Polish Babka

A lemon babka cake with white icing, garnished with pastel candy eggs, sits on a white plate. A slice is cut and placed on a small plate nearby, while two lemon halves and a striped towel add color.

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5 from 1 vote

This authentic Polish babka is soft, moist, and full of bright lemon flavor—all without yeast.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Polish

Servings:

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Agnieszka

Equipment

1 bundt cake pan

Ingredients

2 ⅛ cups all-purpose flour (2 cups + 2 tablespoons)
1 ¼ cup plain yogurt whole milk
4 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil or any neutral tasting plant oil like avocado oil or light olive oil
2 teaspoon baking powder
zest from 1 medium lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon icing

1 cup confectionery sugar
3 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 medium lemon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius)
Generously grease a bundt or babka pan, making sure to get into all the grooves.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Crack 4 fresh eggs into the bowl of a standup mixer and add ¾ cup sugar. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until pale, thick, and fluffy, about 7–10 minutes.
With the mixer going on low, add ¾ cup oil in a slow stream. Turn off the mixer.
Add 1 ¼ cups plain yougurt, lemon zest and vanilla, and fold it in gently with a silicone spatula.
Add the flour mixture in 4 additions, folding gently after each addition just until combined. Do not overmix.
Transfer the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan and smooth out the top.
Bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake.
Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. Invert the pan carefully and the babka should come right out. Let cool completely before icing.
If needed, trim the bottom slightly with a serrated knife for a flat base.
To make the icing place lemon juice in a small to medium bowl. Add ½ cup of powdered sugar and mix with a spoon until smooth. Then add the remaining ½ cup of sugar and keep mixing breaking down any lumps with the back of the spoon until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle evenly over babka.

Notes

Don't use nonfat or low-fat yogurt for this recipe. Whole milk yogurt will give you the best results.

Once the eggs and sugar are pale and fluffy, handle the batter gently. Add the yogurt and flour in stages, folding just until combined. Avoid overmixing—the air you whipped into the eggs is what gives the cake its light texture.

Icing is optional. If you prefer, you can just dust it with powdered sugar and leave the icing all together.

Let your babka cool completely before icing. Warm babka will cause the icing to melt and run off.

Vanilla extract can be swapped for almond extract if you prefer. ½ teaspoon may be enough, since it's quite strong.

I used a 10-cup bundt pan for this recipe (10 inch diameter).

Nutritional value is approximate and it's for 1 thick iced slice of babka.

Nutrition