9 babka recipes

This desert, a cross between cake and sweet bread, is often baked for Easter.

Found the original recipe in foodnetwork magazine "The Chocolate" issue. I changed a few things according to my own taste and this decadent chocolate babka only lasted about half day at our counter.

These traditional babkas are rich, egg-yolk-laden yeast breads with golden raisins and a hint of lemon zest, baked in fluted pans and dusted with powdered sugar. Best eaten fresh within a couple of days.

Lemon-Cheese Babka, an Eastern European yeast bread with a tangy cream cheese and cottage cheese filling, plump raisins and cinnamon-nut crumb on top. A bright, citrusy twist on the classic holiday sweet bread.

This festive babka is a rich, buttery yeast bread studded with raisins and topped with a cinnamon-sugar crumble. Baked in a springform pan, it's a showstopper for holidays and special occasions.

Russian cheese babka (pashka) with cream cheese, cottage cheese, candied fruits, golden raisins, and citrus zest, molded in cheesecloth overnight. A no-bake Russian Easter dessert.

Seared sirloin steak braised with sliced apples, onions, honey, and red wine vinegar in a tomato-broth sauce. Serve over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes for a hearty dinner.

Semur banka: Indonesian braised beef in dark soy sauce with tamarind, molasses, ginger, garlic, and nutmeg. Low and slow for 2 hours until fork-tender and saucy.

Oven-baked dessert pancake (Dutch baby): a giant puffed pancake baked in a hot skillet with butter, then dusted with sugar and lemon juice. Fill with fruit or ice cream for an instant dessert.