And we've rebranded to Sweet Tooth. I'm thinking long-term here and Sweet Tooth seems more appropriate. Also, "The Sweet Spot" can be misconstrued too easily and no one wants to be part of that awkward conversation...
So anyway, you know you've hit it big when someone other than your mother or your best friend asks you to bake something for them.
One of my coworkers found out that I have a passion for baking and asked me to make one of his wife's favorite treats: Chocolate Babka. She has a couple of food allergies, so she usually can't eat the Babkas that are available at local bakeries.
In my excitement of being given this task, I immediately said yes, without even looking up what Babka was or how to make it. For those of you who don't know what it is, Babka is a spongy, brioche-like yeast cake. The one my coworker requested was the version associated with the Eastern European Jewish tradition, which is folded, twisted, baked in a loaf pan and filled with either cinnamon or chocolate.
Oh, and it also has about A MILLION STEPS!
First of all, this recipe contains not only a yeast-dough, but also a filling, a streusel and a syrup topping. Secondly, the dough has to be left to rise about 16 times (not really, but it still seemed excessive at the time). Finally, the dough had to be split, braided and twisted before placed into the loaf pan. I can barely braid my own hair, so I was on struggle street during this part.
Because of all this, I really had to time everything out. Thankfully, the filling and streusel could be made a few days in advance and then stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. The rest I had to do on the weekend because the timing wouldn't have worked out in between work and other activities throughout the week.
Although this was one of the most time-consuming recipes I've ever made, it was honestly a great challenge/learning experience and seeing the result makes me want to do it all over again! The recipe made two loaves so I was able to give one to my coworker for his wife and the other I brought into the office for all of my other coworkers to try. They either lied to my face or really enjoyed the cake.
I was able to try a slice myself and it definitely was delicious! It wasn't too sweet, as I used bittersweet chocolate for the filling, but certainly sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. The dough was moist in the middle with a hollow crunch on top where it was twisted and braided. The syrup gave it a perfect stickiness, with the streusel adding a complimentary texture as well.
So I would recommend making this cake on a rainy weekend or a time when you have a few days to plan accordingly. Although a time- and effort-intensive recipe, I think it's good to have on hand if you're looking to impress your guests or if you'd like to give a loaf as a gift (and keep the other for yourself)!
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| Babka dough ingredients |
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| Babka chocolate filling ingredients |
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| Streusel ingredients |
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| Streusel |
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| Rolled dough spread with chocolate filling |
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| Dough and filling rolled-up |
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| Dough and filling - split and twisted |
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| Unbaked cake in loaf pan (pre-streusel) |
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| Baked Chocolate Babka! |
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| Wrapped and ready for gifting! |
Babka Dough
½ cup whole milk
1 package (1/4 ounce/7 grams) active dry yeast
⅓ cup granulated sugar, plus a pinch
4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, more as needed
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing bowls and pans
Chocolate Filling
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
Pinch kosher salt
6 ounces extra bittersweet chocolate, preferably between 66 and 74 percent cocoa, coarsely chopped
8 tablespoons/1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Streusel
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Syrup
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1.) Make the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it’s lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.
2.) In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn’t come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.
3.) Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4.) Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It probably won't double in size, but it should rise.
5.) Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).
6.) Make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.
7.) Make the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.
8.) Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
9.) Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.
10.) Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
11.) Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.
12.) When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.
13.) As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.
14.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
1.) Make the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it’s lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.
2.) In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn’t come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.
3.) Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
4.) Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It probably won't double in size, but it should rise.
5.) Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).
6.) Make the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.
7.) Make the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.
8.) Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
9.) Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.
10.) Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
11.) Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.
12.) When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.
13.) As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.
14.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
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