better chocolate babka
Inadvertently, this has become week on Smitten Kitchen, wherein I air my grievances at past recipes and exhibit what I hope can be passed off as “” in reformulating them for modern times. Still, nobody could more surprised than I am that of all the recipes in the archives, it’s from seven years ago that have ended up in this queue, because at the time we found them beyond reproach: rich, buttery, crumbly and intensely chocolaty. They were precisely what we’d remembered getting from the store growing up, but better, I mean, I’d they’d be. Clocking in at 3/4 pound of semisweet chocolate and almost a cup of butter per loaf, the recipe in fact uses triple this (2.25 pounds of chocolate! 1.25 pounds of butter!) for three loaves. And not unlike the , this, along with the messy, complicated prep, became the problem. Despite repeated requests from our families every holiday, I’ve probably only made it once since, if that. It’s all too much.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 11 of 12 ingredients — the other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 11 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Sunflower | 1 oz (28g) hulled | 165 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups (530 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- Grated zest of 1 small lemon or half an orange (our preference)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup water (cold is fine) and up to 1 to 2 tablespoons extra, if needed
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter (150 grams or 5.3 ounces) at room temperature
- Sunflower or other neutral oil, for greasing
- 4 1/2 ounces (130 grams) dark chocolate (or approximately 3/4 cup chocolate chips)
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
- Scant 1/2 cup (50 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon [optional]
- 1/3 cup water
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar