Cherry Almond Danish Braid
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I’m beginning to think I have a serious weakness for breakfast pastries. If I indulged at breakfast as often as I’d like to…well, let’s just say restraint can be a good thing. Sometimes a splurge is absolutely essential, especially when faced with a freshly baked Danish. This sweet yeasted bread is a bit of a cheat on the classic laminated Danish pastry, but every bit as delicious thanks to the tender cream cheese dough that rolls out like a dream.
Fresh Bing cherries take the spotlight here, topping a layer of almond paste for one irresistible filling. Drizzled with sweet Amaretto glaze, the only accompaniment this braid needs is freshly brewed coffee.
If you’ve never baked a Danish braid, now is the time. Red Star Yeast is the answer to all bread baking anxiety, and this braid is extremely straightforward to assemble. Best of all, you can prepare it the night before and bake it in the morning – for a moment, you too might be tempted to open a bakery.
Cherry Almond Danish Braid
- Yield: 14 servings
Ingredients
Sponge
- 6 Tbsp (90 g) low fat milk
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 package Red Star PLATINUM Yeast
- 2 Tbsp (17 g) flour
Dough
- 1/4 cup (48 g) sugar
- 4 oz (113 g) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups (315 g) flour, divided
Filling
- 2 cups (312 g) Bing cherries, pitted and quartered
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Amaretto
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (112 g) almond paste, cubed
- 1/4 cup (48 g) sugar
Assembly
- 1 Tbsp milk
Glaze
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 Tbsp (7 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp Amaretto
Instructions
- For the sponge, heat milk in a microwave-safe measuring cup for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until very warm (120-130°F). Whisk together warm milk, sugar, yeast, and flour in a medium bowl; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes.
- For the dough, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, salt, vanilla, egg, and sponge in a large mixer bowl; beat at medium speed for 1 minute until combined. Add 2 cups (280 g) flour and mix in at low speed until a soft dough forms, about 2 to 3 minutes. Switch out the flat beater for a dough hook, and knead dough for 4 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding remaining 1/4 cup (35 g) of flour 1 tablespoon at a time to prevent dough from sticking. The dough is ready when it feels tacky but doesn’t stick to your fingers.
- Place dough in a large bowl coated with nonstick spray and cover with plastic. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 50 minutes. To check if dough has doubled, lightly flour two fingers and press them down into center of dough. If indentations remain, dough has risen enough.
- While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Combine cherries, sugar, and Amaretto in a medium bowl. Let stand 15 minutes, tossing occasionally. Place cherries and their juices in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until cherries have softened and mixture has thickened. Remove cherries from heat and cool to room temperature. Combine butter, almond paste, and sugar in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute until combined.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust lightly with flour. Gently punch down dough and roll out into a 12 x 15-inch rectangle on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle almond paste mixture down the center of the dough, leaving a 4-inch border on each side and a 1-inch border at the top and bottom. Spoon cherries over almond paste mixture. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut 15 1-inch strips on both sides of dough (be careful not to cut parchment paper).
- Remove the four corner strips and fold top border down over filling. Work from top to bottom and fold strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally (begin by folding over the top left strip, then fold the top right strip, then a left strip, and so on). When all the strips are folded over filling, fold up the bottom border and press to seal. Cover braid loosely with plastic and let rise 25 minutes. (Prepare ahead: After braid rests, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking).
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush braid with milk and bake until golden, 19 to 20 minutes. Cool braid on a wire rack. For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, salt, melted butter, milk, and Amaretto in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over braid; let set before serving.
Nutrition
- Calories: 240
- Carbohydrates: 36
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Disclosure: I was compensated by Red Star Yeast for the development of this recipe. All opinions expressed are my own.
In Point 4, you say combine cherries, sugar and amaretto and cook for 10 mins until mixture has thickened. How thick is it meant to get? If it doesnt thicken can I add cornflour?
Also I live in Turkey so am using local instant yeast. How much yeast is required? 7grams? 2 teaspoons?
Also, almond paste is not available. Any suggestions or know the easiest way to make this?
Many thanks for such a lovely post.
Hi Lulu, you cook the cherries with sugar and amaretto until the mixture has reduced and thickened slightly (like a loose sauce). I didn’t need to add any thickener, but you can if you wish. One package of instant yeast = 2 1/4 teaspoons. Here is a recipe for homemade almond paste. Hope that helps!
WOW, this looks unbelievable. I’m always hesitant to bake with cherries because of the work required to pit them, but this might be the encouragement I needed! (Along with a cherry pitter!) Definitely will be baking this.
I can barely braid my daughter’s hair yet your danish is braided so gorgeously!!!! Love looking at this danish… really beautiful. I’d be happy to have a GIANT slice with a cup of coffee in the morning. I’d even wake up extra early to enjoy it fully… 🙂 Would love to try this one day!
This is so beautiful. I love the glaze drizzle and the dough – filling ratio looks perfect. Well done!
This would be a dangerous pastry to have in my kitchen, I have a real weakness for cherry danish. 🙂
A perfect weekend breakfast…ok, let’s be honest, weekday too. 🙂 I love cherry almond as a flavor for anything.
Laura, I’m with you on breakfast pastries. . love them!!!! this danish braid is gorgeous!!!