My bubby’s kokosh cake is the stuff memories are made of. Though it’s been close to a decade since I last tasted this, I can still taste the oozing chocolate and heavenly flavors that make this the best kokosh ever. So many of my childhood memories are intertwined with this kokosh, including all those Shabbos morning breakfasts sitting at the table schmoozing with Bubby while we ate kokosh and drank hot cups of coffee (she was the only one who let me!). I’m still not certain what makes those memories fonder, the undivided attention I received from Bubby for those 45 minutes or the yummy kokosh. Either way it’s a tradition I hope to pass down to my own.
For the dough:
32 ounces warm pareve milk
1½ cups oil
3 sticks margarine
6 large eggs
5 pounds flour
1 box vanilla pudding powder
4 ounces fresh yeast
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Chocolate cream:
6 eggs
1 cup warm water
6 cups sugar
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 cups cocoa
3 boxes chocolate pudding
3 tablespoons vanilla pudding powder
1 tablespoon chocolate liquor
Chocolate filling:
1¼ cups cocoa
2½ cups sugar
1½ tablespoons coffee
½ tablespoon vanilla sugar
16 ounces good quality chocolate (I use Rosemarie), grated
1 egg, for brushing
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine milk, oil, margarine, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, pudding powder, yeast, sugars, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix for 8-10 minutes. Let dough rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour (make a brachah and take challah).
- Divide into 8 balls. Cover and let balls rest while preparing the filling.
- Prepare the chocolate cream. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix until creamy.
- Prepare the chocolate filling. Whisk together all ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough into rectangles, then spread with chocolate cream. Top the chocolate cream with the chocolate filling, then the grated chocolate. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with all balls.
- Let rise 30 minutes. Brush with egg and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. 9. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Kokosh cake freezes well.
Yield: 8 cakes