Coffee Cake Danishes
There’s nothing that beats a warm, fresh out of the oven danish. These Coffee Cake Danishes are made with a buttery, soft dough that gets filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and homemade strawberry or peach filling. Top these off with a cinnamon sugar crumble topping and a drizzle of icing for an irresistible breakfast or brunch treat. These danishes only require one rise and can be made in roughly an hour.
I had ripe, juicy peaches and strawberries just begging for me to make them into something yesterday. I decided to make Danishes with them and ohhhh my goodness! These Coffee Cake Danishes got HUGE and turned out so good. I ended up sharing one with my mom, a couple of my neighbors and kept a few, of course, for my family.
Now, I know some of you are intimidated by bread/yeast recipes, but honestly these Coffee Cake Danishes are beginner friendly and very easy to make. The dough uses instant yeast, which means you don’t have to wait for the yeast to activate. The biggest thing is just making sure that your milk, in this recipe, is between 108 – 112 degrees Fahrenheit. This warm temperature helps the yeast rise.
Active dry yeast on the other hand would need to be added to the warm milk (between 108-112 degrees Fahrenheit) in the recipe along with the sugar then allowed to sit for 5 minutes to activate. If you have active dry yeast on hand, feel free to use it in a 1:1 replacement. Just make sure to allow for it to activate before adding the remaining ingredients.
This dough is very soft and a bit loose. This is what gives the Danishes their incredibly soft texture. It may be a bit sticky when you shape the Danishes, so just be sure to flour your hands and your work surface. The hardest part, in my opinion for this recipe is just waiting for the dough to rise :). Although some would say that’s the easy part, because it involves no hands on time, just a little bit of patience.
Here is what you will love about these Coffee Cake Danishes
- Easy to make! Okay, okay, I know bread/yeast recipes can be intimidating, but truly these Coffee Cake Danishes are simple enough for beginners. These require only one rise time and thanks to the brioche style dough, the dough stays incredibly soft.
- Visually appealing – I guarantee you will impress your friends and family with these. The contrasting colors of the strawberries and peaches on top of the Danish is eye catching and truly, who doesn’t love a fresh, warm Danish!?
- Versatile – I used strawberries and peaches in the filling for these, but feel free to substitute another fruit of your choice – blueberries, or raspberries would be delicious!
Here are some of my favorite Blueberry Breakfast Treats
- Blueberry Streusel Muffins
- Peach Blueberry Cake
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Jumbo Blueberry Muffins
Here are some of my favorite Strawberry Treats
Storage
Store leftover Coffee Cake Danishes in the refrigerator covered in an airtight container up to 5 days.
You can also freeze these in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Let me know what you thought!
If you make these Coffee Cake Danishes, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I truly love reading all of your comments! Also, make sure to snap a picture and tag me @simplebakingwithpep on instagram. It makes my day to see all of your wonderful creations.
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Coffee Cake Danishes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 large Danishes (or 8 smaller ones) 1x
Description
There’s nothing that beats a warm, fresh out of the oven danish. These Coffee Cake Danishes are made with a buttery, soft dough that gets filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and homemade strawberry or peach filling. Top these off with a cinnamon sugar crumble topping and a drizzle of icing for an irresistible breakfast or brunch treat. These danishes only require one rise and can be made in roughly an hour.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup warm milk (warmed to 110F)
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese filling
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peach Filling
- 2 medium peaches, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups strawberries, quartered
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Juice from 1 lemon
Crumble Topping
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing (for peach Danish)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
Strawberry Icing (for strawberry Danish)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon reserved strawberry syrup (leftover from cooking the strawberries)
Instructions
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add all ingredients for your dough. Knead on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl. Spray the top of the dough with nonstick spray, then cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
2. While the dough rises, make the strawberry and peach filling.
Make the strawberry filling. In a small saucepan, add the strawberries, sugar and juice of 1 lemon. Cook on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, just until the strawberries begin to release their juices. Stir frequently. Pour filling into bowl and set aside to cool.
Make the peach filling. In a small saucepan, add the peaches, sugar and juice of 1 lemon. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, just until the sugar melts and mixture is syrupy. Stir frequently. Pour filling into bowl and set aside to cool.
3. Make the cream cheese filling. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add in the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
4. Make the crumble topping. In a medium size bowl, add the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter. Use a fork to claw the ingredients together until the mixture is clumped into small pieces. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
5. Once the dough is done rising. Punch dough down, then turn out onto a floured surface. The dough is very soft. Divide into 6 roughly equal pieces (or 8 if you want to make smaller danishes). Roll each into a ball, then place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Preheat oven to 350F.
7. Using the palm of your hand and fingertips, flatten the center of the dough balls out, leaving a rim for the edges. Flatten the circles out by gently stretching and pulling or using your fingertips until the circle is roughly 6 inches in diameter. If you are making 8 danishes instead, your circles will be a bit smaller.
8. Evenly divide the cream cheese mixture in the center of each Danish. Spread evenly, then evenly divide the peach filling among 3 of the danishes. Evenly divide the strawberry filling among 3 of the danishes, leaving the strawberry syrup/juice behind in the bowl (reserve the strawberry syrup for the icing). It is okay if some of the strawberry juice gets on the danishes, you just don’t want the Danish to get too soggy with strawberry juice. Brush the edges of the Danish with a beaten egg (this helps with the color of the Danish, and gives the edges of the Danish a beautiful shiny appearance). Sprinkle the edges of the danishes with the crumble topping.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and center appears mostly set (with the liquid of the strawberry and peach filling it may still be a touch soft in the center).
10. Make the two different icings.
Make the vanilla icing. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and heavy cream or milk, until combined.
Make the strawberry icing. In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and strawberry syrup.
Drizzle the vanilla icing over the peach Danish and strawberry icing over the strawberry Danish. Serve and enjoy!
11. Cover leftover, iced or un-iced danishes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, feel free to warm up in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
- Prep Time: 20
- Rise Time: 45
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Breakfast/Brunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Can you prepare these ahead of time and freeze before baking?
Thanks!
Glenda,
Yes, you can! After allowing the dough to rise, divide and shape the rolls into rounds (because it is easier to freeze them in this shape). Place in a freezer safe container or bag and freeze until the night before you plan to make them. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then rise/come to room temperature for 20 minutes. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the centers, leaving a border, then fill with the cream cheese filling and fresh fruit topping. Bake as instructed in the recipe.
Hope you enjoy these!
-Jolene