Eggless Julekake - Norwegian Christmas Bread

Julekake is a cardamon scented christmas bread stuffed with raisins and candied citron. This bread is very easy to make with eggs but when its comes to eggless version seriously you need to break your head to replace them. My eggless version goes for raisins and candied orange, since its not christmas season here i couldnt able to spot out candied citrons in supermarkets, but trust me candied citron will definitely take this bread to an another level. But the addition of the candied orange is not bad too, they brings that mild orange flavour while having this bread.

Do you want to know how i replaced eggs in this bread, just with cream cheese. Yes my Julekake is made with cream cheese,trust me cream cheese are good subsitute of eggs and they gives a wonderful smooth dough too. This Julekake is our this month's Baking Eggless,a monthly event owned by Gayathri. For this month's Baking Eggless challenge, we are baking this Norwegian christmas bread suggested by Priya Srinivasan, thanks Priya this bread was a fantastic challenge i enjoyed thoroughly making.Sending Bake Fest#29 event by Vardhini,hosted by me.

Recipe Source: Outside Oslo
2+1/2cup All purpose flour /Bread flour
1cup Water
1+1/2tsp Instant Yeast
1/2tsp Salt
50grms Butter
1/2cup Cream cheese
1/4cup Sugar
1tsp Freshly grounded cardamom
1/4cup Candied orange
3/4cup Raisins
Oil for brushing
Milk for brushing

Heat the water in a pan, add in the butter, sugar, salt and stir until the butter gets melt.

Keep aside until they turns lukewarm.

In a large bowl, take the flour, cream cheese, instant yeast,raisins, cardamom powder, candied orange gradually add the already prepared lukewarm water and knead everything as sticky dough.

Transfer the dough to a flour dusted surface, knead slowly for few minutes until the dough turns smooth.

Arrange the dough in a greased bowl and keep in warm place for a hour.

Punch the dough and divide into two balls.

Line a baking sheet over baking tray.

Gently knead the dough to form a round loafs, transfer these loafs to the baking sheet, cover it with a towel and let it rise for an hour.

Brush the loafs generously with milk, then with oil.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake for 15 minutes, cover the loaf with foil and bake it for an another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Slice it and enjoy.