Babka Cake
The impressive-looking Babka Cake is a brioche-like sponge cake, traditional as a celebration cake in Eastern Europe. It’s often baked in a round pan, and decorated with vanilla and chocolate flavored icing. The Jewish version of Babka is made from twisted length of dough and baked in a loaf pan. In Poland, Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria, Babke Cake is usually baked to be eaten on Easter Sunday, although it’s also enjoyed during other celebrations too.
Origins of Babka
Old forms of Babka are said to have been similar to an Italian pannetone, and were much larger and higher than their modern equivalent. They would have been known as baba, meaning grandmother, referring to their shape resembling pleated skirts. The name babka translates as little grandmother. In the past, Eastern Europe was relatively poor, and luxury ingredients like chocolate would have been extremely hard to come by. Traditional Babka Cakes are more likely to have been sweetened and decorated with the addition of honey and dried or candied fruits, with chocolate being a later evolution.
Jewish Babka is thought to have first come about during the early 1800s. Housewives making dough for challah bread, braided bread eaten on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays, would have prepared extra dough, to be filled with cinnamon or jam, which was then rolled up and baked as a special treat.
Streusel Topping
The popular crumb topping now found on Babka Cakes is known as streusel. It’s sprinkled on the top of loaf-shaped cakes before baking, and often layered inside the dough too. Streusel is made with a mixture of flour, butter and sugar, sometimes with cinnamon, spices or nuts included too. It adds an element of extra sweetness and crunch to any cake.
Babka’s Big Break!
Traditionalists may disapprove, preferring to stick with tried and tested methods and enjoying Babka as it was originally intended, however there are many inventive ways to experiment with baking and eating Babka. From buns and bread pudding to ice cream sandwiches and even cereal, the possibilities seem to be endless. Whether you’d like to get creative in the kitchen or follow in your forefathers’ footsteps, baking Babka is probably not a recipe for beginners to undertake, and certainly doesn’t suit an impatient baker. It can be a time-consuming process, but definitely worth the extra effort!
Baking Babka at Home
It may not be quick, but baking Babka yourself doesn’t have to be difficult. There are plenty of very good recipes and tutorials online, many with step-by-step instructions and pictures to follow, like this one for Chocolate Babka from Tori Avey. If you’re looking for an intricate and impressive centrepiece for a celebratory table, Babka makes an excellent choice. This is a rich cake with an even richer history, which can form part of your own family tradition – at Easter, or as part of any other special meal. If you’re lacking the time, patience or skill to bake your own Babka, we at Gimmee Jimmy’s have a selection of Babka Crumb Cakes which we’re ready to bake fresh to order. Give your family and friends a taste or traditional baking with none of the effort, by ordering one of our delicious Babkas to arrive in time for your celebration!
