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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Step 7 Slide babka with parchment paper onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026 This firms up the butter and dough and makes the babka easier and less messy to slice and twist. ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 Be sure to grab a chocolate babka muffin and a slice of whatever the cake of the week is, as well as anything else that catches your eye. Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026 But the chocolate babka is by far Bakey’s most popular item, with the almond babka not far behind. Connie Ogle july 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for babka

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of babka was in 1846

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Cite this Entry

“Babka.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babka. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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