Swirly Sweet Potato Babka Crumb Mug Cake
Swirly Sweet Potato Babka Crumb Mug Cake
Babka (BAAB-kuh) is an Eastern European bread that is part cake and part yeast. Traditionally it's made with cinnamon sugar or chocolate swirled in, and it's usually eaten as a breakfast bread or with coffee or tea as an afternoon treat. In other words, it's totally delicious! (You can read more about the history of babka and Eastern Europe below the recipe steps and surprise ingredient facts).
True to Sticky Fingers form, we've snuck in some sweet potato goodness to boost nutrition and so that kids can see how easy it is to make a little sweet potato snack in the microwave. What other foods and flavors could they imagine pairing with sweet potato? Get them thinking like chefs! We hope you love this whimsical take on the classic.
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- mash :
to reduce food, like potatoes or bananas, to a soft, pulpy state by beating or pressure.
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- microwave :
to heat or cook food or liquid quickly in a microwave oven, which uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to generate heat in the food's water molecules.
- mix :
to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.
- pierce :
to prick a food with a sharp utensil, like a fork, to create small, shallow holes in raw potatoes to keep them from exploding or in a pie crust to allow steam to escape and prevent it from puffing up when blind baking (pre-baking).
- scoop :
to pick up an amount of food with a utensil to move it to a dish, pan, or container; utensils that can be used to scoop are spoons, dishers (small scoops used for cookie dough or melon balls), ice cream scoops, or large transfer scoops for bulk foods.
- swirl :
to create a swirl design by lightly stirring a food with a toothpick, or other cooking or eating utensil, in a circular or other pattern.
Equipment Checklist
- Microwave
- Cutting board + kid-safe knife
- Metal fork
- Paper towels
- Microwave-safe plate
- 2 microwave-safe mugs
- Measuring spoons
- Pot holders
- Metal spoon
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Dry measuring cups
- Butter knife
Ingredients
Swirly Sweet Potato Babka Crumb Mug Cake
- 1 slice orange sweet potato or yam, about 1-inch thick
- 2 tsp butter **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub vegetable oil or dairy-free butter, like Earth Balance)**
- 1 T sugar
- 3 T milk **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
- 1/4 C all-purpose flour **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY sub gluten-free/nut-free flour blend with xanthan gum)**
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 T chocolate chips **(for NUT/DAIRY/SOY ALLERGY use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips)**
Food Allergen Substitutions
Swirly Sweet Potato Babka Crumb Mug Cake
- Dairy: Substitute vegetable oil or dairy-free butter, like Earth Balance. Substitute dairy-free/nut-free milk. Use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips.
- Gluten/Wheat: Substitute gluten-free/nut-free flour blend with xanthan gum for all-purpose flour.
- Nut: Use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips.
- Soy: Use Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips.
Instructions
Swirly Sweet Potato Babka Crumb Mug Cake
intro
Babka originated in Poland and Eastern Europe, and its history is deeply rooted in Jewish culture. Chocolate babka is sometimes served during Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday, although it is not specifically a Hanukkah dish.
pierce + microwave + mash
You'll be making the sweet potato chocolate swirl first. Slice a 1-inch slice from 1 sweet potato and pierce with a fork in several places. Wrap it with a damp paper towel and place it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Let cool slightly, then microwave for a final minute. Let cool enough to handle before using the fork to mash the flesh. Discard the peel, or eat it!
measure + microwave + mix
Measure and add 1 teaspoon butter, 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons chocolate chips to a microwave-safe mug. Cover the mug with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute. Remove the mug with a potholder and stir! Then add the mashed sweet potato and 1 tablespoon of milk. Cover the mug with a towel again and microwave for 1 more minute. Stir well. Scoop the mixture out of the mug and set it aside (it can stay on the spoon!)
microwave + measure + mix
Next, you'll be making the babka crumb cake batter. Microwave 1 teaspoon of butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds to melt it. Measure and combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons milk to the butter and mix! Measure and add 1/4 cup flour, 1 pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder to the bowl. Mix well until the flour disappears!
scoop + swirl + microwave
Scoop the cake batter mixture into your microwavable mug and top it with the sweet potato chocolate swirl mixture. Use the tip of a butter knife to swirl the chocolate mixture into the cake batter. Cover mug with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute.
cool + drizzle
Let cool slightly before drizzling the cake with Very Vanilla Yogurt Glaze (see recipe) and digging in!
Hi! I’m Sweet Potato!
"Sweet potatoes are root vegetables, like beets and carrots! We're very popular in the Fall, especially for holiday dinners, where you might find us baked whole or sliced and diced as part of a side dish. We also pair well with fruit and other vegetables in salads and casseroles."
History
- The sweet potato originated in Central or South America, and people began cultivating them in Central America at least 5,000 years ago.
- Sweet potatoes have been grown in Peru for almost 3,000 years and remain one of the major crops for people in Peru.
- When Columbus arrived in the New World, Native Americans were already growing and utilizing sweet potatoes. Columbus brought sweet potatoes back to Europe, and other explorers brought them from the New World to Asia.
- Sweet potatoes were cultivated widely in Colonial America and were a significant form of sustenance for farmers and soldiers during the Revolutionary War.
- As far as records show, orange sweet potatoes originally came from Puerto Rico and were named "yams" by Louisiana farmers to differentiate them from the white-fleshed variety grown in other parts of the country. Indeed, the sweet potato is officially the state vegetable of Louisiana! It's also North Carolina's official state vegetable.
- George Washington grew sweet potatoes on his estate at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
- North American supermarkets import much of their sweet potatoes from the Caribbean.
- February is National Sweet Potato month!
Anatomy & Etymology
- Sweet potatoes are edible roots, not tubers like potatoes. Actually, sweet potatoes aren't related to potatoes but are part of the Morning Glory family. Plants from this family produce beautiful flowers whose seeds were revered for their laxative properties by the Chinese.
- The flesh of sweet potatoes can be white, yellow, orange, or even purple!
- Enslaved African-Аmericans called the sweet potato "nyami" because it reminded them of the starchy, edible tuber from their homeland. "Nyami" is a Senegalese word that was eventually shortened to "yam." Sweet potatoes are often confused with yams, and this is why!
How to Pick, Buy, & Eat
- Sweet potatoes are eaten by people worldwide as they are a hearty crop that packs a lot of nutrition.
- It's best to store sweet potatoes in cool, dark, and dry places. They won't last as long in the fridge.
- Small, firm sweet potatoes tend to be sweeter and creamier. Large sweet potatoes contain more starch, as they've had more time to grow and develop the starches. Look for smooth, firm, even skin.
- Sweet potatoes should be cooked, not eaten raw. You can use them in many savory and sweet recipes.
- Sweet potatoes make an excellent side dish—you can bake, mash, or boil them—and their nutritional benefits are increased when combined with healthy fats, like avocado, butter, or olive oil!
- If they had their say, sweet potatoes might like to be known as everyday veggies rather than just for special occasions. For example, we in the United States eat more sweet potatoes around Thanksgiving than at any other time. But sweet potatoes are available year-round and should be enjoyed more often because of their benefits!
Nutrition
- Sweet potatoes are very nutritious! Their color can tell us which nutrients they contain (like many vegetables and fruits!).
- If a sweet potato is orange, it contains beta-carotene (other orange foods that contain this nutrient include carrots, shrimp, and oranges). Can you hear the name of a familiar vegetable in the word "beta-carotene?" Carrot! We know that beta-carotene is good for our eyes and skin. Have you ever been asked to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Beta-carotene is why!
- Sweet potatoes also have vitamin K, which helps our blood clot. When we get a cut, our blood clots to stop the bleeding, and vitamin K helps with this!
- We often talk about fiber when we reveal our Surprise Ingredients because vegetables and fruits contain a lot of fiber. Sweet potatoes are no exception. So what does fiber help with? Digestion! And which body parts are responsible for digestion? Many, but namely our stomach and intestines.
What is a Babka?
- Babka is a swirled or braided bread made from enriched dough filled with chocolate, cinnamon, fruit, nuts, or sweet cheese.
- Babka originated in Poland and Eastern Europe, and its history is deeply rooted in Jewish culture. On Shabbat (Saturdays, the seventh day of the week and a day of rest), scraps of challah bread were often twisted with nuts and seeds, creating a less sweetened version of today's babka. Later versions of the dish incorporated chocolate, cinnamon sugar, streusel toppings, and raisins.
- Chocolate babka is sometimes served during Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday, although it is not specifically a Hanukkah dish.
- The Polish (or Eastern European) babka is typically baked in a bundt pan and served on Easter, but many people enjoy it throughout the year.
- In traditional Jewish babka, the dough is rolled into a log and then cut into two long pieces, which are then braided or twisted together before being baked in a loaf pan.
- This tasty bread comes from the Polish word "babcia" (Bahb-chya), which means "grandmother."
Let's Learn About Eastern Europe!
- Many countries make up the region of Eastern Europe, and some of those nations include Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, part of Russia, and Ukraine.
- While this region is partially based on its geography, Eastern Europe has also been shaped by its cultural and religious history, which makes defining it a little complicated.
- Many languages are spoken in Eastern Europe, almost too many to list, but a few include Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian.
- Foods like "pierogi" (Polish dumplings), "goulash" (stew), "borscht" (beet soup), and "gołąbki" (cabbage rolls) all have roots in Eastern Europe.
- The gift of bread, wine, and salt is an Eastern European tradition of blessing a new home or marriage. Bread symbolizes the hope never to go hungry, wine symbolizes the hope never to thirst, and salt represents the hope to always have "flavor" in life, even during hard times.
- The Eastern European landscape is full of forests, which have played an important role in the cuisine. For example, many dishes rely on wild mushrooms, strawberries, blueberries, and currants.
- Vegetables such as beetroot, kohlrabi, and turnip are also popular in Eastern European dishes due to their ability to store well during the cold winter. In addition, foods that are easily fermented, like pickles and cabbage, are also popular for this reason.
- In Romania, shaking your head actually means "yes," while most other cultures will nod their heads in agreement!
- If you visit Bulgaria, you'll probably hear bagpipes playing! We usually associate bagpipes with Scotland, but the "gaida" (gay-dah) is Bulgaria's national instrument!
THYME for a Laugh
Why do sweet potatoes make good detectives?
Because they keep their eyes peeled.
THYME for a Laugh
What do you call a sweet potato who spends a lot of time sitting and thinking?
MediTator!
Lettuce Joke Around
How do you describe an angry sweet potato?
Boiling Mad.
That's Berry Funny
Why couldn’t the teddy bear finish his Babka cake?
He was already stuffed!
Lettuce Joke Around
What do you say to an angry sweet potato?
Anything, just butter him up first.
The Yolk's On You
What do you call a baby sweet potato?
A small fry!
Lettuce Joke Around
What do you call a sweet potato that is never motivated, but is content to watch others?
Speck-Tator
That's Berry Funny
What do you call a sweet potato that is reluctant to jump into boiling water?
Hez A Tator
Lettuce Joke Around
Why shouldn’t you tell a secret on a farm?
Because the sweet potatoes have eyes and the corn has ears.
