Great Grandmothers Chocolate Babka Food

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the milk in a liquid measuring cup; add a pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 7 minutes. Combine the flour, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the eggs, yeast mixture, salt, vanilla, nutmeg and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Knead in the butter in three additions, dusting the dough with flour if it's too sticky. Transfer the dough to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, re-cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge overnight.
• Make the filling: Heat the sugar, heavy cream and salt in a saucepan until scalding. Pour over the bittersweet chocolate chips, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature.
• Make the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl; work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is sandy and chunky. Stir in the mini chocolate chips; set the topping aside.
• Form the loaves: Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on both dough rectangles, all the way to the edges. Starting from a long side, tightly roll each rectangle into a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Unwrap the logs; cut each in half lengthwise with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Twist the halves together a few times, starting from the middle. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment, then spray the parchment. Place a dough twist snugly in each pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Finish and bake the babka: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each loaf with butter and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until browned, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make some simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan; simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool. Pull the loaves out of the oven and immediately poke a bunch of holes in each with a wooden skewer. Pour 1 1/4 cups simple syrup evenly over the loaves.
• Let sit 10 minutes, then remove the babka from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on a rack.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the yeast and 2 tablespoons warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside until foamy, 5 minutes. Add the milk, sour cream, egg yolk and 1/2 cup flour; beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until combined. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, scraping the bowl as needed, to form a wet dough, about4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium high; add the whole egg, sugar, salt and vanilla and beat until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until incorporated. The dough will be very wet.
• Brush a large bowl with butter; transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Stir the dough to punch it down; cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Generously dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Pat the dough into a square on the parchment, then roll into an 11-by-15-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough and parchment to a baking sheet and brush off the excess flour. Cover and chill until firm enough to shape, 1 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Pulse the almonds and sugar in a food processor until fine. Add the butter, egg, rum, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and almond extract; pulse until smooth. Cover and chill 1 hour.
• Make the streusel: Mash the confectioners' sugar, flour and butter in a bowl with a fork to make clumps. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• Butter an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Spread the almond filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border; sprinkle with the chocolate. Starting from a short side, use the parchment to tightly roll up the dough, brushing off the excess flour. Pinch the ends of the roll, then twist several times. Fold the twist in half so the ends meet. Twist the folded dough again and place in the pan. Cover with buttered parchment; let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with the streusel. Bake until the bread is golden and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes. Loosen with a knife, then let cool in the pan, 1 hour. Unmold onto a rack to finish cooling.

GRANDMA'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• I make this in either a greased and floured 9 x 12 inch pan or 2 9-inch round pans. For the 9 inch pans I also add wax paper cut to the pan size in the bottom of the pan.
• I start checking for doneness after 40 minutes for a 9 x 12 pan, and 25 minutes for the 2 9-inch pans. When a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean it's done.
• Cream margarine and sugar.
• Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.
• Add buttermilk and dry ingredients.
• Add boiling water and beat until mixed.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until done.
• For Icing- Combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine and vanilla.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Add coconut and nuts.
• Beat until thick enough to spread.

GRANNY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper. Dust pans with flour, and shake out excess.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and vanilla.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, cream the butter. Slowly add the sugar, and continue beating until well blended and light colored. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk mixture in 2 or 3 additions, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate until well blended. Spoon batter into prepared pans, and smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake layer comes out clean. Let cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then invert onto other racks and peel off the paper. Invert again, and let cool completely on the racks. Frost with chocolate frosting.

GRANDMA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Cream sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Mix in eggs and maple extract. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with coffee, beating batter until smooth after each addition. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.