This is my mother’s tried and true babka recipe that we all adore. It’s a slice of heaven with its buttery dough and divine cheese filling.

Directions

Prepare the Cheese Babka

1. Mix flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add yeast in the well. Pour 3/4 cup warm water over yeast. When yeast is dissolved, add juice, egg and yolks, and butter. Mix well and let rise for one and a half hours.

2. While dough is rising, prepare filling and crumbs. Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla sugar, and whipped topping until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar and butter until mixture resembles wet sand.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Divide dough into four equal parts. Roll dough into a rectangle and spread filling over dough. Roll and twist log into a figure eight and place into loaf pan. Egg each loaf and sprinkle with crumbs. Bake for 50 minutes.