in between, hehe! Great recipe, Steph.
Claire — Thank you, friend! 🙂
Georgia — Oh believe me, I’ve had it for all three meals and then some. 🙂 Thanks, dear!
If one could marry bread, I would marry this bread.
Hayley — Oh, if only that were possible. Thanks, lady! 🙂
This bread looks beautiful and delicious, Stephanie! I especially love the oat streusel topping and powdered sugar on top — lovely! (:
Monica — Thank you so much!
Can I get an AMEN to that!? I really need to adapt this “being busy with important meaningful things” instead of “being busy with social media/photo editing/etc” mentality that I seem to have going on.
A good way to start would be to just bake something lovely (like this quickbread!) and then just sit and enjoy it. WIthout multitasking. Wouldn’t that be crazy (awesome)?
Joanne — You and me both, sister! It’s a work in progress, for sure. 🙂
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Oh man, this bread looks amazing. I am a sucker for all quick breads. Everything about this looks so delicious. From the streusel to the fruit and cream cheese. YUM.
Laura — Thank you, dear! 🙂
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I just saw the photo of this bread in my feeds and thought, “I must have this.” I guess I kinda already have! Love your version of my recipe!
Jennifer — Ha! Yes, thank you so much for the inspiration! It’s one of my faves now, for sure. 🙂
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This bread is incredible, and I love the Stresel. I linked to it in my blackberry round up this week.
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