Why it works: Cinnamon and vanilla match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,287 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓
Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place rack in center of oven.
Line a sheet pan with foil.
Place bread in a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside.
Make the custard
In a bowl, mix milk, cream, eggs, sugars, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until well combined.
Pour mixture slowly over bread.
Set aside 15 minutes.
Heat dulce de leche 1 minute in microwave to soften; stir half into pudding.
Bake and serve
Place the baking dish on prepared sheet pan and bake 1 hour and 25 minutes (custard should still wobble when done).
Remove from oven and swirl remaining dulce de leche on top.
Allow to set.
Serve pudding warm with whipped cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 12 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Pudding | not in our table | 0 |
| Dulce De Leche | not in our table | 0 |
| Topping | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Cinnamon + vanillatop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,287 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
-
Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set the custard as they cook, giving the pudding its structure.
- Heavy cream
- Adds richness and fat, making the custard smooth and tender.
- Milk
- Thins the custard and soaks into the bread, adding moisture.
- Chocolate babka
- Soaks up the custard so the bread becomes a soft, pudding-like base.
- Dulce de leche
- Adds caramel sweetness and flavor through the pudding and on top.
The step that matters
Baking until the custard still wobbles. Eggs keep setting as the pudding cools, so pulling it when the center is just set and still wobbles prevents a dry, curdled texture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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