Colorful Easter Babka (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Cheesecake Center
01 -
Softened cream cheese, 12 oz
02 -
Sugar, ¾ cup
03 -
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
04 -
Almond extract, ½ tsp
05 -
Food coloring, four shades
→ Dough for Babka
06 -
All-purpose flour, 4 cups
07 -
Sugar, ⅓ cup + 1 tsp, separated
08 -
Kosher salt, 1 tsp
09 -
1 packet active dry yeast (around 2 ¼ tsp)
10 -
Warm milk (100-110°F), 1 cup
11 -
Eggs, 2
12 -
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
13 -
Unsalted butter, soft and cubed, 10 tbsp
→ Sweet Syrup
14 -
Granulated sugar, ¼ cup
15 -
Water, ¼ cup
# Instructions:
01 -
In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and both extracts with an electric mixer until smooth. Set it aside until dough filling time. Split the mix into 4 bowls evenly. Use food coloring to tint each bowl to your liking. Pastel tones work well for springtime celebrations.
02 -
Mix flour, salt, and ⅓ cup of sugar in one bowl. Warm up milk for about 45 seconds in the microwave or until it’s around 100-110°F. Pour milk into a stand mixer bowl with 1 tsp of sugar already inside. Sprinkle yeast over it, give it a quick stir, and leave it to foam for about 5 minutes.
03 -
To the yeast mixture, add the eggs, vanilla, flour, and a little more sugar and salt. Start mixing on low speed to combine, then turn it up a notch to medium-low, kneading for about 5 minutes until the texture turns smooth. Add the cubed butter bit by bit and mix for another 4 minutes until everything comes together (it’ll stay a bit sticky). Scrape the sides while mixing to help it blend.
04 -
Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap, and let it sit in a warm corner for an hour or so until it roughly doubles. Punch it down, pull it out onto your counter, and divide it into two equal pieces. Shape each into a rectangle and wrap them individually before chilling them in the fridge for 30 minutes.
05 -
Take one chilled dough piece and roll it out on a flour-dusted surface to a large, long rectangle (12 x 16). Gently score it into four horizontal strips. Spread one cream cheese color into each strip, staying a tiny bit away from the edge near the top layer (leave a ¼ inch of space).
06 -
Tightly roll the dough into a log from the longest edge without the border. Slice off about an inch from either end for a clean look. Cut the rolled log in half lengthwise to expose the layers. Cross one strip over the other to make a quick braid. Repeat for the second dough piece.
07 -
Grab two 9 x 5 loaf pans lined with parchment paper. Place each braided dough into a pan, gently pressing the ends in if needed. Cover with plastic wrap again, and let it puff up for another hour in a warm spot.
08 -
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pop the pans inside and bake for 30-40 minutes until they’re golden on top and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. If you’ve got a kitchen thermometer, the center should read somewhere between 185-190°F. Place foil on top if it’s browning too fast. Once baked, brush each loaf with half the sugar syrup while still hot.
09 -
While the breads are in the oven, mix water and sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the sugar fully dissolves. Set it to cool.
10 -
Let the loaves rest in their pans for a few minutes. Then, use the parchment paper to move them to a cooling rack. Wait until they’re completely cool before slicing.
# Notes:
01 -
Soft, fluffy dough gets rolled with pastel cream cheese, braided, and baked to golden perfection. Finished with a syrupy glaze, it's a sweet centerpiece for Easter morning!
02 -
Once it’s cooled, wrap it tightly with plastic or foil and keep it refrigerated (due to the cream cheese). It stays good for up to 5 days. You can warm it back up in your toaster or microwave if you’d like!
03 -
Freeze leftovers (or the whole loaf) by wrapping it tightly in plastic, foil, and a zip-top bag. It keeps frozen for 1-2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
04 -
If making the dough in advance, skip the first rise and pop the dough in the fridge overnight. Pick back up the next day and continue!