Festive Candy Cane Coffee Cake Wreath

Instructions

1. 1

   In a saucepan, heat sour cream until lukewarm. Set aside. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sour cream, softened butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth with an electric mixer. Stir in just enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.

2. 2

   Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. 3

   Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each part into a 15x6-inch rectangle. Place the rectangles on greased baking sheets. Use scissors to make 2-inch cuts at 1/2-inch intervals along the long sides of each rectangle. Combine the chopped apricots and cherries, then spread one-third of the mixture down the center of each rectangle.

4. 4

   Crisscross the dough strips over the filling, stretching the dough to 22 inches and curving it to form candy cane shapes.

5. 5

   Let the shaped cakes rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the cakes for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. While still warm, brush the cakes with melted butter. Combine the confectioners' sugar and water to make a glaze, then drizzle it over the tops of the cakes.