Lemon Cheese Babka Recipes

CHEESE BABKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast and the pinch of sugar over the warm water; stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Combine the 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, milk, and 3 eggs in a bowl with 1 cup of flour and mix well. Add the yeast mixture and beat for 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Shape the dough into a round, and place it in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Beat together the farmers' cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, sour cream, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and dried lemon peel in a bowl until smooth. Set the filling aside. Lightly oil a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt®).
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Spread the cheese filling evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, starting from the long end; twist the dough 6 to 8 times to form a rope. Pinch the seams and ends closed and arrange the rope of dough in the greased pan. Cover loosely and let rise 1 hour.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake the babka until deep golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes; invert the babka onto a wire rack and remove the pan. Allow the babka to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

LEMON CHEESE BABKA

Steps:

• 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.