Strawberries and Cream Stuffed French Toast Bake

Ingredients: 

• 1 ACE® bakery baguette, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 cup sliced strawberries

Egg Mixture: 

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Cream Cheese Filling: 

• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped strawberries 

For Serving: 

• Maple syrup
• Powdered sugar 

To Make 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray. 
2. Slice the top pf the bread into 1/2 inch sections, not slicing all the way through the loaf. Cut the baguette in half and fit to your pan size.  
3. Arrange two halves of the sliced baguette in the prepared baking dish. 
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. 
5. In another mixing bowl, prepare the cream cheese filling. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest, and beat until well combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries until evenly distributed. 
6. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly in between the bread slices in the baking dish. 
7. Scatter the remaining sliced strawberries over the top. 
8. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the French toast bake. Use a spatula to gently press down on the bread to ensure it’s evenly soaked in the egg mixture. 
9. Bake for 35-40 min or until the custard is warmed through and set. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, fresh strawberries and maple syrup. YUM!