Cheese-Filled Easter Polish Bread (Babka)

This sweet Polish babka, filled with a swirl of orange-flavored cream cheese, will be an impressive centerpiece for your Easter brunch.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 298 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier®)
• 2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F (43 degrees C))
• 0.66666668653488 cup milk
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 0.66666668653488 teaspoon salt
• 0.25 cup cold butter, cubed
• 0.5 orange, zested
• 3.3333332538605 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.33333334326744 cup white sugar, divided
• 3.3333332538605 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 0.5 cup thinly sliced almonds

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Mix 1 teaspoon sugar, water, and yeast together in a small bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Pour into a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons butter until melted. Let mixture cool to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C), about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Mix remaining sugar, yeast mixture, 2 egg yolks, and salt into the milk mixture. Add 3 1/3 cups flour; knead dough until shiny and elastic.

Step 5

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat both sides. Cover with greased plastic wrap; let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

Step 6

Combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks, orange liqueur, orange zest, and 1 vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Step 7

Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons flour together in a bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup cold butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Stir in almonds.

Step 8

Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Step 9

Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll 1 half into a rectangle 1/8-inch thick; keep the other half covered. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture over the dough. Fold in the short ends of the dough and roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Transfer to a prepared loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough and cream cheese mixture.

Step 10

Brush beaten egg white over the loaves; sprinkle almond topping evenly on top. Cover loaves with greased plastic wrap and let rise until dough reaches above the rim of the pans, about 1 hour.

Step 11

Bake loaves in the preheated oven until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 190 degrees F (88 degrees C), 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Run a knife along the sides to loosen; let cool completely, about 30 minutes.