Lemon Cream Cheese Danish Bread

| | 2 posted by | photo by Julia Gartland
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This lemon cream cheese Danish bread has all the delicate goodness of an individual Danish, with far less work required. It even makes a second loaf, just in case you’re inclined to share.

A loaf of lemon cream cheese Danish bread on a piece of foil with a knife lying beside it.

Adapted from Samantha Seneviratne | The Joys of Baking | Running Press Adult, 2019

Less time-consuming to shape than traditional individual lemon cream cheese danish yet just as indulgent, these loaves are a touch more refined than the classic breakfast thanks to a subtle sweetness. You may be wondering, when you read the recipe, if you really NEED two loaves. You do. They make lovely gifts, although after devouring the first of these light, airy, buttery breads, you may just banish any thought of parting with the second one.–Angie Zoobkoff

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish Bread

  • Quick Glance
  • Quick Glance
  • 30 M
  • 4 H
  • Makes two (8 1/2-by 4 1/2-inch | 22-by 11-cm) loaves
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Ingredients

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  • For the dough
  • For the cream cheese topping
  • For the glaze

Directions

Prepare the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
With the dough hook on low speed, add in the egg, egg yolks, flour, salt, and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the butter pieces, a few at a time, and continue to mix until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough until smooth and pliable, about 7 minutes.
☞ Tester tip: If your dough is still sticky after mixing for 7 minutes, knead in a little extra flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is smooth and pliable.
Remove the dough from the bowl, butter the bowl, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until double in size, 1 to 2 hours.
Butter two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch (22-by-11-cm) loaf pans and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch (5-cm) overhang on 2 opposite sides.
Turn the dough onto a work surface (you shouldn’t need any flour at this point) and then gently press to expel the air from it. Pat out the dough and divide in half.
Pat each piece into an 8-inch (20-cm) square and roll it into a tight roll. Tuck each roll into a loaf pan, seam-side down. Press the dough into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
Make the cream cheese topping
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla, reserving the egg white for the next step. Divide the mixture between 2 resealable plastic bags. (This makes it easier to spread the mixture over the risen dough without deflating it.)
Just before baking the loaves, carefully brush the some of the egg white on the top of each loaf.
☞ Tester tip: If your loaves are quite rounded on top after the second rise, gently press the tops to create a flat surface so the cream cheese and lemon curd don’t fall off.
Snip 1 of the bottom corners from each of the bags of cream cheese mixture. Squeeze the mixture down the center of each loaf, leaving about a 1-inch (25-mm) bare border on each of the 2 long sides, then spread 1/4 cup of the lemon curd down the center of each loaf. It doesn’t need to cover the cream cheese mixture completely.
Place the pans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake the loaves until puffed and set and the internal temperature has reached 185°F (85°C), 30 to 45 minutes. If the cream cheese mixture starts to brown around the edges, loosely cover the loaves with aluminum foil.
Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool for at least 15 minutes. Using the parchment overhang as handles, lift the loaves out of the pans and let cool completely.
Prepare the glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice. Add a little more juice, if necessary, to make a thick glaze.
Glaze the loaves
Drizzle the glaze over each loaf. Slice and devour.
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Recipe Testers Reviews

Recipe Tester Avatar
Nadine Bonda

The wonderful aroma of this loaf wafted through the house as it was baking. It was difficult to wait for it to cool to try it. So, we didn't wait. Eaten warm, it’s soft, and delicious— perfect for brunch or afternoon tea. The next morning, I warmed a piece in the toaster oven for breakfast—delicious.

I then let the bread rise for 1 hour for the first rise and 90 minutes for the second rise. My loaves baked in 35 minutes. The inside was perfect and I didn’t need to cover the loaves while baking.

There are approximately 10 slices per loaf.

Recipe Tester Avatar
Rosemary Wynn

This was relatively easy to make and the flavor was great. It just took a little time. It tastes pretty much like a cheese danish but a little less sweet.

The topping-to-bread ratio is a little low. I think with a loaf, it's hard to get the topping on each bite. Maybe if you made it with the round cake pan or even a square one it would be better because there would be topping on each bite.

I used store-bought curd. I baked the loaves for 45 minutes and went ahead and covered them with foil for the second half of the baking time just to be safe.

This recipe made 2 decent-size loaves. My topping ran to the edge and over the sides but was caught by the parchment.

Recipe Tester Avatar
Olivia Bleitz

I sliced the loaves into 1-inch slices and drizzled with the glaze before setting them out at a party. The flavor was great and the texture of the loaf itself was really nice—light and airy, like brioche. The slices were devoured and people raved about it.

While somewhat time-consuming in total, the individual steps of this lemon cream cheese danish bread were quick and easy and the final product was delicious.

After rising, the dough was very easy to work with and divide into the two pans and it took 2 hours for it to double in size again in its pans. The loaves came easily out of the pans and didn't stick at all.

I used a store-bought lemon curd versus making my own. The lemon cream cheese topping tasted great but looked like overcooked scrambled egg. The directions cautioned that it may brown too quickly but mine didn't really brown at all, which resulted in a not super appetizing top over a beautiful brioche like loaf. The exposed edges were perfectly golden brown and shiny from the egg white.

There were 16 slices from each loaf that would have worked equally well as an after-dinner treat, with a cup of tea in the afternoon, or as part of a brunch spread

I will definitely make this again and continue to play with the filling because it all tasted great. I just wish it looked a little prettier. Is there a way to make the topping more of a filling? Maybe spread it on the dough before rolling for the second proof? I might try that!

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Lemon Cream Cheese Danish Bread Recipe © 2019 Samantha Seneviratne. Photo © 2019 Julia Gartland. All rights reserved. All materials used with permission.

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Comments

  1. I wish you published your recipes in metric weights as well as volume. Not all of us use volume anymore, as metric is more accurate, and scales are readily available, even at local grocery stores.

    Reply

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