In Poland, a traditional babka is a yeasted recipe, but this one is a very simple no-yeast bake, enriched with eggs. The yeasted (and sometimes plaited) babka originated in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe in the early 19th century. They were a cross between a bread and a cake. Unlike the twisted-loaf shape of a Jewish babka, the Polish ‘cake’ version is baked in a bundt tin. This one has a luxurious, glossy, chocolate glaze.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
125g butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tbsp melted for greasing
100g cornflour, plus 1 tbsp extra for dusting
150g caster sugar
60ml vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
3 tbsp natural yogurt
125g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
For the chocolate glaze:
2 tbsp butter
100g good-quality dark chocolate,
chopped
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp boiling water
Method:
Extract credit: The Sweet Polish Kitchen: A celebration of home baking & nostalgic treats by Ren Behan (Pavilion Books). [Image credit Nassima Rothacker.]