Description
This Honey Babka with Cream Cheese Frosting is a rich and fluffy dessert bread featuring a moist batter sweetened with honey and granulated sugar, baked to perfection, and topped with a smooth, creamy frosting made from cream cheese and Cool Whip. It offers a delightful balance of sweetness and tanginess, perfect for special occasions or an indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Babka Batter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 8 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup honey, warmed
- 16 oz sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 oz Cool Whip, frozen
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 11×17 inch baking sheet with parchment paper, ensuring a 1-inch edge to prevent batter spillover. This ensures even baking and keeps the batter contained.
- Mix the Batter: Beat eggs, sugar, and salt on high speed for 8-10 minutes until light, fluffy, and tripled in volume. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar, allowing fizzing. Warm honey for 30 seconds, then add the baking soda mixture, honey, and sour cream to eggs. Beat on low speed just to combine, about 30-40 seconds, avoiding overmixing to maintain airiness.
- Incorporate the Flour: Sift flour into the batter in small batches, mixing on low speed until just combined after each addition. The batter will become runny and lose some fluffiness, which is normal. Avoid overmixing to prevent toughness.
- Bake the Babka: Pour batter evenly into the prepared baking sheet and smooth the surface. Bake for 30-32 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick; if clean, it’s ready. Avoid overbaking to keep the babka moist.
- Cool the Babka: Place a cooling rack over the babka still in the pan, flip the baking sheet to release the babka onto parchment paper, then peel off the parchment. Flip the babka upright using a cutting board on top and allow to cool completely before cutting to prevent crumbling.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar on low-medium speed for 1 minute until smooth. Add frozen Cool Whip and beat on high speed for 5 minutes until frosting is thick and fluffy. Chill 10-15 minutes if too runny before piping.
- Frost the Babka: Once cooled, trim edges for clean lines, then cut into 1.5-2 inch squares. Pipe frosting onto each square with a star tip in a swirl pattern. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese for optimal mixing and texture.
- Do not overbeat the batter once flour is added to prevent a dense babka.
- Warm honey slightly to incorporate smoothly into the batter.
- Check the babka a few minutes before the end of baking time to avoid drying it out.
- The frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated to save time.
- Store leftover babka covered in the refrigerator to maintain freshness up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish, Eastern European
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of babka)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 160mg
Keywords: Honey Babka, Cream Cheese Frosting, Sweet Bread, Dessert Babka, Yeast-Free Babka, Honey Cake, Eastern European Dessert
