Cinnamon Babka Ring with Rum Mascarpone Glaze
Servings:
16
prep time:
45 mins
cook time:
9 hours 15 mins
Total time:
10 hours 0 mins
Ingredients
DOUGH
-
4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
-
½ cup granulated sugar
-
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
-
freshly grated zest of 1 orange
-
½ cup water
-
3 large eggs
-
¼ teaspoon salt
-
softened Vermont Creamery Unsalted Cultured Butter - 82% Butterfat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
⅔ cup
FILLING
-
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
-
½ cup granulated sugar
-
2 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
-
1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
-
Vermont Creamery Unsalted Cultured Butter - 82% Butterfat, melted, cooled
¾ cup
SUGAR SYRUP
-
⅓ cup water
-
6 tablespoons plus 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
RUM-MASCARPONE GLAZE
-
Vermont Creamery Mascarpone, room temperature
4 ounces
-
3 tablespoons rum
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Combine flour, sugar, yeast and orange zest in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Beat on low speed 1 minute. Add water and eggs. Increase speed to medium; beat 3 minutes or until dough just starts to come together and is slightly crumbly. Add salt. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until incorporated. Continue beating 10 minutes or until dough is very elastic and smooth.
- Place dough into large bowl brushed with canola or sunflower oil; cover with plastic food wrap. Refrigerate at least 12 hours, preferably overnight.
- Grease 12-inch round baking dish or flat baking sheet.
- Combine brown sugar, maple sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Roll out chilled dough on lightly floured surface into 28x11-inch rectangle. Position dough so that long side is closest to you; trim any uneven sides. Spread melted butter over surface of dough (leaving about 1/2 inch border); sprinkle sugar-spice mixture evenly over dough.
- Brush a little water along long end of dough furthest from you. Use both hands to gently roll up rectangle like roulade, starting from closest edge . Press to seal dampened end. Using both hands, even out roll. Let rest seam-side down.
- Trim about 3/4 inch off both ends of roll using serrated knife. Use knife to gently cut roll in half lengthwise, starting at top and finishing at seam. (You're basically dividing log into two long halves, with layers of dough and filling exposed along length of both halves.) Gently turn two halves so cut sides are facing up and side-by-side. Lift right half over left half, then left half over right. Repeat until entire length of halves has been twisted together. Gently maneuver one end of dough around to meet other end to create ring, pinching ends together. (Do your best to adjust twist. It's ok if it doesn't look totally perfect. It'll be covered in glaze anyway!) Carefully lift dough ringinto baking dish or onto sheet pan. Cover with wet tea towel; let rise in warm place 1-1 1/2 hours or until cake has risen 10-20%.
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Remove tea towel from dough; place dish on middle rack of oven. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (If cake is done, you should feel pretty much zero resistance on toothpick. If it feels at all gooey or gummy, return it to oven and check again after 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup water and 6 tablespoons granulated sugar in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; let cool. As soon as cakes come out of oven, brush syrup over them. (Be sure to use all syrup!) Let cakes cool for a bit, then remove from pan. Cool completely.
- Stir together all glaze ingredients until smooth. (You're aiming for a glaze that drizzles nicely and is about the consistency of honey. If too thick, add a little more rum. If too thin, add powdered sugar.) Drizzle glaze over top of cooled babka to coat well. Reserve any extra glaze for serving. (You may need to add a splash of water or rum to it if thickened.)
