If you’re a fan of sweet, tangy, and unique combinations, prepare to be delighted by the heavenly creation of Guava Cream Cheese Babka. This delectable pastry combines the richness of cream cheese, guava’s tropical essence, and a traditional babka’s irresistible allure.
For the Babka fans, try my other Babka recipes: Blueberry Babka, S’more Babka, and this delicious Chocolate Brioche Babka.
Why You Will Love Guava Cream Cheese Babka
Guava Cream Cheese Babka is a true treat for the senses. Here’s why it will capture your heart and taste buds:
- Perfect Balance: Combining the tangy cream cheese and the sweet guava creates a harmonious flavor profile that perfectly balances richness and fruity freshness.
- Irresistible Texture: The babka’s soft, pillowy dough, swirled with luscious cream cheese and guava filling, makes each bite a heavenly experience.
- Impressive Presentation: The beautiful braided shape of the babka, with its rich golden crust and vibrant guava, swirls peeking through, will wow your family and friends. It’s as visually appealing as it is delicious!
Ingredients
You can find the complete recipe on the recipe card below. To make your Guava Cream Cheese Babka, you will need the following ingredients:
For the dough:
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Active dry yeast
- Whole milk, lukewarm (or, warm water)
- Salt
- Egg and egg yolk s.
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter softened
For the filling:
- Cream cheese softened
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Guava paste, cut into thin (1/8″) stipes.
How to Make Guava Cream Cheese Babka
Make the Dough
- Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to mix. Mix well. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and slowly drizzle in the milk until you have a shaggy mass.
- Whisk the warm milk, eggs, and salt together in a separate bowl. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and mix for about 3 minutes; a dough ball should form.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the soft butter, one piece at a time, then increase speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is separated from the sides and bottom of the bowl and you have a smooth, stretchy, soft dough.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours or until it doubles.
Fill and Assemble
- Place the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl, and mix until you have a smooth paste.
- Divide the dough into two parts. Roll the first part over a lightly floured surface into a rectangle 12 inches wide and double the length of your pan (if using an 8-inch loaf pan, then a 12×16″ rectangle).
- Spread the cream cheese filling, leaving a 1″ space in the center of the dough and edges. Top with the Guava paste pieces, making sure there are gaps between the Guava pieces.
- Roll the dough into a log, starting with the long side farther from you, then fold the dough into a U shape. Hold the two ends of the dough and twist them around each other to form a tight spiral.
- Gently lift the dough and place it in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash and allow to double in size.
Bake
- Bake in a 350F (180C) preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the center is 180F and the Babka has a deep golden brown color.
- Remove from the oven and brush with simple syrup, and allow to set in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then invert to a wire rack. Serve.
Tips
- Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area to achieve the best results.
- If you don’t have guava jam or puree, you can substitute it with another fruit jam to make like blueberry, to make blueberry cream cheese babka.
- For a richer flavor, sprinkle chopped nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, over the filling before rolling the dough.
- You can bake this Guava Cream cheese babka recipe in two 8, or 9-inch loaf pans or a large tube or bundt pan.
- To take the recipe an extra step, brush it with cold sugar syrup as soon as it comes out of the oven. (mix 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar and cook until the sugar has dissolved)
Store
Best to store at room temperature for up to four days. To freeze, wrap the loaves with plastic wrap, place them in a plastic bag, and freeze for up to three months.
FAQ
Yes, you can make the dough the night before and allow it to rest in the refrigerator. Or freeze the dough after the first rise for up to four weeks. When ready to use, allow the dough to defrost in the fridge the night before.
Yes, you can freeze the babka. Once cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container before freezing. Thaw it at room temperature or reheat it in the oven before serving.
Absolutely! While guava cream cheese is a fantastic combination, you can experiment with other fillings like chocolate, cinnamon, or fruit preserves to suit your taste preferences.
Either replace it with other fruit fillings or do nothing at all.
Babka originated in Poland and was adapted and transformed into a sweet yeast cake in early 1900 with the immigration of Ashkenazi Jews to the United States and NYC.
More Recipes From The Jewish Bakery
Rugelach, Jewish Apple Cake, Hamentashen
Don’t forget to leave a comment and tag me on Instagram when you make one of my recipes.
Guava Cream Cheese Babka Recipe
Soft and tender sweet sough filled with cream cheese and guava paste
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 1/4 Cups AP Flour (500 g/ 17.5 oz)
- 1/3 Cup Sugar (70 g /2.5 oz)
- 2.5 tsp Instant Yeast (8 g/ .25 oz)
- Dash Salt
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- 3/4 Cup Whole milk, lukewarm (180ml)
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 7 Tablespoons Soften Butter (100g)
- 1 Large Beaten Egg, to coat the dough
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 1/2 Box Cream cheese (340 g/ 12oz)
- 1/4 Cup Sugar (50 g/ 2 oz)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 1 LB Guava Paste Placed ontop of the cream cheese filling
Simple Syrup (Optional)
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Sugar (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
Instructions
To Make The Dough
-
Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl of a standing mixer and use the paddle attachment to blend.
-
Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and slowly drizzle the warm milk and mix until you have a shaggy mass.
-
Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and mix for about three minutes until you have a dough ball.
-
With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter one piece at a time and mix until the sides and bottom of the dough are clean and you have a smooth, stretchy, and soft dough.
-
Cover with a kitchen towel or a plastic bag and place in a warm place to rest for about 2 hours or until double in size.
To Make the Cream Cheese Filling
-
Place all the ingredients (excluding the guava paste) in bowl of a standing mixer, with the whisk attachment mix to combine.
Assemble and Bake
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Grease two 9″3 loaf pans. (you can use what ever pans you have available, but make sure the Babka will have space to rise during the second rest and baking)
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Place the dough on a clean and smooth surface, lightly floured. Divide dough into two even parts.
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With a rolling pin, roll each dough piece into a rectangle 12" wide and twice as long as the pan you are using.
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Spread cream cheese filling, leaving 1" empty space at the center of the dough and the edges.
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Cut the Guava paste into thin slices and place them on top of the cream cheese filling.
The Guava does not need to be crowded, some gaps between the stripes are best.
-
Roll the filled dough starting from the farther edge towards you and fold it in half in a way the ends meet.
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Twist the dough once or twice then place it in the pan, brush it with egg wash.
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Allow the braided Babkas to rest and rise for about 2 hours.
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Bake the Babkas at 350F (180C) for 45-50 minutes or until the temperature at the center of each loaf is 180F, and the top is dark golden and shiny.
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Take the Babkas out of the oven and brush with the simple syrup.
To Make the Simple Syrup
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Combine the water and sugar in a pan on top of a medium heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free location to achieve optimal results.
If you don’t have guava jam or puree, you can easily substitute it with another fruit jam, like blueberry, cherry, or raspberry.
This Guava Cream cheese babka recipe can be baked in two 8 or 9-inch loaf pans, or a large tube or bundt pan.
The Babkas are best stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap with plastic wrap and place in a plastic bag, freeze for up to three months.
Hello. I am confused by this recipe, specifically with the guava and cream cheese filling.
You wrote:
To Make the Cream Cheese Filling
“Place all the ingredients in bowl of a standing mixer…”
The ingredients were written as:
Cream Cheese Filling
1 1/2 Box Cream cheese (340 g/ 12oz)
1/4 Cup Sugar (50 g/ 2 oz)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1 LB Guava Paste”
But then when assembling the babka you wrote:
“Scoop 4 table spoon of the cream cheese filling and spread on the rolled dough.
Cut the Guava Spread into thin tripes and spread on top of the cream cheese filling.
The Guava does not need to be crowded, some gaps between the stripes is best.”
I am confused what guava spread you are talking about. Wasn’t the guava past mixed into the cream cheese filling?
Thank you.
Hi Jennifer. The Babka is filled with cream cheese and guava paste and the above instructions refer to the cream cheese filling only.You place the Guava paste on top of the cream cheese layer.
If you wish, you can just spread a room temperature cream cheese and skip the filling recipe. The Babka should come out just as good.
Let me know if you have nay more questions.
The recipe says to decide into 4 equal parts. When filling the pans, do you put two of the prepared dough in each pan?
Hi Marliyn,
The recipe calls to prepare 2 loaf pans then divide the dough into even parts, meaning 2 parts.
Ah.. I got it ? … Thank you!!!
If I make ahead and put in the fridge overnight to make for dinner the next day how long do I leave it out on the counter to warm up before putting in oven? Do you cover with plastic wrap overnight in fridge?
Hi Maria,
Great questions. I would place it in the refrigerator right after shaping, before the second rise, and would remove it about 6-7 hours before baking. Remember it needs to come to room temperature before the second rise starts. It would be a good idea to cover it with plastic wrap before placing it in the refrigerator and I would spay some oil on the wrap just to make sure it won’t stick.(remove when out of the fridge)
Can you not use cream cheese and only use guava?
yes absolutely
This looks great, but I am a bit confused about which side is the 12″ horizontal and which is double the pan and which way you are rolling them! Can you clarify? Thanks!
Hi Penny, I meant that if your pan is 8×3, roll the dough into 12×16. Does that make sense?
Hi can I make the recipe without the eggs?
Add a 1/4 cup of dry milk powder and increase milk by 2-3 tablespoons
Hi! I’m excited to make this. Do you have any high altitude suggestions?
Thank you!
Yes, check out my High Altitude Conversion Chart.
Thank you!