This is the dairy, buttery, oozing with chocolate, and dense type of Kokosh Cake that we love.
When I was growing up, we always made and enjoyed homemade babka or babka buns, and the recipe that my mother and siblings return to again and again is the one I published in Fresh and Easy Kosher Cooking.
As much as I prefer cooking over baking, babka was the one thing I was always willing to bake. I love making it, and I love serving it.
Soon after my marriage, I went to visit my husband’s grandmother across the ocean and everyone said, “You must taste Babbi’s (a Hungarain Bubby) Kokosh.” So I did, and it tasted delicious, so buttery and so chocolatey. However, I still preferred the babka that I grew up eating.
20 years passed and suddenly I realized that there is an entire family (ahem, my own offspring!) that do not want my babka. It’s not that they don’t like it, it’s just not what they want in a piece of cake. There is too much dough-to-filling ratio, they tell me. They don’t need the crumbs on top, they also say. They want it to be denser.
What did they really want? Babbi Z’s famous kokosh cake. They wanted a buttery, chocolatey, dense cake. The problem is, Babbi lives across the ocean and if we’re lucky, we’d need to get her to wrap up a kokosh roll in silver foil, package it up in a bag, and mail it to us.
A few months ago we flew to visit, and I said, “This time, I’m not leaving without the recipe.”
And so, one morning during our short trip, I took a video of the process. Babbi’s house doesn’t have American measuring cups, or any measuring utensils. It’s random cups and glasses, with regular cutlery used as tablespoons. The oven is a gas oven and bakes completely differently than my American oven. But I took videos diligently (Thank you Fatima for your help!) and also took home a few rolls for our freezer.
Once my freezer stash was gone, it was time to break down the recipe. The original recipe made 8 large rolls. I halved it so that it’s more manageable–with 4 rolls, you still have plenty for the freezer.
I watched the videos I had taken, and at first it went well. The dough looked and felt just like the original.
FYI: This is the mat I use to be able to roll evenly sized doughs (also available in smaller sizes). I use this to roll our challah, sourdough, and babka. Or use my babka hack to keep your kitchen clean!
But then, when I tried to make the filling, I ran into issues. I tried different variations until it hit me. The cocoa may not be the same as the cocoa we use in the US. I called my husband’s cousin and she said, “Yes! The cocoa that Babbi uses already has sugar in it. It’s like a chocolate drink mix-type of cocoa.”
Since I wanted this recipe to be as accessible as possible for everyone all over the word, I decided to use an adapted version of my babka filling, a mixture of cocoa and different sugars.
Dots of butter get scattered across the dough.
Just like this.
Along with a drizzle of oil.
You want to roll this up from the shorter side so that you get a shorter roll, but more layers within the roll. Repeat with all the rolls. You’ll be able to bake these all together on one baking sheet.
Just one more step….
Brush with the egg wash and bake.
Let’s see inside.
Finally perfection! This is the closest we can get to the most perfect dairy buttery and chocolatey kokosh cake we love.
You’ll make this and understand why so many grandchildren and great grandchildren talk and love Babbis Kokosh! Babbi, if you are reading this, we bench you with many more years of hosting us, feeding us and enjoying each other’s company in good health!
Dairy Kokosh Cake
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 tsp dry yeast
- ½ cup warm milk
- 1 tsp sugar
- 5 cups flour, divided
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ sticks (6 oz) butter, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
Cocoa Mixture:
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 cup cocoa
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
For assembly:
- 1 (4 oz) stick butter, divided into 4
- ¾ cup oil, divided into 12 tbsp
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Before starting: Make sure your butter is fully softened. If it’s not, cut it into small pieces and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes. The dough will not come together nicely if the butter isn't soft. Do not melt the butter either.
- In a small bowl, place dry yeast, warm milk and the tsp sugar. Let sit.
- In the bowl of a mixer, add 4 cups of flour (leaving 1 cup for later). Add salt, sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs, softened butter, and sour cream. Add the yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Slowly add the additional cup of flour and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. If you feel the dough is too sticky add up to ½ cup of flour. (The less flour, the lighter the dough will be when baked). Use a large spatula to remove the dough from the bowl and place it into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a clean work surface (see this hack to keep your kitchen clean) Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll the dough tightly into 4 balls. Use a little flour if needed.
- Roll out each dough into a 9 x 13-inch rectangle. Flip it over and roll out larger into an approximately 13 x 18 inch rectangle.
- Spread ¾ cup cocoa mixture on each rolled out dough. Break up ¼ of a stick (1 oz/2 tbsp) of butter onto each dough, spreading it out. Drizzle 3 tbsp of oil on each one.
- Roll up each dough from the shorter end so that you have a shorter dough length and more layers in the roll. You want to gently pull as you are rolling, tucking in the ends so that the chocolate doesn't ooze out when baking.
- Place rolls on a lined baking sheet.
- Combine egg with sugar. Brush tops of rolls. Bake for 30 minutes or until ready and golden on top; this will take a little longer in some ovens.
- The kokosh cake will keep out on the counter in a container for a few days or freeze and remove as needed.
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Mmm this looks so good.
I’m going to try this for my husband to taste. I love babka with a higher dough to filling ratio, and he’s always asking for it to be gooier. I think what he really wants is a kokosh cake.. maybe he’ll love this one! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
You might need to have a siman that this is a dairy cake. Ask your LOR. Looks delish!
Can’t wait to try it for breaking the fast!! Please I like the pink plate, saw it already in a few posts can you get me the link?
Pink plates from Target. .50c!!
Hi they look divine… just like my Babis kokosh cake… can this dough be made by hand?
Can you share a Parve version? I don’t have a milchig bowl for my mixer.
Omg this looks heaven
Came out insane! Will definitely get a must
Your Babbi makes milchig kokosh??
Most Hungarians make parve….
I hate to be that person, but is there a pareve substitute for the sour cream so that I can make this pareve? Thanks!
Yes, local groceries sell Parve sour cream.
By the way, have been making your babka Leah from Fresh n Easy (and all the other recipes there) from day one. And it’s still the best!!
Thank you!
Does the dough need to rise at all?
for 1 hour!
I grew up on milchig kokosh cake…. Never knew there was a pareve version as a kid . This was made weekly by my grandmother/mother/aunts etc…. Only we called it coffee cake… not sure why, maybe cuz you ate it while drinking coffee…… our family version has butter shmeared on top of the roll, not eggs.. & the entire pan that it was baking in got a good shmear of butter from edge to edge….. best thing ever!!!!
Is the milk supposed to be added slowly?
Calls for 1/2 or 3/4 cup
Corrected it! Thank you
Made this today for break fast. Absolutely delicious would def make again! The dough came out super sticky and I was quite skeptical but after it finished rising it was the perfect dough!
Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Absolutely delicious! Was a hit around here!
How does your rolls come out so flat?
Somehow mine always come out of the oven puffy risen& rounded tall…
I would love to this flat wide bakery look…
How does your rolls come out so flat?
Somehow mine always come out of the oven puffy risen& rounded tall…
I would love to this flat wide bakery look…