Babka al Cioccolato (Chocolate Babka) from Re -cake 2.0

A wonderful  recipe to take a cup of tea  or a coffe  with a slice of  Chocolate Babka and chopped nuts . Other delicious recipe from my italian friends in  Re-cake 2.0   especially for this month.

This Easter European yeast risen  cakes you need time and patience for make, but the results are worth with a moist., deeply flavores brioche like cake wrapped with a dark fudge filling and topped with chopped nuts.

Ingredients
(two breads or loafs)

530 grams all purpose flour
150 g butter
100 grams sugar
3 eggs
12 g. fresh yeast
1 lemon zest
120 ml water

For filling

130 grams dark chocolate
120 grams butter
100 grams almonds or other  nuts
50 grams icing sugar
30 grams cocoa powder
2 tablespoon sugar

For brushing
40 grams honey
2 tablespoonsrum or orange flower water
2 tablespoons water

Method

For dough :

In a bowl put the all purpose flour, sugar, fresh yeast (previously dissolved in half lukewarm water) and lemon zest.
add the eggs, the butter at room temperature and the water at the center, and begin to knead the dough about 10 minutes.
Finally the dough would be elastic and rather sticky.
Cover with foil and let rinse at room temperature  for 1 hour and 30 minutes. And then 2 hours in fridge or overnight in refrigerator.


To make the filling

Melt the butter and the chocolate in a double boiler, and add the icing sugar and cocoa powder, mix well and keep in a cool place for 10 minutes. Separately coarsely chop the almonds or nuts.

Braid preparation

Take the dough  and divide the half and roll out one half into a rectangle about 30 x 40 cm. Spread with half of chocolate cream  and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and half of the chopped nuts or almonds.
Roll on the longest side and then cut the roll in half lñenght and finally cast off the two halves and place the braid obtained in a 22 x 8 cm loaf pan (lined with greasedproof paper)
Repeat this with the other half of dough.
And then let rinse the dough at room temperature for 1 hour and then bake at 180°c  for 30-40 minutes. Or  until a toothpick
comes out dry.

Make the syrup to finish the cake 

Slightly warm the honey with water and rum or orange flower and brush the braids fresly baked.

Enjoy!

Braid pictures from Pinterest

En español
Chocolate Babka  (re cake 2.0)