Chocolate Babka With Streusel Topping Recipes

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• In a 4-cup measuring cup or medium bowl, stir together the milk and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. Then, whisk in the sugar, egg, and egg yolk.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed to combine, about 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and mix until most of the flour has been incorporated, about 1 minute.
• Add the butter a few chunks at a time and knead until the dough forms a soft, smooth dough that is just slightly sticky when squeezed together, about 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just a few times until the dough is smooth, then place in a greased bowl, turning to coat the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• In a large bowl, stir together the chopped chocolate, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the mixture until completely combined.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and heavy cream.
• Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans with butter, then line with parchment paper; set aside. Gently punch down the dough, then turn out to a clean work surface and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Divide the dough in half and keep the half you are not working with covered with plastic wrap.
• On a well-floured surface, roll the dough into a 16-inch square. Crumble half of the filling over the surface of the dough, reserving 2 tablespoons of the filling, and leaving a ½-inch border around the edges of the dough.
• Brush the egg wash around the border of the dough. Starting at one side, roll the dough up tightly into a log, pinching the ends together to seal. Holding one end of the dough in each hand, twist the dough lengthwise five or six times.
• Brush the top of the log with the egg wash, then carefully sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of filling over the top of the log, pressing it into the egg wash. If any falls off the sides, pick it up and press it into the top.
• Fold the dough in half into a horseshoe shape, then cross the right half over the left half. Pinch the ends together to seal and form a figure eight. Holding one end of the dough in each hand, twist the dough two more times, then nestle it into the prepared loaf pan.
• Repeat steps #9 through #12 with the second half of dough.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in lower third of oven.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and flour. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with larger chunks throughout.
• Brush the top of each loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle each loaf evenly with half of the streusel topping. Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough has expanded and puffed a bit, about 30 minutes.
• Bake the loaves, rotating halfway through, until a light golden brown, about 55 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue baking until deep golden brown and a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaves registers 190 degrees F, about 15 to 30 more minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool completely. The loaves should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Warm the milk and melt 1/4 cup butter in a glass or ceramic bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, or on the stovetop in a saucepan. Combine the bread flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour, yeast, and 1/4 cup sugar. Add the water, the milk-butter mixture, the egg, and the salt to the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Use the dough hook in a stand mixer on low speed or knead the dough by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add more bread flour, about 2 tablespoonfuls at a time (up to 8 tablespoons) to make a workable dough; too much flour can make the dough dry. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the chocolate filling and the streusel while the dough is rising. For the filling, stir together the finely chopped chocolate, the cinnamon, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter with a fork. To make the streusel, combine the confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; cut in 1/4 cup chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• When the dough has doubled, punch the dough down and cut it into two equal pieces. Loosely shape each piece into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll out one portion on a lightly floured surface to form a 15x4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with half the chocolate filling, roll up to form a long log, and seal the seam. Attach the ends to form a circle and place the ring, seam-side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Use a serrated knife or kitchen shears to cut slits at 1-inch intervals around the rings. Cover the rings with damp kitchen towels and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Brush the loaves with the egg wash, if desired. Sprinkle streusel on top. Bake the loaves for about 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets to promote even browning, until the bread is a deep golden brown.

PUMPKIN BABKA WITH CHOCOLATE STREUSEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
• Mix 1/4 cup light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, walnuts, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger together in a bowl. Cut in 1 1/2 teaspoon butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Divide streusel mixture between two bowls. Mix chocolate chips into one bowl.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, and white sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin puree, sour cream, dark rum, and vanilla extract; mix well.
• Combine flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and sea salt in a bowl. Beat gradually into the pumpkin mixture until batter is smooth.
• Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chip streusel over batter, keeping it away from the sides of the pan. Spoon remaining batter on top, spreading it to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto the wire rack to cool completely.
• Melt bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl in 15-second intervals, stirring after each melting, 1 to 3 minutes. Drizzle over the top and side of the cake. Chill cake until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it's lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the lemon zest (if using) and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn't come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.
• Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.
• Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).
• Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.
• Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.
• Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup/158 milliliters water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
• Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
• Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it's about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it's a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won't quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.
• When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.
• As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

CHOCOLATE BABKA WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Dough: 1. Mix the milk with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, or until it foams 2. Combine 1/2 cup of flour to the yeast in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment 3. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat at medium speed until combined 4. Reduce speed to low and slowly mix in the remaining 2 3/4 cups of flour 5. Increase speed to medium and beat in Earth Balance, a few pieces at a time. Let it beat until the dough is shiny and stringy, about 4 minutes. 6. Scrape dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, let rise at room temperature for 2 hours, until doubled Assembly, part 1: 1. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans 2. Punch down the dough and cut in half 3. Roll out one half onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a 10 x 18-inch rectangle, with a long side facing you 4. Spread 2 1/2 tablespoons Earth Balance all over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. 5. Make the egg wash: beat together the egg and the Rice Dream. Brush on the long border nearest to you 6. Sprinkle half of the chocolate (1 bar) over the buttered dough 7. Sprinkle half of the sugar (2 tablespoons) on top. Assembly, part 2 1. Starting from the long side farthest from you, roll the dough into a tight log. Make sure to pinch the edges to seal 2. Bring the ends of the log together to form a circle. Pinch to seal 3. Twist the circle twice to form a double figure-8 4. Fit into pan 5. Repeat for second loaf. 6. Cover both pans loosely with greased plastic wrap 7. Let rise at room temperature for 2 hours, until the dough reaches the top of the pan. You can also let them rise in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, but make sure to bring to room temperature for 3-4 hours before baking. Topping: 1. Use your fingers to mix all of the ingredients together. Lightly press the streusel onto the top of the babka Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes

CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE STREUSEL TOPPING

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs for about 5 minutes.
• In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add the flour mixture along with the sour cream to the creamed mixture; mix until well combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Transfer to prepared baking dish, and smooth out batter.
• To make topping: mix together brown sugar, flour, cocoa and butter until crumbly.
• Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over cake batter in the pan.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes (do not overbake).
• Delicious!