babka

noun

bab·​ka ˈbäb-kə 

ˈbab-

plural babkas

: a sweet bread made with yeast and butter:

a

: a sweet bread that contains various fillings (as of chocolate, cinnamon, or poppy seeds), is typically rolled and twisted before baking in a loaf pan, and is often topped with streusel

Tender yeast bread that begs to be pulled apart and ribbons of chunky bittersweet chocolate make this charming babka a coffee date to remember.

—Ian Knauer et al.

b

: a sweet bread that contains dried fruit (such as raisins), is baked in a round cake pan with scalloped sides, and is often topped with syrup, icing, or confectioners' sugar

Invert the babkas onto racks, let them cool, and sprinkle them with the confectioners' sugar …

—John G. Zawadzinski

Examples of babka in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The restaurant has a tropical dive bar feel, with plenty of diner favorites reimagined like a custardy Thai tea babka, French toast, and a signature Thai Diner egg sandwich made with Isan-style sausage wrapped in a plush roti. — Ali Domrongchai, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026

Let the Ophelia team teach you how to create the best breakfast sandwiches or the team at the insanely popular kosher bakery Bakey to demonstate the finer arts of babka-making. — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026

Weekday pastries and sweets, including babkas and cinnamon rolls served only on weekends in Detroit, will eventually be available during the week in Birmingham. — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Step 7 Slide babka with parchment paper onto a large rimmed baking sheet. — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Yiddish & Polish; Yiddish babke (in sense a), borrowed from Polish babka (in sense b), literally, "old woman, grandmother," diminutive of baba "grandmother, midwife, old woman"

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above