Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake

This one is for chocolate lovers (I think that’s most of the population!). It has a rich chocolate-nut filling that swirls through the cake, and is topped with a scrumptious chocolate topping similar to the one used in bakeries. Because the dough is essentially a challah dough and therefore dries out more quickly than a typical babka dough (remember it has just a quarter cup of oil), slice off the amount you will use, and freeze the rest for later.

Directions

Prepare and Bake the Cake

Yields 1 tube pan/enough for 4 hungry bein hazmanim bochurim, or 12 servings

1. For the filling, melt chocolate chips, soy milk, sugar, and cinnamon together in a small microwavable bowl. Alternatively, melt in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in nuts. Cool.

2. Roll dough into a large rectangle. Spread with filling. Starting with longer side, roll up tightly. Pinch ends to seal.

3. Place seam-side down in a greased 10-in. (25-cm.) tube pan, pressing ends gently together to form a ring. Cover; let rise until almost doubled, 30–45 minutes.

4. Halfway through rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

5. Bake for 45–50 minutes until golden brown. If too dark, cover loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes of baking. Do not overbake. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and turn right side up.

For the Glaze

1. For the glaze, place chocolate chips and oil together in a small bowl and melt in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in confectioners’ sugar and enough soy milk until it has a glaze-like consistency.

2. Drizzle over cake and let set before slicing.

Tips:

To achieve the look in the picture, double the glaze recipe and pour over cake to totally cover the top.