Chocolate cake is a dessert we can't have enough of. It's all about the decadence that leaves you wanting more with every bite. Birthdays and celebrations are too long a wait for this sinfully good dessert - this is more of a favorite for every season! If you were looking for new varieties of the classic chocolate cake to reinvent and savor the sinfully gooey delight again and again, we'd like to introduce to you the Babka. The chocolate Babka is a sweet treat that lies somewhere between being a bread and a cake. It has roots firmly in the Jewish traditional cuisine of Eastern Europe.
(Also Read: Watch: How To Make Eggless Chocolate Biscuit Cake Without Baking)
What Is 'Babka' And Where Did It Originate From?
Think of it as sweet bread with the goodness of chocolate. 'Babka' roughly originated from the term 'babcia', which means grandmother. The etymology of this word is probably from the fact that the cake's shape and structure is similar to an old woman's skirt. It may also be named so as most grandmothers took part in the process of making the Babka. As the Jewish community spread its wings through the US and the rest of the globe, they took this delightful recipe with them.
Are There Any Other Kinds Of 'Babka'?
Chocolate is the most common filling inside a Babka, but other fillings include cinnamon and fruits. The bread-cake is also topped with sugar syrup and streusel, a crumbly topping made of flour, butter and sugar.
How Was 'Babka' Invented?
It is said that traditional Jewish households invented the 'Babka' as a means of utilizing leftover flour dough called Challah dough. The Challah dough, which is still used to make the braided Challah bread eaten on Jewish holidays, was originally used to give rise to the Babka. The elderly ladies of the family would use the leftover Challah dough and layer it with fruit and nut scraps from the kitchen to make a sweet cake that anyone could savour.
(Also Read: The Tale of a Jewish Bread Tradition Gone Awry)
How Is It Made? Traditional Techniques Versus New
The 'Babka' may seem to be an easy dessert to master in the kitchen, but let its innocent looks not fool you! The original versions of the Babka were made in a loaf pan, and took as much time as an entire day to perfect. These days the Babka is more shapely and has a lot of twists and turns to it. The traditional Babka also made use of oil in the recipe rather than butter that is used nowadays. This is still not the essence of the dish - it is more important that the Babka should be densely layered with chocolate and should be intensely sweet with every bite.
If you're drooling as much as we are while reading this, try the Babka next time you crave for something sweet!