Strawberry Cream Cheese Brioche with Orange Blossom Water

I had a three-pound container of cream cheese in the fridge for a week, bought at Costco and waiting for an idea. When small boxes of ripe, ruby strawberries appeared at the market, it clicked—strawberries and cream cheese would be lovely on brioche danishes.

Cream cheese is one of those baking ingredients with endless possibilities. I’ve used it in many ways: pumpkin cream cheese thumbprint cookies that taste like pumpkin cheesecake in cookie form, a strawberry Eton mess cheesecake, and a chocolate orange cheesecake with deep, bright flavor. There are also Puerto Rican cream cheese pastries known as quesitos—flaky puff pastry filled with lightly sweetened cream cheese and pineapple jam. Each variation highlights how versatile cream cheese can be.

Flor de Azahar

My husband is from Spain; we met when I was studying abroad in Sevilla, the capital of Andalusia. We lived there for four years and still try to return when we can. Now with two children, travel is harder, so we bring Spanish culture into our home through food and language when possible.

In Sevilla at this time of year, the air is full of flor de azahar—orange blossom. The bitter Seville orange trees lining the streets bloom with delicate white flowers used for perfumes and distilled into orange blossom water, which shows up in many baked goods.

Whether it’s the white blossoms on the ornamental cherry in our yard or the season that brings memories of Holy Week and our first meetings, I wanted a recipe that felt like spring in Sevilla. Orange blossom water and fresh orange zest coupled with strawberries felt like the right direction.

Brioche Pastries

For these pastries I used a no-knead brioche dough adapted from Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg’s approach. It’s an accessible method that doesn’t require a stand mixer and uses melted butter, removing concerns about butter temperature. The dough becomes rich and pillowy thanks to eggs and butter, making a perfect base for a creamy filling.

I flavor the cream cheese filling with orange zest and a splash of orange blossom water for a floral brightness that complements the strawberries. After filling, the brioche circles get a pile of lightly sugared fresh strawberries and a sprinkle of coarse Turbinado sugar, then bake until golden.

When my husband came home to a pan of cooling pastries, he tasted one and smiled broadly. “Esto es la masa de un bollito de leche!” he exclaimed—this dough reminded him of the sweet milk bread he ate as a child. Orange, orange blossom and strawberry may not be a traditional brioche pairing everywhere, but they’re familiar flavors in Spain and they harmonize beautifully here. One bite and it feels like springtime in Sevilla.

Recipe Notes

Dough quantity – The original brioche recipe yields a large batch (about four pounds of dough). This version is scaled down to produce ten pastries. If you need more, double or quadruple the dough to suit a larger brunch or to have extra dough on hand.

Orange blossom water – Orange blossom water adds a subtle floral note that orange zest alone can’t deliver. If you can’t find it, the pastries will still be delicious, but the floral layer is worth seeking out if possible.

Shaping – Use a 3 ¼ inch cookie cutter to cut circles from the chilled, rolled dough. A drinking glass or the ring from a wide-mouth jar works well if you don’t have a cutter. Keep the work surface floured so the dough doesn’t stick.

Turbinado sugar – Also called raw sugar or “sugar in the raw,” Turbinado has large crystals that provide a pleasant crunch and sparkly finish on top of these sweet breads. You can find it in most grocery stores’ baking aisles.

📖 Recipe

Strawberry Cream Cheese Brioche Pastries with Orange Blossom Water

Rich, golden brioche cradle sweetened cream cheese flavored with orange zest and orange blossom water, topped with lightly sweetened fresh strawberries and a dusting of Turbinado sugar.

AuthorKathleen Culver

Cook time24 minutes

Servings10 brioche pastries

INGREDIENTS

Brioche Dough

• 6 Tbsp (90 mL) warm water
• ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL, 42g) honey
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 6 Tbsp (3 oz; 85g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ¾ cups + 2 Tbsp (234g) all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Filling

• 1 cup (8 oz; 225g) cream cheese
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon orange blossom water
• orange zest, from 1 medium navel orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 1 lb (453g) strawberries, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash
• ¼ cup (48g) Turbinado sugar, coarse sugar for sprinkling

INSTRUCTIONS

Brioche Dough

• In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast and honey. Let sit 5–10 minutes to proof. Add salt, eggs and melted butter, then stir in flour until incorporated. The dough will be very moist and sticky. Cover and place in a warm spot for 2 hours (an unheated oven with the light on works well).
• Refrigerate to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight; chilling makes the dough manageable.
• Remove dough from fridge, flour the surface, shape into a rough rectangle and fold into thirds like a letter. Roll to ¼-inch thickness.
• Cut circles using a 3 ¼-inch cutter. Re-roll scraps as needed to make a total of 10 circles. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets (five per sheet) and set aside to rise 40–60 minutes while preparing filling and topping.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla, orange zest and orange blossom water. Mix until spreadable, similar to unbaked cheesecake batter.

Strawberry Topping

• Toss cut strawberries with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside to macerate slightly.

Assembly and Baking

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and place racks in the top and bottom thirds.
• Brush the tops and sides of each brioche circle with beaten egg.
• Pipe or spoon about 2–3 tablespoons of cream cheese filling into the center of each circle, leaving about an inch border.
• Top each dollop of cream cheese with macerated strawberry pieces, gently pressing to secure. They may spread while baking—pile them slightly high.
• Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over the strawberries and dough for a sparkling, crunchy finish.
• Bake 22–24 minutes, rotating pans between racks halfway through. Pastries should be puffy with golden edges. Cool at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack, or enjoy warm. Best the same day they are baked.

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If you enjoy these strawberry cream cheese brioche pastries, you might also like recipes such as Eton Mess Cheesecake, Strawberry Shortbread Cookies, Puerto Rican Quesitos, or Strawberry Rhubarb Slab Pie for more strawberry-forward desserts.