Easter Babka

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees.
2. Prepare the cake tin by rubbing butter all over the inside, ensuring all crevices are covered.
3. Sprinkle bread crumbs into the prepared tin and shake them around until they coat the sides, paying attention to the middle as well. Remove any excess.
4. Melt the butter in the microwave in five to ten second intervals and let it come to room temperature.
5. In a large bowl, crack in the eggs and add the sugar.
6. Using an electric whisk, mix the eggs and sugar together at a low speed until they become pale and fluffy. Increase the speed once the mixture starts coming together.
7. Add the vanilla paste and melted butter to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk it up again with the electric mixer.
8. Sift the dry ingredients (flour, potato starch, baking powder) into a separate bowl and set them aside.
9. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter by hand for a few seconds to avoid making a mess.
10. Divide the finished vanilla batter between two bowls. To one portion of the vanilla batter, add the cocoa powder and mix it thoroughly by hand.
11. Pour about two-thirds of the vanilla batter into the prepared cake tin.
12. Carefully pour the chocolate batter over the top of the vanilla batter to create a marble effect.
13. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the tin, ensuring that any remaining butter is well mixed in with the batter.
14. Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for around 50 minutes at 150 degrees, checking periodically.
15. While the cake bakes, prepare the icing by slowly adding about a teaspoon of icing sugar to the mixture until the desired consistency is reached. Start mixing with a spoon and then move to a small whisk.
16. Once the baking time is complete, check if the cake is done using a cake tester; it should come out clean.
17. Let the cake cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before attempting to turn it out.
18. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and place it on a cooling rack over a plate.
19. Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the prepared icing evenly over the top.