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Babka Cake

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Babka Cake (Dairy or Pareve)

Whether you attended one of our Shuk and Cook workshops or are still dreaming of our favorite babka from Tel Aviv’s Dallal bakery, it’s hard to get this amazing cake off your mind. In its simplest form, babka is a traditional yeast cake originating in Eastern Europe. Ashkenazi Jewish tradition sees loaf pans and beautifully twisted or braided rolls in a high loaf pan, baked to perfection, with a crunchy top and soft, almost-melting inner layer of chocolate or cinnamon. Immigrants to Israel brought many foods along with them, and we are so glad this wonderfully simple cake is one of them. Like many other foods brought to Israel, babka has maintained its original taste in traditional bakeries, but has also been given new life with distinctly Middle Eastern fillings like rich, nutty halva. Traditional or “Israeli”, the choice is yours.

Pareve Babka Cake

Ingredients

200 g. of coconut cream + 1 tbsp. yeast
⅓ cup sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
650 g. white flour (approx. 2½ cups)
Water, as needed (approx. 2-3 tablespoons)
1 tsp. salt
1½-2 cups spread of choice for filling: chocolate or halva
1 egg, beaten (for brushing the top of the cake)

 

To prepare the pareve dough:

  1. Place the coconut cream, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the eggs and the oil. Once the eggs and oil are mixed, add the flour (at one time).

  3. Mix until the dough forms a ball shape. If the dough feels too dry, add water, one tablespoon at a time (as necessary) until the dough is sticky but comes together in a ball and the sides of the bowl are clean.

  4. Add the salt and mix for 7 more minutes. 

  5. Let the dough rise for 1.5 to 2 hours at room temperature, or let it rise overnight in the refrigerator.

    Note: Another option is to freeze the dough and when ready to use defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

  6. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F)

Dairy Babka Cake

Ingredients

210 ml. milk (give or take 10% of this quantity)
1 tbsp. (10 g.) full dry yeast
100 gr. sugar
2 eggs
500 gr. flour
Water, as needed (approx. 2-3 tablespoons)
100 gr. cold butter, cubed
1 tsp. salt
1½-2 cups spread of choice for filling: chocolate or halva

 

To prepare the dairy dough:

  1. Place the milk, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix for 5 minutes.

  2. Add the eggs. Once the eggs are mixed, add the flour (at one time).

  3. Mix until the dough forms a ball shape. If the dough feels too dry, add water, one tablespoon at a time (as necessary) until the dough is sticky but comes together in a ball and the sides of the bowl are clean.

  4. Add the butter cubes and keep mixing until the cubes disappear inside the dough.

  5. Add the salt and mix for 7 more minutes. 

  6. Let the dough rise for 1.5 to 2 hours at room temperature, or let it rise overnight in the refrigerator. Note: Another option is to freeze the dough and when ready to use defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

  7. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F)

Baking the babka (pareve or dairy):

  1. On a floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin to 0.5 cm thickness (approximately the height of a cutting board) and spread the chocolate or halva across the surface of the dough.

  2. Roll the dough to form a log, then cut the roll lengthwise with the help of a dough knife. Braid/twist the two sections of the dough. 

  3. Let the babka rise for 30 minutes, brush the egg on top of it and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake is ready when you press and it springs back.