Cream Cheese Babka (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Filling with Cream Cheese
01 -
¾ cup sugar
02 -
½ teaspoon almond extract
03 -
4 shades of food coloring
04 -
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 -
12 oz softened cream cheese
→ Dough for Babka
06 -
1 cup milk, heated to about 100-110°F
07 -
1 pkg active dry yeast (around 2 ¼ tsp)
08 -
⅓ cup sugar plus 1 more teaspoon, separated
09 -
10 tbsp cubed soft unsalted butter
10 -
1 teaspoon kosher salt
11 -
4 cups all-purpose flour
12 -
2 eggs
13 -
1 teaspoon vanilla
→ Simple Sugar Syrup
14 -
¼ cup water
15 -
¼ cup sugar
# Instructions:
01 -
In a bowl, use an electric whisk to blend cream cheese with sugar and the extracts until smooth. Separate the mixture evenly into 4 portions in bowls, and stir in different colors of food dye for each one. I opted for lighter pastel tones. Put aside until it’s time to fill the dough.
02 -
In a bowl, mix flour, ⅓ cup sugar, and salt. Heat the milk until warm (100-110°F), then add it to the bowl of a mixer with 1 teaspoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and give it a stir. Let it sit around 5 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
03 -
Add vanilla, eggs, sugar, flour, and salt to the yeast milk mixture and mix slowly until combined. Then, raise the speed a bit and knead it for 5 minutes until nice and smooth. Gradually add in the soft butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, kneading another 4 minutes until the dough holds together but still feels a bit tacky. Scrape the sides of your bowl as needed.
04 -
Put plastic wrap over the bowl and leave it in a warm spot for 1 to 1 ½ hours until it doubles. If you prefer, let it rest overnight in the fridge. Punch it down and place it on a clean surface, dividing it into two halves. Shape each into a rectangle, wrap them up, and refrigerate for half an hour to make the dough easier to roll.
05 -
Once slightly firmed up, take one dough half and use a rolling pin on a floured surface to shape it into a 12 x 16 rectangle. Lightly score the dough to create 4 long horizontal rectangles but don’t cut through. Spread each section with a different color of cream cheese filling, leaving a tiny ¼ inch border on the top.
06 -
Start from the long side without the trim and roll into a log tightly. Slice off about an inch from the ends. Then cut the log in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Cross one end of the halves and twist them around each other until you reach the bottom. Do this whole process again for the other dough half.
07 -
Use parchment paper to line two loaf pans (9 x 5). Gently place each twisted dough into a pan, tucking in the ends if they stick out. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise for an hour somewhere warm.
08 -
Pop the pans into a 350°F oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Check with a skewer or thermometer. A good internal temperature is 185-190°F. If the tops seem like they'll burn, loosely place foil over them. Once out, immediately brush the tops with sugar syrup—use all of it.
09 -
As the babkas bake, mix water and sugar in a saucepan and heat on medium-high until the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool down afterward.
10 -
Cool the loaves in their pans briefly, then carefully move them using the parchment paper edges to a wire rack to cool completely.
# Notes:
01 -
Soft brioche-like dough, layered with sweet pastel cream cheese filling, gets twisted into a classic babka loaf. Golden on top and brushed with a light sugary glaze, it’s a colorful treat for your brunch or holiday table.
02 -
Once fully cooled, cover it in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate because of the cream cheese. It'll stay fresh for about 5 days. Reheat it briefly in a microwave or toaster for serving.
03 -
Wrap the cooled babka first in plastic, then foil, and keep it in a freezer-safe bag to store for 1-2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
04 -
Want to prep ahead? Skip the first rise, cover the dough, and refrigerate overnight. Continue the rest of the steps the next day.