Chocolate Babka King Cake Recipe
Make Chocolate Babka King Cake Recipe in just 4h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Dough
Filling
Assembly & Topping
Method
Dough
- 1
Activate yeast
Pour the warm milk into a small bowl. Stir in 1 tsp of the granulated sugar (from the 0.5 cup) and sprinkle the active dry yeast over the surface. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- 2
- 3
Combine and knead
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or a large mixing bowl if kneading by hand) combine the flour, remaining granulated sugar, and salt. Add the foamy yeast-milk mixture and the egg/butter mixture. Mix on low until ingredients come together, then increase speed to medium and knead 5–8 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky (10–12 minutes by hand). If dough is too sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time; if too dry, add warm milk 1 tbsp at a time.
- 4
First rise
Lightly oil a large bowl with the vegetable oil, place the dough in the bowl and turn once to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1.5–2 hours.
Filling
- 5
Make chocolate filling
Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Melt gently over a saucepan of barely simmering water (double boiler) or in 20–30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Off heat, whisk in the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, instant espresso powder and salt until you have a thick, spreadable paste. Let cool to room temperature (10–15 minutes) so it’s spreadable but not runny.
Assembly & Topping
- 6
Prep and divide dough
Punch the risen dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces (this recipe yields a large crown formed from two twisted logs). Cover one piece while you work with the other to prevent drying.
- 7
Roll and fill
Working with one piece, roll the dough into a rectangle about 16 x 12 inches and roughly 1/4 inch thick. Spread half of the cooled chocolate filling evenly over the rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along one long edge. Starting at the opposite long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log, seam side down. Repeat with the second piece of dough and the remaining filling.
- 8
Cut and twist
Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut each log lengthwise down the middle so you have two long pieces with exposed layers of chocolate. With the cut sides facing up, twist the two pieces together to make a two-strand braid for each log (or twist two pieces from two logs together to create one larger braid). Keep the cut layers exposed — this gives the characteristic swirled/sliced appearance.
- 9
Form the ring
Shape the braided dough into a ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet, tucking and pinching the ends together to seal. If you made two braids, join them end to end and then form a ring so you have one large crown. Cover loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap or a clean towel and let proof for 45–60 minutes until puffy.
- 10
Preheat oven
About 20 minutes before the end of the second proof, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- 11
Egg wash and bake
Whisk the egg and 15 ml milk for the egg wash. Gently brush the top of the ring with the egg wash. Bake on the center rack 30–40 minutes, until deeply golden and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out mostly clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
- 12
Cool
Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 15–20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool until slightly warm (the center should be set but still tender). Note: do NOT insert the optional plastic baby before baking — insert after the cake has cooled to avoid any melting or choking hazard.
- 13
- 14
Finish and decorate
When the cake is warm but not hot, drizzle or spread the glaze over the top. While the glaze is still wet, divide the top visually into three even sections and sprinkle purple sanding sugar on one third, green on the next third, and gold on the final third to mimic traditional king cake colors. If using the optional plastic baby, insert it into the bottom of the cake or tuck it under a slice at serving time.
