Love is inspiring, and chocolate babka is one of my husband’s favorite desserts. So, I was inspired to create it as a special treat for him on our thirty-sixth wedding anniversary. He loved it, and I hope you do too!
This recipe makes eight thick, chocolate-filled slices, and I highly recommend you try a piece warmed up in the microwave because it comes out so gooey and delicious!
Yield: 8 slices
Serving size: 1 slice
Ingredients for the cake batter:
- 4 oz (113.4g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 2/3 cups (185.92g) of freshly shredded, low moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp. (14.2g) unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tbsp. (28.35g) egg white powder
- 1 tbsp. (15g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp. (7.2g) baking soda
- 2 tbsp. (30g) heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup (55g) granular erythritol
- 3 tbsp. (21g) coconut flour
- Optional: 3/4 tbsp. (4.5g) freshly grated orange zest (I love the flavor combination of orange and chocolate, but if you prefer a more traditional babka, omit the orange zest.)
Ingredients for the chocolate filling:
- 6 tbsp. (32.4g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. (5.2g) ground cinnamon
- 1/2 oz. (14.18g) shelled walnut pieces, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. (30g) powdered erythritol
- 1 tbsp. (14.2g) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 tbsp. (59.2g) water
- 4 tbsp. (60g) heavy whipping cream
Ingredients for the glaze:
- 1/2 cup (120g) powdered erythritol
- 1 tsp. (5g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. (30g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tbsp. (22.2g) water
Directions:
- First, make the cake batter as follows.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180 °C)
- Place the butter and cream cheese into the bottom of a heat-proof bowl. Place the mozzarella cheese on top of the butter and cream cheese in the bowl. Set aside for now.
- Place all the remaining ingredients for the batter into a clean bowl.
- Stir this mixture enough to make the dry ingredients wet. Scrape down sides as necessary. It’s okay if the mixture is lumpy.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until smooth.
- Grab the previously set aside bowl with the mozzarella, cream cheese, and butter. Place it into the microwave oven. Microwave it at one-minute intervals, mixing with a large spoon after each time. Repeat once or twice until the mixture has melted and resembles a smooth taffy.
- Carefully transfer the cheese mixture into the food processor bowl with the egg mixture.
- Process on high until you have a smooth, thick batter.
- Carefully remove the blade from the bowl of the food processor and pour the batter into a large silicone loaf pan. If you don’t have a silicone loaf pan, you can pour the batter into a regular loaf pan lined with parchment paper. If using a lined conventional loaf pan, brush the paper with melted butter or coconut oil before adding the batter. Use a rubber spatula to ensure you get all of the cake batter into your pan.
- Set the pan aside for now.
- Now it’s time to make the chocolate filling. Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, powdered erythritol, and chopped nuts to a small bowl. Add in the melted butter and mix well. Add the water and the cream to the bowl and mix well until it resembles melted chocolate with chopped nuts.
- Spoon the chocolate mixture evenly across the top of the babka batter. Pull a knife gently through the chocolate and the batter to create the chocolate swirls. First, pull the blade through the batter several times in parallel lines, horizontally, and then do the same vertically.
- Place the babka into the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 80-90 minutes until the top is brown, the cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out dry.
- Place the baked babka onto a metal rack to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Remove it from the pan and return it to the rack to finish cooling.
- While the babka is cooling, you can make the glaze.
- To make the glaze, place all the glaze ingredients into a bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, blend until a smooth glaze forms. If your glaze is too thin, add another tablespoon of erythritol to the bowl and mix again.
- When the cake has completely cooled, use a spoon to spread the glaze onto the cake decoratively. Use as much or as little as you prefer.
- Store your babka in a covered container or wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator.
