Cranberry Goat Cheese Yeasted Coffee Cake

Pairs perfectly with tea or coffee! Wow! We cannot get over how beautiful this Cranberry Goat Cheese Yeasted Coffee Cake is! This is truly the perfect coffee cake to bring to any event. It will certainly be a standout on the dessert table or brunch spread!

Ingredients

Cranberry Filling

  • 2 cups Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • Zest of one large orange
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup water

Goat Cheese mixture (make after dough has risen once)

  • 6 oz goat cheese (room temp, chèvre)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Dough

  •   1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
  •   1/4 cup warm water (about 110°F or 45°C)
  •   1/2 cup whole milk, warmed
  •   1/3 cup granulated sugar
  •   8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  •   2 large eggs
  •   1 tsp vanilla extract
  •   1/2 tsp salt
  •   3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Icing

  • 1.5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp orange juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 hours 30 mins

Total Time

2 hours

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

8-10

Portions

Directions

Cranberry Filling

  1. Place frozen cranberries, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and water in a medium pot, boil and then simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until all of the liquid is gone and the mixture is thick. Place in the refrigerator until cooled down.

Goat Cheese Mixture

  1. Beat goat cheese, egg yolk, and sugar until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.

Dough

  1. In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it is foamy.
  2. In a large bowl combine the warm mik, softened butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Mix well until the butter is mostly incorporated.
  3. Add the yeast mixture to the bowl and mix everything together.
  4. Gradually add the flour, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addtion. Continue adding flour until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5-10 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic.
  6. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
  7. Punch down the risen dough to release any air bubbles, then turn it out onto a floured surface.
  8. Roll the dough into a 14×12 inch rectangle. Spread the goat cheese mixture down first and then cranberry mixture on top down the center, about 3 inches across. Cut 1 inch slits diagonally down both sides of the pastry within 1/2 inch of the filling.
  9. Start at the top, alternately fold the strips over to enclose the filling.
  10. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 30-60 minutes until puffed up. Brush the top with egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water).
  11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  12. Bake the risen braid in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden brown.
  13. While coffee cake cools mix icing (1.5 cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tbsp. orange juice, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract). Drizzle on top of coffee cake.