Breakfast Cakes.

This recipe fulfilled by New Year's Resolution (two new recipes each month from my cookbooks) for March! The recipe came to be as a combination of breakfast cake/bread I had eaten before and wanted to recreate along with guidance from two different recipes from two different Taste of Home Cookbooks.


I can't help but be a little surprised and extremely delighted when my baked goods containing yeast turn out.  I've always had a misconception about yeast being a scary ingredient in recipes.  Not anymore!!

Breakfast Cakes
(Recipe by Me with help from The Taste of Home Cookbook & The Taste of Home Baking Book)


Yields 2 cakes


Dough:
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg (slightly beaten)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon yeast

Filling:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

Per my usual: place all dough ingredients in a bread machine in the order I have them listed.  Do not let your yeast come in contact with anything other than the flour.  Turn your machine on the dough setting and walk away until it's done (do some of this time to prepare the filling by beating the filling ingredients together).  Once the dough is done, divide it in half and roll out into 8x12 (or the like) rectangle.  Top with half of the filling below leaving about half an inch around the outside.  On each side cut one inch strips.  "Braid" the strips over the filling by pulling strips over the filling alternating sides.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Cool slightly and top with icing (created by mixing the icing ingredients together).  Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

As I mentioned I was so impressed with how this turned out.  It looked good.  It tasted good.  And it was homemade, not something sitting on the grocery store shelf for several days.  Take the risk: make this!!

Note: I did add some frozen raspberries to one of my cakes.  Of my taste testers, it was a tie on whether the raspberry/cream cheese or plain cream cheese was better.  My vote?  Cream cheese only, please!