Raisin Cheese Coffeecake

This is a great coffee cake that I found on the back of a yeast package. It looks great and will make guests marvel at your abilities. To do this recipe make sure that you have a lot of free time such as a couple of hours. The first time I made this It was a complete disaster. Don't worry if yours doesn't turn out very well. It takes time to get it right.

4 cups of flour (approximate)
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 packages rapid rise Yeast (4 1/2 tsp. dry yeast)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup butter
3 eggs (at room temperature)
Cheese Filling [Below]

In a large bowl combine 1 cup flour, granulated sugar, un-dissolved yeast and salt. Heat water and butter until very warm (120º to 130ºF), I prefer to use my microwave for this and use the probe that was included with the microwave to measure the temperature. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients; beat for 2 minutes at medium speed of an electric mixer, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. With a spoon, stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth; about 8 minutes [This is important. I know that 8 minutes is a long time, but you can do it!]. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. At this point you have an option. I like to make one large cake, but you can cut the dough in half and proceed to make two smaller cakes. Roll out the dough so that it will fit on a large baking sheet [use smaller sheets if making two cakes]. Place the dough on a greased baking sheet and spread the Cheese Filling down the center making a strip that is about 3 inches wide and is about an inch from either end of the dough. Make cuts starting about an inch away from the filling going to the edge of the dough. The strips should be an inch wide. Alternating sides, fold the strips at an angle across the filling. After "braiding", I like to curve the cake into a semi-circle to give it a great look. You can later put fruit into the inside of the semi-circle. Beat the remaining egg and brush on the dough saving some egg mixture for later. Warm the oven to a very low temperature so that when you put your hand in it feels warm, but not hot [I do this by setting my oven to 350ºF and turning it on for about 30 seconds]. You may also just cover the cake and put it in a warm, draft-less area.. Put in the cake and let it rise until doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Brush the leftover egg on the dough and bake at 375ºF for 30 to 35 minutes, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Garnish with berries, grapes, oranges, or your favorite fruit.

Cheese Filling: Beat 12 ounces cream cheese, softened, with 1/3 cup sugar and 1 egg white until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of dates or raisins, 2 teaspoons flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel.