Cinnamon Crown Babka

My motto is “we aim to please” when hosting guests with various food preferences. Accommodating children who don’t eat “cheese-filled anything” on Shavuot, a holiday when we indulge our year-long craving for cheesecake, cheese buns, and cheese braid, only gave me pause for ten seconds. This crown babka, filled with warm, fragrant cinnamon, and rich toffee-flavored brown sugar, is a majestic addition to any holiday table.

Cinnamon Crown Babka

This cinnamon babka, inspired by Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for Twist Bread in her wonderful cookbook Baking with Dorie, is made with an easily-prepared sweet yeast dough that is filled, braided, then coiled into a round. Left to rise for about ninety minutes, it bakes into a lofty crown that will draw appreciative oohs and aaahs from all beholders. Indulge your cravings for dairy by making this yeast bread with butter and milk but it is equally delicious when made non-dairy. Chag sameach!!

Assemble your ingredients. The butter (dairy or plant-based) should be allowed to come to room temperature so that it can be spread easily and evenly.

Dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm (110 F.) milk (dairy or plant-based), in the bowl of a stand mixer. When the yeast begins to bubble, add the vegetable oil, sugar and eggs to the mixture. Using the flat beater, beat on low speed until combined. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Continuing on low speed, add the bread flour, 1 cup at a time, until a dough starts to form. Remove the flat beater and using the dough hook attachment, beat the dough for 5 minutes on medium speed until a smooth, elastic, dough forms. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray and allow it to rise at room temperature until it doubles in size (about 1 hour).

Spray an 8-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch spring form pan. Using the bottom of the pan as a guide, trace out a circle of parchment paper, cut it out and place it in the bottom of the baking pan. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set the mixture aside.

Spray the counter with cooking spray or dust lightly with flour. Spray your rolling pin with cooking spray or dust lightly with flour. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures about 8X16 inches. The shorter side should be parallel to the edge of the counter. Using your fingers or an offset spatula, spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and then scatter the raisins over the dough.

Starting with the long side of the dough, roll it up tightly, finishing with the seam on the bottom. Using a sharp knife, and starting an inch or so from the top so that the top of the log remains uncut, slice the log lengthwise into 3 strips. The filling will spill out a little bit but that’s OK. Twist each strand into a corkscrew and then braid the 3 corkscrews.

Form the braid into a coil. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the dough. Carefully lift up the coiled dough and place it into the prepared pan. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray and let it rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes until it’s puffy and reaches the top of the baking pan.

Center a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350 F. Brush the top of the risen crown with the beaten egg wash, then sprinkle the top with sanding sugar or turbinado sugar. Bake the babka for 35-40 minutes until it is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the babka to cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out on to a cooling rack (or remove the sides and bottom of the spring form pan), remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake, and allow it to cool until it’s room temperature.

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Crown Babka

Cookies, Cakes, Pies and Desserts

By allrecipes.com, inspired by Dorie Greenspan, Baking with Dorie – Serves: 12

Prep Time: 1 hour+ 90 minutes resting times – Cooking Time: 35 minutes – Total Time: 3 hours total, 1 hour active

This crown babka filled with warm, fragrant, cinnamon and rich toffee-flavored brown sugar is a majestic addition to any holiday table.

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F.), dairy or plant-based
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 ½ cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons rapid-rise yeast (instant yeast)
• Filling:
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup butter (dairy or plant-based), at room temperature
• ½ cup raisins
• Egg Wash
• 1 egg, beaten lightly
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• Topping
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or sanding sugar

Instructions

1

Dissolve the yeast and1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm (110 F.) milk (dairy or plant-based), in the bowl of a stand mixer. When the yeast begins to bubble, add the vegetable oil, sugar and eggs to the mixture. Using the flat beater, beat on low speed until combined. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Continuing to mix on low speed, add the bread flour, 1 cup at a time, until a dough starts to form. Remove the flat beater and using the dough hook attachment, beat the dough for 5 minutes on medium speed until a smooth, elastic, dough forms. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray and allow it to rise at room temperature until it doubles (about 1 hour).

2

Spray an 8-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Using the bottom of the pan as a guide, trace out a circle of parchment paper, cut it out and place it in the bottom of the baking pan. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set the mixture aside.

3

Spray the counter with cooking spray or dust lightly with flour. Spray your rolling pin with cooking spray or dust lightly with flour. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures about 8X16 inches. The shorter side should be parallel to the edge of the counter. Using your fingers or an offset spatula, spread the softened butter (dairy or plant-based) evenly over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and then scatter the raisins over the dough.

4

Starting with the long side of the dough, roll it up tightly, finishing with the seam on the bottom. Using a sharp knife, and starting an inch or so from the top so that the top of the log remains uncut, slice the log lengthwise into 3 strips. The filling will spill out a little bit but that's OK. Twist each strand into a corkscrew and then braid the 3 corkscrews.

5

Form the braid into a coil. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the dough. Carefully lift up the coiled dough and place it into the prepared pan. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray and let it rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes until it's puffy and reaches the top of the baking pan.

6

Center a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350 F. Brush the top of the risen crown with the beaten egg wash, then sprinkle the top with sanding sugar or turbinado sugar. Bake the babka for 35-40 minutes until it is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the babka to cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out on to a cooling rack (or remove the sides and bottom of the spring form pan), remove the parchment paper on the bottom of the cake, and allow it to cool until it's room temperature.

Notes

The sweet dough recipe can also be prepared in a bread machine. Add the ingredients as instructed by the bread machine manufacturer. The sweet dough can also proof in the fridge overnight. Wrapped well, the babka will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer.