Cheesy King Cake

I'm not kidding when I say that the King Cake recipe which I'm in the process of making has a ton of cream cheese in it. As I'm typing this, the cake is completed and frosted, and is on a shelf waiting for this evening when I can tear into it and sample it's sugary goodness. But part of me is willing to take a more cautious approach over the Parana like feeding which more commonly accompanies my kitchen creations.
I like cheese cake, and cream cheese is a great ingredient. But this recipe really does push those bounds.
To start with, the cake can be imagined as a twist, an oval of pastry which is entwined into a braid. One half of the braid had apples, raisins and nuts. The other one is a tube of cream cheese which is wonderful but not the easiest thing to use for a braided filling. I'm just happy that I was able to keep the cake in one piece from the board to the cake pan. By the time I'd assembled this particular creation I was ready for a break.
It does look fantastic, and elaborate and over the top which is what my intention was. Still, that much cheese has got to be violating a health and safety code somewhere in the High Desert.