Bakery-Style Cheese and Fruit Danish

A slice of cheese and fruit Danish on a blue plate with the rest of the Danish in the background.

Bakery-Style Cheese and Fruit Danish

Bring the bakery home with this gorgeous cheese and fruit Danish! Buttery, flaky pastry surrounds bountiful stripes of sweet cheesecake filling and fruity preserves, all topped with buttery streusel, a shiny sugar glaze, and a drizzle of vanilla icing. It looks fancy, but it's surprisingly easy to shape—and every slice tastes like a special occasion.

Course Breakfast/Brunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 25

Rise Time 45

Total Time 1 50

Servings slices/6 per Danish

Calories 448kcal

Author Jennifer Field

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cheese Filling

150 grams cream cheese 5.3 oz or about 2/3 cup, well-softened
45 grams granulated sugar 3 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons
1 egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt Kosher salt or fine salt will work here. Just a little pinch, because we're not making a ton of filling
lemon zest from 1/2 medium lemon

For the Jam Filling

150 grams jam or preserves 5.3 oz or a slightly generous 1/2 cup, your choice of flavor, homemade or store-bought
2 grams cornstarch about 3/4 teaspoon

For the Streusel

56 grams butter 2 oz or 4 Tablespoons, at cool room temperature
56 grams granulated sugar 2 oz or a slightly generous 1/4 cup
112 grams cake flour 4 oz or a scant 1 cup
pinch salt just a wee pinch

For Shaping and Baking

1 master Danish dough recipe For reference, I gave this batch 3 simple folds and 1 book fold. Use the laminating schedule that works for you.
cheese filling above
jam filling above
4 tbsp egg wash 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water, and a tiny pinch of salt

For the Heavy Syrup

100 grams sugar 3.5 oz or about 1/2 cup
50 grams water 1.75 oz or a scant 1/4 cup

For the White Icing

100 grams confectioners sugar 3.5 oz or 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp
18 grams water a generous 1 Tbsp
6 grams corn syrup about 1 teaspoon
pinch salt tiny pinch–this is a small amount of icing
4 grams vanilla extract about 1 teaspoon

Instructions

To Make the Cheese Filling

In a medium bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese together with the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt until smooth.
Transfer to a piping bag or a zip-top bag, and set aside in the fridge until needed.

To Make the Fruit Filling

In a small bowl, whisk the jam together with the cornstarch. The mixture will look a little hazy but it will clear up in the oven as the cornstarch gelatinizes.
Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag, and set aside until needed.

To Make the Streusel

In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, sugar, cake flour, and pinch of salt, and rub between your fingers until no large lumps of butter remain and the streusel has a sandy texture. Set aside.

To Shape and Bake

Cover a half sheet pan with a piece of parchment. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled Danish dough into a rectangle approximately 12" wide by 20" long. Trim the edges with a pizza cutter or sharp knife to straighten them and expose the laminated layers.
Cut the rectangle in half crosswise to make two rectangles, each approximately 12" / 30cm wide by 10" / 25 cm tall. Transfer them to your parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little room between them for expansion.
Working with one rectangle at a time, fold the two long sides inward toward the center, creating a narrow channel about ¾" wide down the middle. Press the folded edges gently to help them stay in place. Lightly moisten with water or egg wash if needed to help the dough stick.
Pipe or spoon a generous stripe of cheesecake filling down the center channel of each Danish, dividing the filling evenly between the two pastries. You may have a bit leftover. I trust you to find a use for it.
Pipe or spoon the thickened preserves along either side of the cheese filling, creating three distinct stripes: fruit, cheese, fruit. Divide the preserves evenly between the two pastries.
Scatter a small handful of streusel over the fillings, reserving some to add just before baking if desired.
Cover loosely and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for about 45–60 minutes, or until noticeably puffy and relaxed. The dough should look lighter and slightly expanded rather than dramatically doubled.
While the pastries proof, set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 425°F (218°C).
Once proofed, gently brush the exposed pastry with egg wash, taking care not to flood the cut edges or the fillings. Optionally, add any reserved streusel. Most of it will have "melted" into the filling. That's fine--it's there, in part, to keep the filling in place. If you want bountiful streusel, add some or all of what remains.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the pastry is deeply golden brown and the center registers 195-200°F / 91-93°C. My Danish took about 23 minutes, so keep an eye on yours.
As soon as the Danishes are done, remove them to a cooling rack and give them a good brushing with the heavy syrup. (procedure below)
Allow the pastries to cool to room temperature, and then drizzle some white icing over them as a razzle dazzle finish. (procedure below)

To Make the Heavy Syrup

While the Danishes are baking, heat the water and sugar together in a small pan until it reaches a boil. Allow it to boil for about 20 seconds, and then remove from the heat. Keep warm.

To Make the White Icing

While the Danishes are cooling, add all ingredients to a small saucepan.
Whisk over medium heat until smooth and the glaze is warm, about 100°F / 38°C.

Nutrition