Chocolate Babka Brioche

prep time
30 min
portions
category
Cakes

You will love it!

Soft, rich, and swirled with luscious dark chocolate, this babka brioche is the ultimate treat for your weekend brunch or impress at your next breakfast table. With its buttery layers and beautiful marbled twist, it looks as magical as it tastes. Whether you enjoy it warm from the oven or lightly toasted the next day, this babka is pure bliss.

Chef Tosca Tip

Want a glossy bakery-style finish ? As soon as your babka comes out of the oven, brush it with a little warm maple syrup. It adds a subtle sweetness and gives your loaf that irresistible golden sheen.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 300g all purpose flour
  • 150g vegan butter (room temperature)
  • 20g powdered sugar
  • 220g plant milk (can be oat, rice etc...)
  • 9g active dry yeast
  • 2g salt

For the filling:

  • 50g dark chocolate
  • 50g vegan butter
  • 20g maple

Optional: small handful of walnuts or pecan nuts

method

  1. Warm up plant milk until warm and place dry yeast in the milk for 10 mins to activate it. The milk should be warm to the touch but not hot. Whisk the yeast into the milk. Over the next few minutes, the milk/yeast mixture should become foamy as the yeast begins to grow. If it doesn't, this likely means that your yeast has expired or the milk was too hot, causing it to die. Get some fresh yeast and try again, otherwise your babka won't rise (sad face)
  2. Slice room temperature butter in cubes. Mix all dough ingredients in a large bowl starting with a spatula, then with your hands if you do not have a stand mixer. In any case, mix the dough until well combined. It is a pretty wet dough because of the amount of butter and milk in this recipe
  3. Cover with film or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm environment until (roughly) doubled in size, about 90 minutes. I use my oven to help with rising? It's very simple. I turn on my oven on 40°C and leave it in there to proof
  4. Take out bowl from oven and gently mix the dough with a spatula to remove gas, then try to form a round shape with the dough at the bottom of the bowl. Place in the fridge to proof for at least 5 hours (you can also do this over night and you?ll be able to cook a fresh babka for breakfast the next morning!). This step will allow the butter to harden and allow you to easily shape the babka
  5. Melt the filling ingredients in a bain-marie until smooth then store at room temperature until you form the babka. This will allow a soft (not liquid) spread. Don't use it warm as it will melt the butter in the dough, making it harder to manipulate
  6. Take out dough from the fridge and form a round ball with the dough. Then roll it out on a FLOURED surface (or it will stick!!) and spread the chocolate mix all over the rolled-out dough, leaving 2cm of border uncovered for the seam. Optional: add nuts on the chocolate spread at this step
  7. Tightly roll the dough into a log. Place the log on its seam. Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise. Criss-cross one half, cut side down, on top of the other half-forming an X. Twist the two together. Place in prepared loaf pan and cover with a clean towel
  8. Allow the babka to rise in a warm environment (same as dough) for at least 1 hour
  9. Preheat oven to 180°C and bake for 45-50 minutes or until babka is golden brown on top. Gently tap the loaf - if it sounds hollow, the babka is done. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10min before serving. You can brush the loave with maple syrup while cooling off to make it nice and shiny

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