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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings 7 servings
Calories 736 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 10 large eggs
  • 3¼ cups all‑purpose flour
  • 1½ tablespoons baking soda
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup neutral sunflower oil
  • 2 cups whole milk room temperature
  • 1 cup plain kefir or drinkable yogurt room temperature
  • soft unsalted butter for greasing the pan

Instructions
 

  • Crack the eggs into a large bowl.
    Cracked whole eggs in a large mixing bowl
  • Beat the eggs well with a mixer for a few minutes, until light and foamy.
    Beating eggs with an electric mixer
  • In a separate large bowl, add the flour and baking soda.
    Dry ingredients – flour and baking soda combined in a clean mixing bowl
  • Add the sugar to the flour mixture.
    Granulated sugar being poured over the flour and baking soda mixture
  • Pour in the oil and mix briefly until just combined.
    Neutral sunflower oil added to the dry mixture
  • Add the milk and whisk well until smooth.
    Whisking milk into the batter until the texture becomes smooth and lump‑free
  • Pour in the kefir and whisk again, making sure there are no lumps.
    Kefir being mixed into the liquid batter
  • Finally, add the beaten eggs and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
    Light, foamy eggs folded into the batter to create a loose, pourable mixture
  • You should now have a very liquid batter, even thinner than classic pancake batter.
    Close‑up of the thin, glossy batter running off a ladle into the bowl
  • Grease a deep baking dish or Dutch oven generously with soft butter.
    Thick baking dish coated with a generous layer of softened butter
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
    Liquid baba batter poured into the greased pan
  • Wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil over the top, underneath and around the sides. Bake in a preheated oven at 390°F (200°C) for 2 hours, then reduce to 210°F (100°C) and bake for another 2 hours. Do not open the oven while it bakes.
    Pan wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in the oven for long, slow baking
  • The black baba is ready when deeply browned, set but slightly jiggly in the center.
    Fully baked black baba with a dark caramelized crust, just out of the oven
  • Let it cool completely in the pan, then slice and serve.
    Cooled black baba cut into tall slices and arranged on a serving plate

Notes

  1. Use room‑temperature eggs, milk and kefir so the batter mixes evenly and bakes more predictably.
  2. The batter should be very thin; resist adding extra flour or the cake may turn dense.
  3. Keep the oven door closed the entire time to avoid temperature drops that can affect the texture.
  4. If your oven runs hot, you can slightly reduce the initial temperature to prevent over‑browning.
  5. Let the baba cool completely before slicing so it holds its shape and the crumb sets properly.
  6. Serve plain or with simple toppings like condensed milk, caramel sauce or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 736kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 839mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 523IU | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 4mg
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