Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish
This Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish is made entirely from scratch and tastes as if it came from a fancy European bakery. The flaky dough, which is easier to make than you would think, can be topped with endless different fillings - a perfect baking project for overnight guests or special breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
Dough
- 230 g Butter
- 600 g All-purpose flour
- 7 g Instant dry yeast
- 40 g Granulated sugar
- 12 g Salt
- 280 ml Whole milk
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Egg for egg wash
Strawberry Filling
- 200 g Strawberries fresh, diced
- 100 g Granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- 3/4 tbsp Arrowroot powder or Cornstarch
Cream cheese Filling
- 230 g Cream cheese
- 80 g Granulated sugar
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Icing (optional)
- 150 g Powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp Heavy cream
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Roll/spread the softened butter into an 8x6 inch (15x20 cm) rectangle on a piece of parchment paper.
- Cover it with another piece of parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator for about half-hour or until it’s starting to firm up.
- Meanwhile, in a stand mixer or a big mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.
- Then add the egg, milk, and vanilla extract and knead until it becomes a smooth dough.
- Roll out the dough into a 9x13 inch (22x32cm) rectangle with a rolling pin.
- Take the previously spread-out butter out of the refrigerator, place it on one half of the dough and fold the other dough half over the butter to cover it completely. Tuck in the edges, so the butter doesn’t get pressed out of the dough when rolling it with the rolling pin.
- Laminating Step 1*: Carefully roll the dough into a 9x13 inch (22x32cm) rectangle again. Next, fold the dough into thirds by folding the top short side one-third over and then take the bottom third of the dough and fold it onto the top already folded side.
- Cover the dough with plastic foil and place it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before rolling out and folding again. That time in the fridge helps the gluten relax and the butter firm up again, making the rolling out easier.
- Repeat Step 1* two more times, and let the dough rest between each folding step for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut the dough in half and wrap them individually in plastic foil, and place them in the refrigerator until chilled completely. For this recipe, I only used one-half of the dough. Unless you have to feed a big crowd, you can freeze the other half and use it another time.
Strawberry Filling:
- Wash and cube the strawberries, and place them in a medium-size pan.
- Add sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) and mix until well combined.
- Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until strawberry sauce has thickened, then remove from heat and let cool.
Cream Cheese Filling:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth, about two minutes.
- Add sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, and beat until well incorporated.
Assembling the Danish:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator. Roll the dough about 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Use light pressure not to break the carefully laminated layers.
- Loosen the dough after every few rolls by carefully lifting it a little from the work surface with both hands. This helps the dough to relax and not to shrink when cutting.
- Dust lightly with flour if it starts sticking.
- Once the dough has the desired thickness, loosen it once more, then cut it into 12 squares. I made mine relatively small (4x4inch, 10x10cm). Feel free to make yours bigger; you will, obviously, get fewer squares that way.
- Place the squares onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Crack an egg and whisk it to use as an egg wash. Brush some on the center of the dough square and fold each corner of the square to the center.
- Then add about a tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center and top it with the same amount of strawberry filling.
- Brush the dough sides with egg wash and let them rest for about 30 minutes.
- Put them in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Icing (optional):
- Combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice and mix until smooth. Add more heavy cream if needed for desired consistency.
- Drizzle it over the still warm danish. Serve warm or at room temperature, and enjoy!
Notes
➙ The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to two months.
➙ These are best enjoyed the same day they are made for optimal flakiness and freshness; however, they will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 8gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 560mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 711IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition Facts
Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish
Amount per Serving
Calories
461
% Daily Value*
Fat
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
12
g
75
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
5
g
Cholesterol
81
mg
27
%
Sodium
560
mg
24
%
Potassium
159
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
73
g
24
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
21
g
23
%
Protein
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
711
IU
14
%
Vitamin C
11
mg
13
%
Calcium
68
mg
7
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.