Cherry Danish Loaves
I enjoy serving Cherry Danish Loaves on Christmas morning or for a special brunch, perhaps for Mother’s Day. I always make them the day before, and then give two of the loaves as gifts. Of course, I save two for ourselves, as our kids really love this Danish-style sweet bread.
(Post modified with new photos on 5/5/23.)
This lightly sweet bread wraps around a delicious cream cheese and cherry pie filling. It’s so yummy and goes perfect with an egg casserole or quiche when you want something special for your family. Because it makes 4 loaves, it will easily feed 24 people, which makes it perfect for a potluck brunch.
You may believe that bread loaves are complicated to make, but you might be surprised at how simple they are to prepare. Once you’ve made them a time or two, you’ll understand and hopefully, will be more inclined to try such recipes.
Bread Loaves for You to Make
Ingredients for Cherry Danish Loaves
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- sour cream
- warm water
- butter
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- instant yeast
- all-purpose flour
The Filling
- cream cheese, room temperature
- granulated sugar
- large egg
- almond extract
- cherry pie filling
The Glaze
- powdered sugar
- whole milk
- almond extract
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Gather the first seven ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Make the Dough
In a medium saucepan, heat the sour cream, water, and butter to 110-115 degrees.
Place butter mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar and large eggs. Mix well. Gradually add yeast and all-purpose flour, mixing well. Do not knead.
Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Prepare the Filling
When you’re ready to make the loaves, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, large egg, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the Loaves
Turn cold dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into four portions. Roll each into a 12″ x 8″ rectangle.
Spread a fourth of the cream cheese mixture down the center of each rectangle. Spoon a fourth of the pie filling over the cream cheese.
Fold ends of the dough over the filling. Follow this by folding the dough lengthwise into thirds. Pinch side seam and ends to seal. Place seam down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (You will use two baking sheets, with 2 loaves on each pan.)
With a pair of sharp kitchen shears, make several 1-in diagonal cuts near the center of each loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
Make The Glaze
While the loaves are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, whole milk, and almond extract. Whisk together until smooth and creamy.
Drizzle the glaze over warm loaves. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
You may have noticed in some of these photos that my loaves have “burst” when baking. It sometimes happens, even for a more experienced baker. I’m here to tell you that you’ll live through it, and the loaves will taste lovely even if the cherries exploded to the top. See this post from The Bread Guide, on why bread loaves might split or burst.
As Julia Child used to say, “I would far prefer to have things happen as they naturally do, such as the mousse refusing to leave the mold, the potatoes sticking to the skillet, the apple charlotte slowly collapsing. One of the secrets of cooking is to learn to correct something if you can, and bear with it if you cannot.”
This recipe will make 4 loaves.
See more Breads Here. Browse Holiday Baking Ideas Here. View Breakfast Ideas Here.
Cherry Danish Loaves
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup butter cubed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 21 oz cherry pie filling
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Gather first seven ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Make the Dough
- In medium saucepan, heat sour cream, water, and butter to 110-115 degrees.
- Place butter mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add granulated sugar and large eggs. Mix well. Gradually add yeast and all-purpose flour, mixing well. Do not knead. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Prepare the Filling
- When you are ready to assemble the loaves, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, large egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble the Loaves
- Turn cooled dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide into four portions. Roll each into a 12" x 8" rectangle.
- Spread a fourth of the cream cheese mixture down the center of each rectangle. Spoon a fourth of the pie filling over the cream cheese.
- Fold edges of the dough over the filling. Next, fold the dough lengthwise into thirds. Pinch side seam and ends to seal.
- Carefully roll the loaf over, so it's seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (You will use two baking sheets, with 2 loaves on each pan.)
- With a pair of sharp kitchen shears, make several 1-in diagonal cuts near the center of each loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
Make The Glaze
- While the loaves are baking, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, whole milk, and almond extract. Whisk together until smooth and creamy.
- Drizzle the glaze over warm loaves. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 4 loaves. Each loaf will serve approximately 6 people.
Notes
Nutrition
This looks lovely! It would be great for Mothers’ Day.
Thanks, Susie! We enjoy this Cherry Danish. It’s perfect for any special occasion.