Is babka a bread or a cake?

If bread is defined by being leavened with yeast, babka is bread, not cake. In practice, however, it lives somewhere in the middle and is often enjoyed much like a coffee cake. It's a sweet bread made with an enriched dough, and in many recipes (like this one), its filling is sweet, too.

Is babka served warm or cold?

In this recipe, we suggest serving your apple babka while it's still warm (but not piping hot). But babka is often enjoyed at room temperature. If you have leftovers the next day, cut yourself a slice and enjoy it as-is — or feel free to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds if you'd like.

Cinnamon Apple Babka Recipe

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 50 mins

Servings:

For this autumnal apple babka, tender, buttery dough is wrapped around sliced Honeycrisp apples generously spiced with cinnamon and ginger. It works equally well for brunch, dessert, or even as a sweet, proving that this apple babka is worth your time and attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is babka a bread or a cake?

If bread is defined by being leavened with yeast, babka is bread, not cake. In practice, however, it lives somewhere in the middle and is often enjoyed much like a coffee cake. It's a sweet bread made with an enriched dough, and in many recipes (like this one), its filling is sweet, too.
Is babka served warm or cold?

In this recipe, we suggest serving your apple babka while it's still warm (but not piping hot). But babka is often enjoyed at room temperature. If you have leftovers the next day, cut yourself a slice and enjoy it as-is — or feel free to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds if you'd like.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Make sure to slice the apples very thinly here; the thinner they are, the easier it will be to roll your dough — the rolling process can get messy. Don’t panic if the filling spills onto your work surface or dough while cutting, twisting, or shaping; it will make your babka just that much more beautifully golden and sugary. The final glaze is extra but worth it.

If the twisted dough is too soft to move, use a cake mover or rimless baking sheet to transfer the dough into the skillet. You can reposition the dough in the skillet as needed, tucking the ends under to secure them.

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Ingredients

Dough

1 cup warm (110°F) water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups (about 12 3/4 ounces to 14 7/8 ounces) all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for work surface
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cooking spray

Filling

1 large (8 ounce) Honeycrisp apple, cored and cut into 1/16-inch-thick slices (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespopon cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Cooking spray

Additional Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

Prepare the dough

Whisk together warm water, sugar, and yeast in a medium bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Place salt and 3 cups of the flour in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With mixer running on low speed, add yeast mixture and melted butter, beating just until combined, about 30 seconds. Turn off mixer; remove paddle attachment, and attach dough hook attachment. Beat mixture on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, 7 to 12 minutes, beating in up to remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to achieve desired consistency. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm (75ºF), draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling

Toss together apple, brown sugar, melted butter, cornstarch, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl until combined. Coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Set aside.
Gently punch down dough in bowl. Roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a 22- x 14-inch rectangle. Spread filling evenly over dough, carefully pressing to adhere and leaving a 1-inch border on long sides. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough into a log, jelly-roll style, lifting the dough as needed to prevent liquid from slipping out. Using a serrated knife, cut log in half lengthwise. Arrange dough pieces side by side, cut sides up, on work surface. Carefully twist dough pieces together, keeping cut sides facing up. (This process can be messy.) Shape twisted dough into a 9-inch ring, and tuck ends under. Place in prepared skillet. Secure ends under again, and tuck any apple slices back in, if needed. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove plastic wrap from skillet; place skillet on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until babka is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest portion of bread registers 190ºF to 205ºF, 30 to 35 minutes, loosely covering with aluminum foil during final 8 to 10 minutes bake time if needed to prevent overbrowning. Transfer skillet to a wire rack, and let cool 15 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar and milk in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle over babka. Serve immediately. Babka may be wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil or placed in an airtight container and stored at room temperature up to 3 days.