Coffeecake with Sweet Cheese Filling

In recent years, the pre-Shavuot lead-up in Toronto has been accompanied by a city-wide bake sale sponsored by an organization called Small Wonders, committed to helping Jewish couples struggling with infertility challenges. This event is noted for the dedication of its volunteers who assemble a delectable selection of home-baked as well as professionally baked treats and flowers, all packaged and presented in the most enticing way. But even more beautiful than the tantalizing delicacies, it is the outpouring of love of a community unified in this common purpose, which makes this annual event so successful.

Coffeecake with Sweet Cheese Filling

Alas, with continued Covid-19 restrictions in Toronto that prevent us from gathering, we have to resort to new found ways of showing our concern for each other. A generous slice of this coffeecake makes a perfect breakfast on Shavuot morning. The lemon-scented, sweet, cream cheese filling is enclosed in buttery yeast dough, topped with a crunchy streusel and lightly drizzled with a vanilla glaze. This recipe from Baking Illustrated by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated magazine makes two cakes, so share a cream cheese coffeecake with a friend and let them know that you miss them and are thinking of them. Chag Sameach!

Assemble your ingredients.

For the Dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer; stir to dissolve. Add the sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla; attach the paddle and mix at the lowest speed until well combined. Add 3 1/4 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing at low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and add the butter pieces 1 at a time, beating until incorporated, about 20 seconds after each addition (total mixing time should be about 5 minutes). Replace the paddle with the dough hook and add the remaining 1 cup flour; knead at medium-low speed until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes longer.

Scrape the dough  into a lightly greased bowl. Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3 to 4 hours. Press down the dough, replace the plastic, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 or up to 24 hours. 

For the Streusel: Mix the brown and granulated sugars, flour, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of your food processor or reuse your mixer bowl. Add the butter and pulse or mix until the mixture is crumbly. Chill thoroughly before using. (The streusel can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.).

For the Filling: Wipe out the mixer bowl or food processor bowl with a damp paper towel after making the streusel. If using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt at high speed until smooth. Add the lemon zest, egg, and vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Alternatively if using a food processor, add all of the filling ingredients to the food processor bowl and process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and chill thoroughly before using. (The filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.).

When you are ready to shape the coffeecakes, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half for 2 cakes. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside. On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll the first piece of dough into a 8″ x 12″ rectangle. Move the parchment paper with the rolled out dough to a large baking sheet. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center of the dough, leaving 1 inch bare of filling at each end of the dough. Spread the filling into a 3-inch-wide strip. (If you would like to make a cherry cheese coffeecake, spread 1 cup of cherry pie filling on top of the cheese filling. This is optional). 

Cut 1 inch crosswise strips on a slight angle (15 degrees) down the length of the outside sections of the dough, making sure you have the same number of strips on each side. Fold the piece of dough at the end over the filling. Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. When there are just two strips remaining (one on each side), fold the end piece of dough over the filling, then crisscross the final two strips. Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray, to rise until slightly puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (If desired, the unbaked cakes can be refrigerated overnight after the final rise and baked the next morning.)

For the Egg Wash: Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl until combined. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Working with and baking one coffeecake at a time, brush with egg wash evenly over the exposed dough.  Sprinkle the top evenly with half of the streusel. Bake for 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Place the baking pan on a cooling rack. 

For the Icing: When the cake is completely cool, whisk all the icing ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. (The icing can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.  Stir and thin with a few drops of milk before using if necessary.) Drizzle the cake with half the icing and serve.

Print Recipe

Coffeecake with Sweet Cheese Filling

Cookies, Cakes, Pies and Desserts

By Baking Illustrated, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine – Serves: 2 cakes, each serving 10

Prep Time: 60 minutes – Cooking Time: 35 minutes – Total Time: 95 minutes

Buttery yeast dough filled with a lemon-scented, sweet cream cheese filling, topped with crunchy streusel and drizzled with a creamy vanilla glaze.

Ingredients

• COFFEECAKE DOUGH
• 4 1⁄2 teaspoons instant yeast (2 envelopes )
• 1⁄4 cup warm water (about 110 F)
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 1⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (21 1/4 ounces)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened but still cool (2 sticks)
• SWEET CHEESE FILLING
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened but still cool
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1 large egg
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• STREUSEL TOPPING
• 1⁄3 cup light brown sugar (2 1/3 ounces) OR 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (2 1/3 ounces), packed
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• EGG WASH
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon whole milk
• COFFEECAKE ICING
• 3⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar (3 ounces)
• 3 1⁄2 teaspoons milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Dough:

1

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer; stir to dissolve. Add the sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla; attach the paddle and mix at the lowest speed until well combined. Add 3 1/4 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing at low speed until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and add the butter pieces 1 at a time, beating until incorporated, about 20 seconds after each addition (total mixing time should be about 5 minutes). Replace the paddle with the dough hook and add the remaining 1 cup flour; knead at medium-low speed until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes longer.

2

Scrape the dough  into a lightly greased bowl. Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3 to 4 hours. Press down the dough, replace the plastic, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 or up to 24 hours. 

For the Streusel:

3

Mix the brown and granulated sugars, flour, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of your food processor or reuse your mixer bowl. Add the butter and pulse or mix until the mixture is crumbly. Chill thoroughly before using. (The streusel can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.).

For the Filling:

4

Wipe out the mixer bowl or food processor bowl with a damp paper towel after making the streusel. If using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt at high speed until smooth. Add the lemon zest, egg, and vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Alternatively if using a food processor, add all of the filling ingredients to the food processor bowl and process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and chill thoroughly before using. (The filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.).

5

When you are ready to shape the coffeecakes, remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half for 2 cakes. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside. On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll the first piece of dough into a 8" x 12" rectangle. Move the parchment paper with the rolled-out dough to a large baking sheet. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center of the dough, leaving 1 inch bare of filling at each end of the dough. Spread the filling into a 3-inch-wide strip. (If you would like to make a cherry cheese coffeecake, spread 1 cup of cherry pie filling on top of the cheese filling. This is optional). 

6

Cut 1 inch crosswise strips on a slight angle (15 degrees) down the length of the outside sections of the dough, making sure you have the same number of strips on each side. Fold the piece of dough at the end over the filling. Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. When there are just two strips remaining (one on each side), fold the end piece of dough over the filling, then crisscross the final two strips. Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray, to rise until slightly puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (If desired, the unbaked cakes can be refrigerated overnight after the final rise and baked the next morning.)

For the Egg Wash:

7

Beat the egg and milk in a small bowl until combined. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F. Working with and baking one coffeecake at a time, brush with egg wash evenly over the exposed dough.  Sprinkle the top evenly with half of the streusel. Bake for 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Place the baking pan on a cooling rack. 

For the Icing:

8

When the cake is completely cool, whisk all the icing ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. (The icing can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.  Stir and thin with a few drops of milk before using if necessary.) Drizzle the cake with half the icing and serve.

Notes

To make a coffeecake with a cherry cheese filling, spoon 1 cup of cherry pie filling over the cream cheese filling before braiding the dough. Continue as instructed for the coffeecake with sweet cheese filling.