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Romanian Pasca cheesecake brioche

Irina Georgescu's Pască Recipe

This cheesecake-filled brioche comes from the cookbook "Carpathia" by Irina Georgescu. It can be found on pg. 155 of the book. This recipe has been shared with the author's permission.
"This cheesecake is our equivalent of eating chocolate eggs for Easter and it's baked only for this occasion. Baskets of food, with Cozonac, painted eggs, and pască are lined up at church on the eve of Easter Sunday for the priest's blessing during the sunrise service. They are then taken home and shared with loved ones in a delicious feast, ending the fasting period. For me, breathing in the scent of this cake is a moment of happiness. Buttery and sweet, it is a powerful reminder of the meaning of Easter, when we rejoice and indulge in celebrations."
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Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Romanian
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

For the Brioche

  • 300 g white bread flour 2½ cups
  • 2 tbsp milk, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast ¼ oz / 7g
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 150 g unsalted butter, diced and softened, plus extra for greasing 10 tbsp

For the Filling

  • 200 g fresh ricotta, generous ¾ cup / 7 oz or ½ cup / 100 g store-bought ricotta mixed with ½ cup / 100 g creme fraiche
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 100 g raisins ½ cup
  • 1 tbsp orange liqueur or rum optional
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For Baking

  • 1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 teaspoon milk
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tbsp butter, diced

Instructions
 

  • To make the brioche dough, put the flour, milk, yeast, and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on medium speed until well combined, then add the eggs one by one and mix again. When the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, start adding the butter, dice by dice, ensuring that each addition is well incorporated. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place (over 70℉/21℃) for 1½-2 hours. It will be too soft to work with at this stage--refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight and it will be ready to roll.
  • To make the filling, thoroughly combine all the ingredients together to form a smooth mixture.
  • Divide the dough in two. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease a 10 inch (25 cm) cake ring or springform pan with its base removed. Using a a rolling pin, roll half of the dough into a circle slightly larger than the ring or pan, and place it onto the baking sheet. Place the ring or pan on top of the pastry circle (you will trim the excess later).
  • Divide the remaining half of the dough in two. Roll into two ropes, measuring about 34 inches (87 cm) long. Loosely twist the dough ropes together, leaving room for the dough to expand. Place inside the ring or pan, creating a beautiful twisted border around the sides.
  • Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Brush the twisted border with the egg wash, then pour the filling inside the border. Scatter the orange zest on top and dot with the diced butter.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is soft and wobbly in the middle. If the dough becomes too dark during baking, cover with foil. Cool on a wire rack before trimming any excess dough outside the cake ring. Remove the cake ring by running a knife along its edge to loosen it, then lift away. If using a springform pan, simply open it to release from the cake.
  • Serve for dessert or as a treat for breakfast. If you have any raisins left, scatter them on top.

Notes

You can find this recipe in the book Carpathia, which you can purchase here: https://amzn.to/3TGdAJX
Her other book Tava can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/3vAATg3
(affiliate links)