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 sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 orange, for zest
3 eggs
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
⅔ cut into 3/4-inch cubes cup softened
FILLING
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cooled cup melted
SUGAR SYRUP
⅓ cup water
6 tablespoons sugar
RUM-MASCARPONE GLAZE
4 ounces room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Combine flour, sugar, yeast, and orange zest in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and water. Increase speed to medium and mix 3 minutes, until dough just starts to come together and looks a little crumbly. Add salt. Add butter, a few cubes at a time, mixing until incorporated. Continue mixing for 10 minutes on medium speed, until dough is very elastic and smooth
- Place dough into large bowl brushed with oil (canola or sunflower) and cover with plastic food wrap. Refrigerate at least half a day, preferably overnight
- Grease a 12-inch diameter baking dish or a flat baking sheet
- Combine brown sugar, maple sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in large medium bowl for the filling.,Roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface into 11- x 28-inch rectangle. Position dough so that a long side is closest to you and trim any uneven sides. Spread melted butter over surface of dough (leaving about 1/2 inch of room at edges), then sprinkle the sugar-spice mixture evenly over it
- Brush a little water along long end of dough farthest away from you. Use both hands to gently roll up rectangle like a roulade, starting from the edge that is closest to you and ending at the other. Press to seal dampened end, and then use both hands to even out the roll. Let it rest seam-side down
- Trim about 3/4 inch off both ends of roll with a serrated knife. Use knife to gently cut roll into half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam. (You're basically dividing log into two long halves, with layers of dough and filling exposed along the length of both halves.) Gently turn the two halves so the cut-sides are facing up and side-by-side. Lift the right half over the left half, then the left half over the right. Repeat until the entire length of the two halves has been twisted together. Gently maneuver one end of dough around to meet the other end to create a ring, pinching ends together. (Do your best to adjust the twist so this meeting point doesn’t look completely wonky by comparison. It's ok if it doesn't look totally perfect. It'll be covered in glaze anyway!) Carefully lift dough ring into baking dish or onto sheet pan. Cover with a wet tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The cake will rise by 10 to 20 percent
- Heat oven to 375º Remove tea towel from dough, place dish on middle rack of oven. Bake about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If your cake is done, you should feel pretty much zero resistance on the toothpick. If it feels at all gooey or gummy, pop it back in the oven and check again after 5 minutes,Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup water and 6 tablespoons sugar in saucepan for the syrup. 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 the syrup!) Let cakes cool for a bit, then remove them from the pan. Let cool completely before adding the glaze
- Stir together all glaze ingredients until smooth. (You're aiming for a glaze that drizzles nicely but isn't too thin, about the consistency of honey. If it's too thick, add a little more rum. If it's too thin, add some more powdered sugar.) Drizzle glaze over top of cooled babka until it's well coated. Reserve any extra glaze for serving. (You may need to add a splash of water or rum to it if it has thickened.)
