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4.63 from 16 votes

Cherry Christmas Loaf

This delicious cherry filled candy cane braided bread is drizzled with a sweet vanilla icing! It's the perfect treat for the holidays.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cherry bread, cherry danish, braided bread, christmas bread
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
0 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 371kcal

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. instant yeast
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 can cherry pie filling

Vanilla Glaze

  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-4 Tbsp. hot water

Instructions

  • Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk/yeast mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
  • When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
  • Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Roll out dough into a 15×10 inch rectangle.
  • Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet (or parchment paper lined baking sheet) and spoon pie filling down the center, about 3″ wide.
  • Cut strips down each side of the dough, just to the filling. 3/4″-1″ wide.
  • Begin folding sides over each other, alternating left to right. Press down to seal ends.
  • (You can leave it as is, or shape into a candy cane.)
  • Stretch loaf out to about 20″ long and fold down to form candy cane shape.
  • Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then drizzle with vanilla glaze.
  • Vanilla Glaze: Mix powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla. Stir in water, 1 T. at a time until smooth.
  • Drizzle over warm loaf of bread.

Video

Notes

For a quick alternative, use puff pastry dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal