Hi everyone! I’m Cassandre, and today on Caramel Loafing, I’m sharing one of the most irresistible bakes—part bread, part cake—the Nutella & Walnut Babka Cake.
Originally popular in Eastern and Central Europe, babka has also become a beloved treat in North America. In fact, it was featured in the iconic sitcom Seinfeld (Season 5, Episode 13), where New Yorkers line up with numbered tickets to get their hands on this coveted loaf.
Technically speaking, it’s a yeasted cake and a traditional Jewish holiday dessert. There’s also a Christian version that resembles a sponge cake, but that’s a completely different recipe from today’s babka.
The name babka comes from the Polish word for “grandmother,” and it was originally made with cinnamon. Over time, it evolved into many versions with a wide range of fillings—it makes you wonder how it compares to a classic cinnamon roll, doesn’t it? While it may look like bread and is made with a brioche-style dough, the texture is incredibly soft and moist—more like a cake. That’s why many people call it a babka cake.
More delicious recipes to try:
Craving more chocolate? Try our gooey Nutella Lava Cookies, the utterly addictive Double Chocolate Skillet Cookie, our ultra-moist Chocolate Cloud Cake, or start your morning with cozy French toast or a classic Financier.
One thing that makes babka different from typical bread is that the dough should not rise at room temperature. Instead, it’s placed straight into the fridge to proof. Perhaps it’s this cold fermentation step that gives it its signature tender texture.
To capture the traditional flavor of babka, we’ve recreated the recipe from the renowned Paris bakery Babka Zana—with a few small tweaks to the filling. Once you try this babka cake, it’ll be hard to go back. It’s easy to love and hard to forget!
Nutella & Walnut Babka Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Loaf pan size: 17cm x 8cm x 6cm. This recipe makes 2 babka loaves.
☞ Dough
- All-purpose flour: 125g (4.4 oz)
- Cake flour: 125g (4.4 oz)
- Instant yeast: 4g (0.14 oz)
- Granulated sugar: 50g (1.8 oz)
- Salt: 3g (0.1 oz)
- Warm milk: 60g (2.1 oz), about 95°F–104°F (35°C–40°C)
- Unsalted butter: 80g (2.8 oz), softened and cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg, beaten (about 55g/1.9 oz without shell)
☞ Filling
- Nutella or other hazelnut spread: 140g (4.9 oz) total, 70g (2.5 oz) per loaf
- Chopped walnuts: 80g (2.8 oz) total, 40g (1.4 oz) per loaf
Use our Nutrition Calculator to check the estimated nutritional breakdown of this recipe.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix instant yeast into warm milk (95°F–104°F / 35°C–40°C) and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Butter the inside of your loaf pans and set aside.
- Roughly chop the walnuts—not too big, not too fine—and set aside.
- Sift the all-purpose and cake flours together.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sifted flours with sugar and salt. Mix dry ingredients well.
- Add the beaten egg and yeast milk mixture. Stir lightly to bring the dough together.
- Use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes until a dough forms and pulls away from the bowl.
- Add softened butter and continue mixing on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, and no longer sticks to the bowl.
- Form the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or at least 2 hours).
- Divide dough in half. Roll one half into a rectangle—the width should match the short side of your loaf pan, and the length should be 2.5 to 3 times the long side of the pan.
- Spread Nutella evenly over the dough and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
- Roll the dough tightly from the short side into a log, then slice it lengthwise into two strips.
- With the cut sides facing up, twist the two strips together like a braid.
- Place into loaf pan, cover with a clean cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Preheat oven to 356°F (180°C) and bake for 25–30 minutes.
- Let cool in the pan before removing. Enjoy once fully cooled!
Watch the step-by-step video here: Nutella & Walnut Babka Cake