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Chocolate-Orange Babka with Cardamom and Salted Caramel - photo 1
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Chocolate-Orange Babka with Cardamom and Salted Caramel

Cakes and Bakes Desery Dishes for Special Occasions 180 min Medium 10 wyświetleń ~37.18 PLN - (0)
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Description

Here’s a recipe that will change your perception of homemade baked goods! Our babka is not just an ordinary yeast cake. It is a true culinary masterpiece, inspired by traditional Jewish pastries from Eastern Europe, but with a modern, signature twist. Imagine a soft, buttery yeast dough, delicately scented with fresh orange zest. Inside, it hides a rich, intensely chocolate filling with a hint of spicy cardamom, creating spectacular, marbled patterns in every slice. After baking, we soak the still-warm babka in an aromatic orange syrup, which ensures its extraordinary moisture for many days. The whole thing is topped with a shiny glaze of homemade liquid salted caramel and crunchy pecans. This cake is perfect for special occasions, the holiday table, or a weekend afternoon tea with a cup of excellent coffee. It looks stunning and tastes even better!

Składniki (18)

Servings:
12
  • Mąka pszenna typ 500 lub 550 500 g
  • Fresh yeast 25 g
  • Cukier drobny 80 g
  • Milk 3.2% 200 ml
  • Egg 2 szt.
  • Egg yolk 1 szt.
  • Masło 82% 175 g
  • Bitter chocolate 70% 150 g
  • Powdered sugar 50 g
  • Orange zest 10 g
  • Water 100 ml
  • Sugar for syrup and caramel 250 g
  • 30% cream 75 ml
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Kakao ciemne 16 g
  • Ground cardamom 2 g
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Coarse sea salt 1 g
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Pecan nuts 30 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~37.18 PLN (3.10 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Yeast Dough

1

Start by preparing the yeast starter. In a small bowl, place the crumbled fresh yeast. Add one tablespoon of sugar (8g from the measured portion of 80g), one tablespoon of flour (15g from the measured portion of 500g), and pour in 50 ml of slightly warmed milk (from the measured portion of 200ml). The milk should be lukewarm, at a temperature of about 37°C - when you put your finger in, it should feel pleasantly warm but not hot. Mix everything thoroughly with a small whisk or fork until the ingredients are combined and there are no lumps. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and set it in a warm, draft-free place for about 10-15 minutes. The yeast starter is ready when it has significantly increased in volume and a thick foam appears on its surface. This is a sign that the yeast is active and the dough will rise beautifully.

Ingredients: Fresh yeast, Cukier drobny, Mąka pszenna typ 500 lub 550, Milk 3.2%
The most common mistake is using milk that is too hot, which kills the yeast. If the starter hasn't risen after 15 minutes, it means the yeast was inactive or the milk was too hot. Unfortunately, you have to start over. The ideal place for rising is a slightly warmed (up to 30°C) and turned-off oven.
2

In a large bowl (preferably a stand mixer bowl), sift the rest of the flour. Sifting aerates the flour and makes the dough lighter. Add the remaining sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix the dry ingredients with a spoon. Make a well in the center. In a separate, smaller bowl, beat the eggs with the yolk using a fork. Pour the risen yeast mixture, the beaten eggs, the rest of the lukewarm milk, and the grated orange zest into the well in the flour.

Ingredients: Mąka pszenna typ 500 lub 550, Cukier drobny, Salt, Egg, Egg yolk, Milk 3.2%, Orange zest
Use a stand mixer with a dough hook - it will make the work much easier and quicker. If you don't have one, be prepared for manual kneading. Remember to have all ingredients (eggs, milk) at room temperature. Cold ingredients will slow down the yeast activity.
3

Start kneading the dough. If you are using a mixer, turn it on to low speed and knead for about 5 minutes, until the ingredients combine into a uniform but still sticky ball. Then, without stopping the kneading, start adding very soft butter (100g) one tablespoon at a time. Wait until each portion of butter is absorbed by the dough before adding the next. After adding all the butter, increase the mixer speed to medium and knead the dough for another 8-10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, elastic, shiny, and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough by hand for about 15-20 minutes. It is ready when, when stretched with your fingers, it forms a thin, translucent membrane (the so-called windowpane test).

Ingredients: Masło 82%
Do not add all the butter at once! This will cause the dough to 'curdle' and make it difficult to knead. Patience is key. The dough will be very sticky at first - this is normal. Do not add too much flour, as the cake will be tough. Knead until the gluten develops and the dough becomes smooth on its own.
4

Form the kneaded dough into a ball, place it in a large bowl lightly greased with oil, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or a damp cloth, and set it in a warm place to rise for about 1.5 hours. During this time, the dough should double in size. To check if it is ready, press your finger into it - if the indentation slowly springs back, the dough is ready.

Oil in the bowl will prevent the rising dough from sticking and drying out on the surface. Make sure the bowl is large enough – the dough will really rise a lot!

Chocolate-Orange Filling

5

At the end of the dough rising, prepare the filling. In a small saucepan, place broken dark chocolate and diced butter (75g). Set the saucepan over a larger pot with gently simmering water (a double boiler). The bottom of the smaller saucepan should not touch the surface of the water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined into a smooth, shiny mixture. Remove from heat.

Ingredients: Bitter chocolate 70%, Masło 82%
A water bath is the safest way to melt chocolate. It prevents it from burning and seizing. Make sure that not even a drop of water gets into the chocolate, as it will seize immediately.
6

To the warm, melted chocolate mixture, add the sifted powdered sugar, sifted cocoa powder, ground cardamom, and a pinch of salt. Mix everything very thoroughly with a whisk until you achieve a smooth, uniform paste with the consistency of peanut butter. Set the filling aside to cool slightly - it should still be spreadable but not hot.

Ingredients: Powdered sugar, Kakao ciemne, Ground cardamom, Salt
Sifting the dry ingredients (powdered sugar and cocoa) is key to avoiding unpleasant lumps in the filling. If the filling becomes too thick, you can gently warm it for a few seconds in a water bath.

Shaping the Bundt Cake

7

Prepare a loaf pan measuring about 25x12 cm. Grease it thoroughly with butter and line it with baking paper, allowing the paper to extend over the longer edges of the pan - this will make it easier to remove the baked cake. Transfer the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface or pastry board. Gently deflate it by punching it a few times with your fist. Then roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring about 40x30 cm. Try to ensure that the thickness of the dough is even across the entire surface.

Use a silicone pastry mat or board - the dough will stick to it less. Roll gently from the center outwards to avoid damaging the structure of the risen dough.
8

Spread the prepared chocolate filling evenly on the rolled-out dough using a spatula or butter knife. Remember to leave about 1-2 cm of free margin along one of the longer edges. Moisten this margin with a little water - it will serve as 'glue'. Starting from the longer side without the margin, roll the dough into a tight log, like a roulade. Try to roll it evenly and fairly tightly.

When spreading the filling, make sure the layer is even. A too thick layer in one spot may cause the dough to crack during baking.
9

Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, cut the roll lengthwise in half, all the way through. This will create two long strips of dough with visible layers of filling. Now for the most important part: place both strips next to each other, cut side up. Braid them together like a plait, placing one strip over the other. Try to keep the chocolate layers facing up at all times - this will ensure a beautiful pattern on the finished cake.

This is a key moment for the appearance of the cake. Work gently but decisively. A sharp knife is essential to avoid tearing the dough. Don't worry if a little filling spills out - that's normal.
10

Gently transfer the braided loaf to the prepared loaf pan. If it is too long, you can slightly bend its ends. Cover the pan with a clean cloth and set it aside for the second rise in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes. The loaf should noticeably rise and fill the pan. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) or 190°C (conventional).

The second rising is shorter, but very important. Don't skip it! Thanks to this, the cake will have a light and fluffy texture. Be careful not to let the dough overproof - if it rises for too long, it may collapse during baking.

Baking and Soaking

11

Place the mold with the risen cake in the preheated oven. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. After 20 minutes of baking, if the top of the cake starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover it with a piece of aluminum foil. To check if the cake is done, insert a wooden skewer into the center. If it comes out dry, the cake is ready. While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine 100g of sugar and 100ml of water. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Ingredients: Water, Sugar for syrup and caramel
Every oven bakes differently, so keep an eye on the cake towards the end of baking. The toothpick test is the most reliable. Immediately brush the hot cake, just out of the oven, generously with the prepared syrup using a kitchen brush. Don't be afraid of the amount of syrup; the cake will absorb it all, making it wonderfully moist.

Glaze and Decoration

12

While the cake is cooling, prepare the salted caramel. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add 150g of sugar. Heat over medium heat without stirring until the sugar starts to melt at the edges and takes on an amber color. Then you can gently swirl the saucepan to help the sugar melt evenly. Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, heat the cream - it should be hot but not boiling. Once all the sugar has melted and has the color of tea, remove the saucepan from the heat and very carefully, in batches, pour in the hot cream while vigorously whisking (be careful, it will splatter and bubble!). Add 50g of diced butter and a pinch of sea salt. Stir until the caramel is smooth and uniform. Set aside to cool slightly.

Ingredients: Sugar for syrup and caramel, 30% cream, Masło 82%, Coarse sea salt
Making caramel requires focus. Don't walk away from the pot! Use a saucepan with a light bottom to better control the color. Too dark caramel will be bitter. Adding cold cream to hot caramel will cause it to harden and splatter violently - warming it up is key.
13

Remove the completely cooled cake from the mold by pulling on the protruding ends of the parchment paper. Place it on a wire rack. Drizzle the top of the cake with slightly cooled but still liquid salted caramel, allowing it to flow freely down the sides. Additionally, if using, sprinkle the top with coarsely chopped pecans. Leave for about 15 minutes to let the glaze set slightly. The cake is ready to serve.

Ingredients: Pecan nuts
It's a good idea to place a piece of baking paper or a plate under the cooling rack - this will make it easier to clean up excess caramel. Cut the cake with a sharp serrated knife to avoid crushing its delicate structure.

Fun Fact

💡

The babka we know today originates from Jewish traditions in Poland and Ukraine. Originally, it was baked from leftover challah dough and filled with cinnamon or fruits. The chocolate version only became popular thanks to Jewish immigrants in New York and is now a culinary symbol of the city.

Best for

Świąteczne śniadanie Weekendowy brunch Elegancki podwieczorek Jako prezent dla bliskiej osoby

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Babka tastes delicious both warm and at room temperature. Serve it with a cup of strong espresso or black tea, which will perfectly balance its sweetness. Stale pieces can be refreshed the next day on a skillet with a bit of butter or used to make luxurious French toast.

🥡 Storage

Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Thanks to the syrup, it stays fresh for a long time. It can also be frozen - preferably whole or in thick slices, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Thaw at room temperature.

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