Marbled chocolate and vanilla bundt (right)

This babka recipe is a very simple no-yeast bake. The traditional yeasted babka originated in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe in the 19th century. Unlike the twisted loaf shape of a Jewish babka, the Polish ‘cake’ version is baked in a bundt tin. This one has a luxurious, glossy chocolate glaze.

SERVES 8

125g butter, at room temperature,

plus 1tbsp melted, to grease

100g cornflour, plus 1tbsp to dust

150g caster sugar

60ml vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1tsp vanilla bean paste

3tbsp natural yogurt

125g self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

2tbsp cocoa powder

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

2tbsp butter

100g good-quality dark

chocolate, chopped

100g icing sugar

1tbsp runny honey

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Brush the inside of a 2.4 litre bundt tin with the melted butter, then dust with the tbsp of cornflour.

2 In a bowl with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and oil together for 3-4min, until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, and beat slowly. Add the vanilla bean paste and yogurt. Using a metal spoon, fold in the self-raising flour, cornflour and baking powder.

3 Divide the mixture in 1/2, add the cocoa powder to one 1/2 and mix until combined.

4 Using a large spoon, scoop some of the vanilla batter into the bottom of the prepared bundt tin, then add dollops of the chocolate batter. Finish with the vanilla batter.

5 Bake in the oven for 40min, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin before carefully turning it out on to a serving plate.

6 To make the glaze, melt the butter and chocolate in a pan, then stir through the icing sugar, honey and 2tbsp boiling water, and mix until smooth. The glaze will stay glossy if you eat it immediately but will turn matt if left, therefore make and pour over the glaze when you’re ready to serve the bundt.