Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

Preparation time: 20 mins + rising time
Cooking time: 45 mins
Makes: 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS

• 1 quantity Basic Rich Babka Dough
• 125g unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp icing sugar
• 100g dark chocolate, melted
• 100g pecans, toasted and chopped
• ¼ cup cinnamon sugar
• 1 orange, chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Roll out the dough to a rectangle 35cm x 25cm. Whisk the butter, cocoa, icing sugar and chocolate to make a smooth paste, then spread on top of the dough. Scatter with pecans and cinnamon sugar, then roll up, starting at the short edge, to make a log.

2 Place into a large oiled loaf pan, cover loosely with cling film, then set aside to rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine the orange, cinnamon stick and caster sugar in a small saucepan with 2 cups water and boil rapidly for 20 minutes, until thick and syrupy. Strain through a fine sieve.

3 Brush the loaf with egg, then place the loaf in the oven and mist with a little water. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for a further 30 minutes. Brush with the syrup immediately when removed from the oven, then cool on a wire rack.