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Cherry Cheesecake Pull-Apart Loaf is precisely what it sounds like: sweet bread layered with juicy cherries and a cream cheese glaze poured overtop. The sweet bread is easy to pull apart into tasty bite-sized cherry-infused pieces with a layer on top of cream cheese glaze.
Why I Think You’ll Love This Recipe!
- This loaf is great for guests as it is easy to eat as it pulls apart into bite-size pieces!
- The extra cream cheese icing is perfect for individual dipping for those of us who love more!
Sweet Cherry Pull-Apart loaf
This loaf is filled with juicy cherries, making it a perfect dessert to share with friends. This loaf is a great one to share and tear into with friends and family. Instead of icing the loaf, you can also put the icing into individual bowls for each person to dip the bread into, because some of us like extra icing!
Types Of Pans To Use
For this recipe, you can use a bundt pan as the recipe calls for. You can also put this into an angel food pan, which has a flat bottom and may fit a little easier.
What Kind of Cherries Should I Use
Depending on where you live, fresh cherries are not always in stores. You can use fresh cherries for this recipe, but you can also use frozen ones! I found that the frozen cherries were already pitted, and I just had to slice them in half. It was so easy and saved me some time. Simply defrost on paper towels and use in the recipe.
Cherry Facts
Cherries are a good source of fiber, which helps keep your digestive system running well by helping good gut bacteria flourish.
Cherries also provide B vitamins, vitamin K, manganese, magnesium, and copper, which help the body function optimally.
How To Make This Recipe
Although making this requires many instructions, once you do it, it’s not really that hard or complex. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete directions.
- Prepare the dough as directed. Slice into strips.
- Brush a strip with butter, sprinkle with sugar, and add cherries. Top with another strip of dough and repeat until all layers are used.
- Cut into 12 squares and place in a bundt pan; let rise and bake.
- Prepare cream cheese icing and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Karlynn’s Tips
- It works better if the pieces slip and slide slightly. You want them to slope towards each other rather than be in a perfect line. They should almost fall over slightly towards each other rather than stand like towers.
- Hold the stack on either side with your fingers. When cutting the squares, push straight down, or the slices will slide out.
More Great Breads
I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe as much as we did. It helped me brush up on my dough-making skills and remember that making great-tasting dough is not hard!
Happy Baking!
Love,
Karlynn
Cherry Cheesecake Pull Apart Loaf
- Prep Time
- 2 hours
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Total Time
- 2 hours 40 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 426
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (warmed to 115 °F)
- ⅓ cup water (warmed to 115 °F)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for your work surface)
- 2 teaspoons salt
Filling:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups cherries (chopped in half)
- 1 batch cream cheese glaze
Instructions
- In a large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, sugar, and yeast. Let the yeast start bubbling, then mix the melted butter in.
- Using a stand mixer, mix flour and salt into the mixer bowl fitted with an oiled dough hook. Using the lowest setting, start the dough hook and slowly add the milk mixture.
- After the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and let your dough hook do the work until it is shiny and smooth about 6 to 7 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky but if it is too wet to come together into a ball, add an additional 2 tablespoons flour. It should just barely stick to your hands, nothing more. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form a smooth, round ball.
- Take the ball of dough and place in a well oiled bowl, covering it up.
- Let the dough rise in a warm, draft freeze area, until doubled in size, anywhere from 45-60 minutes.
- Prepare the cherries by cutting them in half and placing them in a bowl. Add the almond flavoring, stir, and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Take out the dough and on a lightly floured work surface roll it into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle.
- Cut the rectangle into six 12 inch long strips. Each strip will then be approximately 3 inches wide.
- Take the first strip, brush melted butter over it and sprinkle brown sugar on top.
- Place as many cherries on top for filling as wanted, I did 10 half cherries per strip.
- Place the next strip directly on top of the previously prepared one and repeat with the butter, sugar, and cherries.
- Repeat with all layers, building a stack of dough layers.
- Once you have all the layers in a stack, cut it into 12 pieces.
- Grease your bundt pan.
- Place each piece in the prepared bundt pan, making sure that they will slant slightly so that each piece will rise and touch together, forming a solid pull apart loaf.
- Cover with a towel and let rise for another 45-60 minutes, until the dough is doubled again.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. You should cover the top of the loaf once it’s browned and continue cooking. To avoid a soggy loaf, you must make sure it’s very well baked without burning the top, thus using tinfoil to prevent the top from over baking is crucial.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Invert onto a plate or serving platter. Let cool completely, then cover.
- To serve, prepare the cream cheese glaze and drizzle over the top. Pull apart the segments and plate to eat.
Recipe Notes
- You can use frozen fruit in this recipe, simply defrost it before using.
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Made this recipe?
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Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
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Derek Muse says
Made it just as written. It was rated 9/10 by all my family members. Will make it again.
Paula Phillips says
I live in Jamaica. I do not get cherries there. Could I use frozen blueberries or stawberries?
Kimberly Armas says
That actually sounds amazing with the blueberries!!
LoveSweatBeers says
This looks fabulous! I’m sure my whole family would love it.
Dave says
OMG, that’s looks good. And, great blog, btw.
Krystal says
I must make this. It sounds soo yummy!
Dina says
this looks sooo good!
Stevie Bateman says
Oh my gosh, Yummy!
phunphunphun says
KitchenMagpie Whoa! You post a lot of amazing recipes, but whoa you really outdid yourself this time! #Whoa
Ida Pence Waterous says
Oh that sounds wonderful, read the recipe, I would probably cheat and use sweet roll dough from the store although I have made the dough in the past. Guess I’ve gotten lazy. Love your recipes.
Melissa Penney says
It looks so pretty!