Meltaway Chocolate Crumb Babka

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A rich cake-style meltaway babka with thick fudgy chocolate ribbons and a generous crumb topping. This is not a yeast babka – there is no rising, rolling, or braiding. The unusual method deliberately makes crumbs first, reserves some for the top, and then turns the remaining mixture into cake batter.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 55

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 25

Servings: 24 to 30 slices / 3 loaves

Course: Cakes & Coffee Cakes

Cuisine: Jewish

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Meltaway Cake & Crumbs

4 cups all-purpose flour (480 g)
2 cups granulated sugar (400 g)
3/4 cup pareve baking margarine or plant-based baking stick, softened (170 g)
1/2 cup oil (120 mL)
2 tsp vanilla extract (10 mL)
1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk (240 mL)
4 large eggs (room temperature)
4 tsp baking powder (16 g)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (about 3 g)
1/2 tsp fine salt (3 g)

Chocolate Marble

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (85 g)
3 cups confectioners' sugar (340 g)
1/3 cup oil (80 mL)
1/2 cup boiling water (120 mL)

Equipment

Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Very large mixing bowl
Medium bowl for chocolate mixture
Whisk and rubber spatula
Three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch / 22 x 11-cm loaf pans
Parchment paper
Butter knife or thin skewer for swirling
Measuring cups and spoons
Digital kitchen scale, recommended
Long toothpick or cake tester
Wire cooling rack

Method

Bring the cold ingredients toward room temperature. Set out the eggs, soy milk, and baking margarine for about 30 minutes. The margarine should be soft enough to press with a finger but not melted.
Preheat the oven. Preheat to 350°F / 175°C. Position a rack in the center.
Prepare the pans. Lightly grease three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Line the bottoms and long sides with parchment.
Combine the flour and sugar. In a very large bowl, mix the flour and granulated sugar briefly.
Add the fats and vanilla. Add the softened baking margarine, 1/2 cup / 120 mL oil, and vanilla. Mix on low speed.
Stop when coarse crumbs form. The mixture should look like coarse sand with small crumbs and some pea-sized clumps. Do not keep mixing until it becomes smooth batter.
Reserve the crumb topping. Measure out exactly 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture and set it aside before adding any eggs or liquid.
Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix these into the crumbs remaining in the large bowl.
Add the eggs. Add all 4 eggs and mix on low until mostly incorporated.
Add the soy milk. Slowly pour in the 1 cup / 240 mL soy milk and mix until a thick cake batter forms.
Stop once smooth. The batter should be thick, creamy, pale, and spreadable. Do not beat for several extra minutes.
Start the chocolate marble. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar so there are no large cocoa lumps.
Add the chocolate oil. Whisk in the 1/3 cup / 80 mL oil. The mixture will still be extremely thick.
Add boiling water gradually. Whisk in the 1/2 cup / 120 mL boiling water in several additions until the chocolate mixture is dark, glossy, thick, and pourable in a heavy ribbon.
Divide the cake batter. Divide the vanilla batter evenly among the three prepared loaf pans. Use a scale if possible.
Check the pan level. Before adding chocolate and crumbs, the pans should be no more than about two-thirds full. Hold back extra batter if your pans are smaller.
Add the chocolate marble. Drizzle about one-third of the chocolate mixture over each loaf, spreading it across most of the surface rather than pouring it into one spot.
Swirl gently. Use a knife or skewer to make about 5-6 loose passes through each loaf. Reach into the batter but do not vigorously stir.
Finish with any remaining chocolate. If a little chocolate remains, drizzle it over the upper surface.
Prepare the reserved crumbs. Use your fingertips to break the reserved crumbs into a mix of fine crumbs, small clumps, and a few larger pieces.
Top the loaves. Divide the full 1 1/2 cups reserved crumbs evenly over the three loaves. Leave them loose; do not press them down.
Bake. Bake at 350°F / 175°C for 50-55 minutes. Begin checking around 48 minutes.
Check for doneness. Insert a long tester into a pale cake area rather than directly through a chocolate ribbon. It should come out clean or with a few moist cake crumbs, but no liquid vanilla batter.
Check the surface. The center should spring back lightly, the crumb topping should look dry and lightly golden, and the edges may pull slightly from the pans.
Cool in the pans. Let the loaves cool for about 20 minutes.
Remove. Lift the loaves out using the parchment and place them on wire racks.
Cool completely. Wait about 45-60 minutes before slicing so the chocolate marble can firm.

Notes

Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing

Make ahead: Excellent made 1 day ahead; the chocolate and crumb texture improve after the loaves rest.
Room temperature: Store airtight for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Up to 5 days, though the crumb will become firmer.
Freezer: Wrap completely cooled loaves or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw while wrapped at room temperature.

Bubby’s Tip

The strange-looking first step is the secret to this cake. You purposely make crumbs first, save some for the top, and only then turn what is left into cake batter. Once you know that, the whole recipe makes sense.

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Meltaway Chocolate Crumb Babka