Chocolate Babka
From borinda 16 years ago
- 45 minutes to make
- Serves 12
Gale Gand's recipe from her Chocolate & Vanilla book. Her recipes are great and her instructions are detailed to ensure success. This recipe takes me back to NY and kaffee klatching with the ladies.
Ingredients
- for the sponge: shopping list
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour shopping list
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar shopping list
- 1 + Tbsp active dry yeast shopping list
- 1 cup warm milk (about 95 degrees) shopping list
- for the dough: shopping list
- 1 large egg shopping list
- 5 large egg yolks shopping list
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar shopping list
- 1/2 tsp salt shopping list
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract shopping list
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour shopping list
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted shopping list
- for the chocolate filling: shopping list
- 1 7-ounce tube almond paste shopping list
- 1 large egg white shopping list
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened shopping list
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped shopping list
How to make it
- Make the sponge by stirring the flour, sugar, yeast, and milk together in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit about one hour, until bubbly.
- For the dough: In an electric mixer with a paddle stir the egg, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla until well blended. Add the flour and the sponge and and blend this with a dough hook until a "shaggy" dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic but not sticky. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in there and cover with plastic wrap. Let this rise at room temperature about 1 1/2 hours.
- make the filling while the dough rises: In a food processor blend the almond paste, egg white, and butter until smooth. Add the chocolate and blend just until it is incorporated. Set aside. (you can make this up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator and take out to room temp. when needed)
- Turn the dough back onto a lightly floured surface and punch it down to deflate. Use a rolling pin to create an 8x14" rectangle which is about 1/4" thick. let this rest for about 5 minutes with a tea towel covering it to keep the dough moist.
- Spread the filling over the dough to within 1/2" of the edges and then roll it up lengthwise, ala a jelly-roll, and pinch the seam along the bottom to seal it. Flatten this log a bit with the rolling pin and then twist the log 6 to 8 times. This gives the beautifully swirled filling.
- Place one end of the log in the center of a 9" cake pan and then wrap it around itself forming a spiral in the cake pan. (YOu can cover it at this point with plastic and refrigerate overnight and then let it come back to room temp. for about 1/2 hour or until it has doubled in volume before baking. Great for brunch.) Cover the pan lightly with a clean, damp kitchen towel and place out of any drafts, and let this rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes 1 hour.
- Place in a Preheated 350 oven and bake until the cake is golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.
The Rating
Reviewed by 5 people-
Wow.. how could they give this a low rating?
linebb956
in La Feria loved it
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I'm going to make this tomorrow morning. I haven't had a good babka in ages! And a chocolate one? Ohhhh yum! Maybe I should just start the recipe now! Thanks, Borinda! I'm so glad you shared this recipe!
annieamie
in Los Angeles loved it
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very nice thanks. 5
mystic_river1
in Bradenton loved it
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