Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

lemon cheese babka

(1 rating)
innerlife avatar
Recipe by
kathleen ralston
@innerlife
Sacramento, CA

This is a raised bread desert - not real sweet, and has a sweet cheese filling inside. I haven't made it for a long time but I think you will like it.

(1 rating)
yield 2 Cakes
prep time 2 Hr
cook time 40 Min

Ingredients For lemon cheese babka

  • 1 envelope active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup very warm water
  • 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups of all-purpose flour, unsifted
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp grated lemon rind
  • 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup warm milk
  • 6 tbs butter, softened
  • CHEESE FILLING
  • 1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp grated lemon rind
  • CRUMB TOPPING
  • 1/3 cup chopped nuts
  • 3 tbs flour
  • 3 tbs butter, softened
  • 3 tbs sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • confectioner's sugar

How To Make lemon cheese babka

  • 1
    Sprinkle the yeast and 1/2 tsp of the sugar over very warm water in a 1 cup measure. The water should be comfortably warm when dropped on wrist. Stir to dissolve. Let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
  • 2
    Combine 2 cups of the flour, salt, lemon rind and remaining sugar in large bowl and make a well in the center.
  • 3
    Beat the eggs and egg yolks in a small bowl just to mix. Pour eggs. yeast mixture and warm milk into the well. Stir liquids into flour until smooth. Beat well.
  • 4
    Add the softened butter gradually, beating well. Stir in 1 more cup of the flour. Bet until the dough leaves the side of the bowl.
  • 5
    Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  • 6
    Place dough in buttered bowl, turning to bring the buttered side up: cover and let rise in a warm place, away from drafts, 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours until it has doubled in volume.
  • 7
    While dough is rising, make the cheese filling. Beat the cream cheese and cottage cheese in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in egg yolk and sugar. Stir in lemon rind.
  • 8
    Make crumb topping: Combine the nuts, flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  • 9
    Grease two 8 by 1 and 1/2 inch layer pans.
  • 10
    When the dough has doubled, punch down; knead in raisins; divide dough into four equal parts: press two parts into the bottoms and up about 1/2 inch on the sides of each of the layer pans; spread each with about 1 cup of the cheese filling.
  • 11
    Shape the remaining dough into 8 inch circles; place on top of cheese filling. Press spoon handle into dough round the edges to seal.
  • 12
    Sprinkle half the crumb topping over each Babka. Let rise in warm place until dough reaches the top of the pans, about 1 hour.
  • 13
    Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the cakes sound hollow when tapped. Turn out onto wire rack to cool. (Place foil loosely over crumb topping; invert onto rack, then turn right side up.) Let cool at least 30 minutes.
  • 14
    Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!

Categories & Tags for Lemon Cheese Babka:

ADVERTISEMENT