This traditional chocolate babka recipe is easy to prepare and makes a delightful dessert for any celebration or occasion. This authentic babka cake features a delicious decadent filling made of chocolate, the texture is so soft and moist that some call it chocolate Babka coffee cake.
Authentic chocolate babka is a delectable rich sweet bread with a cakey texture. it’s essentially part cake and part bread combined in one. Traditional babka also known as cozonac or kozunak in South Eastern Europe is loaded with chocolatey goodness. It is wonderfully light and soft, it will be one of the best babka cakes that you will ever have.
If you’re looking for a South Eastern European traditional babka recipe then you’re in the right spot, hands down this is the best easy chocolate babka recipe. I’ve been making these Babkas in my bakery during the holidays and easter for over 20 years and there always crowd favorite.
Babka is one of the most popular sweet bread in Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and Moldova. It’s enjoyed by families throughout the Holidays, Easter, and Good Friday. You and your family will love this delicious authentic babka recipe.
Is Authentic Babka A Cake Or Bread?
Let’s say both, but technically a really rich sweet bread. Although Babka is made using yeast dough, the texture is moist and soft making it closer to a loaf cake or pound cake.
The babka is typically referred to as cake rather than bread, most would call this recipe a chocolate babka cake or chocolate babka coffee cake the same as we do.
Let’s make a batch of this traditional chocolate babka recipe!
Ingredients For Chocolate Babka Dough
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 50 grams sugar
- 80 grams milk
- 80 grams butter or margarine, cut into cubes
- 7 grams instant yeast
- 40 grams sour cream or plain yogurt
- 20 grams egg yolk
- 3 grams salt
- 50 grams whole egg, for glazing
- 5 grams heavy cream, for glazing
Ingredients For Chocolate Babka Filling
- 300 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped or grated
- 60 grams butter, room temperature
- 20 grams brown sugar
- 5 grams vanilla extract
- 5 grams rum extract
Ingredients For Babka Sugar Syrup
- 120 grams water
- 100 grams granulated sugar
How To Make Traditional Chocolate Babka?
- Prepare the babka dough: Add the yeast into a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of warm water to bloom and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, bloomed yeast, salt, sugar, egg yolk, and milk into a bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment and mix on slow speed for 5 minutes. Increase the speed and mix until it is smooth and homogenized for about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in cubes, mix until the butter is combined and the babka dough is smooth with an elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl or container and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to bulk ferment for 2 hours. During this time the dough will develop flavor and strength.
- Babka Filling: Combine the finely chopped or grated chocolate, sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and rum extract into a bowl and mix them together. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
- Beat the egg with the cream until the mixture is well-mixed together, and set aside.
- Line an 8X5 inch cake pan with baking paper and spray or grease with oil.
- Shaping the babka: Turn the dough over on a floured working, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape measuring 14×10 inches (35×25 cm) or 1/4 inch in thickness, and spread the filling throughout the top.
- Roll the dough into a tight log shape then cut lengthwise across the middle into two even pieces, then twist together like a braid pinching each of the ends.
- Place into the lined baking pan and cover with a cloth or plastic cover. If you have a proofer, you can proof at 32°C or 90°F with 80% relative humidity.
- Proof the babka dough for 50 minutes or until it reaches the top of the cake pan rim.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 355°F prior to proofing about 20 minutes before.
- Once the babka cake is proofed, brush the top with the egg mixture.
- Baking the Babka: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on the surface.
- Sugar Syrup: In the meantime, while the babka is baking, add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat stirring occasionally. Keep aside.
- Remove the babka cake from the oven and brush it with the sugar glaze. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it and place it onto a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before serving.
- Keep the almond chocolate babka cake wrapped in plastic wrap to retain freshness.
- Enjoy!
Authentic Chocolate Babka Recipe
This authentic chocolate babka recipe is easy to prepare and makes a delightful dessert for any celebration or occasion. This traditional babka cake features a delicious decadent filling made of chocolate, the texture is so soft and moist that some call it chocolate Babka coffee cake.
Ingredients
- BABKA DOUGH
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 50 grams sugar
- 80 grams milk
- 80 grams butter or margarine cut into cubes
- 7 grams instant yeast
- 40 grams sour cream or plain yogurt
- 20 grams egg yolk
- 3 grams salt
- 50 grams whole egg for glazing
- 5 grams heavy cream for glazing
- CHOCOLATE BABKA FILLING
- 300 grams dark chocolate finely chopped or grated
- 60 grams butter room temperature
- 20 grams brown sugar
- 5 grams vanilla extract
- 5 grams rum extract
- BABKA SUGAR SYRUP
- 120 grams water
- 100 grams granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare The Babka Dough: Add the yeast into a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of warm water to bloom and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, bloomed yeast, salt, sugar, egg yolk, and milk into a bowl of a stand mixer with the hook attachment and mix on slow speed for 5 minutes. Increase the speed and mix until it is smooth and homogenized for about 4-5 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in cubes, mix until the butter is combined and the babka dough is smooth with an elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl or container and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to bulk ferment for 2 hours. During this time the dough will develop flavor and strength.
- Babka Filling: Combine the finely chopped or grated chocolate, sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and rum extract into a bowl and mix them together. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
- Beat the egg with the cream until the mixture is well-mixed together, and set aside.
- Line an 8X5 inch cake pan with baking paper and spray or grease with oil.
- Shaping The Babka: Turn the dough over on a floured working, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape measuring 14×10 inches (35×25 cm) or 1/4 inch in thickness, and spread the filling throughout the top.
- Roll the dough into a tight log shape then cut lengthwise across the middle into two even pieces, then twist together like a braid pinching each of the ends.
- Place into the lined baking pan and cover with a cloth or plastic cover. If you have a proofer, you can proof at 32°C or 90°F with 80% relative humidity.
- Proof the babka dough for 50 minutes or until it reaches the top of the cake pan rim.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 355°F prior to proofing about 20 minutes before.
- Once the babka cake is proofed, brush the top with the egg mixture.
- Baking The Babka: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on the surface.
- Sugar Syrup: In the meantime, while the babka is baking, add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat stirring occasionally. Keep aside.
- Remove the babka cake from the oven and brush it with the sugar glaze. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it and place it onto a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes before serving.
- Keep the almond chocolate babka cake wrapped in plastic wrap to retain freshness.
- Enjoy!
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