Cream Cheese Danish Coffee Cake

Follow our step-by-step guide on how to make Cream Cheese Danish Coffee Cake.

1. Step 1

   Start by combining 1 cup of all-purpose flour, the sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. This will be the base of your dough, so make sure it's well mixed!

2. Step 2

   In a separate saucepan, combine 1 cup of milk and the butter. Heat this mixture over low heat until it's warm, around 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. This should take about 5 minutes, and it’s crucial for activating the yeast.

3. Step 3

   Once your milk-butter mixture is warm, gradually beat it into the flour mixture on low speed. After everything is combined, increase the speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes. Don’t forget to stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

4. Step 4

   Next, add in another cup of flour along with the egg, mixing until everything is well incorporated. Switch to the dough hook attachment and mix in the remaining 2 cups of flour until you have a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Step 5

   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it’s smooth and elastic, which should take about 10 minutes. Once it’s ready, shape it into a ball and place it in a greased bowl, turning it over to coat the top with grease. Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, which will take about an hour.

6. Step 6

   After the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, placing each piece in a separate bowl. Cover them and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavor.

7. Step 7

   While the dough is chilling, prepare the cream cheese filling. In the clean bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, 1 egg, and a splash of lemon juice. Beat on low speed until everything is blended, then increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

8. Step 8

   When you're ready to assemble, grease two baking sheets. Roll out one piece of dough into a rectangle measuring about 12x15 inches and transfer it to one of the baking sheets. Repeat this with the second piece of dough.

9. Step 9

   Spread a generous strip of the cream cheese filling down the center of each rectangle, about 4 inches wide. Then, cut the dough on both sides of the filling into 1-inch-wide strips. Now comes the fun part: fold the strips alternately over the filling to create a beautiful braid. Cover the braided dough and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size again, about 1 hour.

10. Step 10

    Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Before baking, brush the tops of the braids with 2 tablespoons of milk for a lovely golden finish. Bake in the preheated oven until they are golden brown, which should take about 20 minutes. Once baked, transfer them to a wire rack to cool.