Easter Babka
EASTER BABKA (Babka Wielkanocna)
Makes 1 babka, 8 servings
The Oregonian / March 30, 1999
"The making of babkas was an exciting event and could be called a
kind of magic art," write Maria Lemnis and Henryk Vitry in "Old
Polish Traditions."
"The cook, the lady of the house and all the women of the household
locked themselves in the kitchen. Men were forbidden to enter. The
whitest wheat flour was sifted through a fine sieve, hundreds (!) of
egg yolks were beaten with sugar in bowls, saffron was dissolved in
vodka (it not only coloured the cake beautifully but gave it a spicy
aroma as well), almonds were ground, raisins were sorted, fragrant
vanilla was ground in mortars and yeast was dissolved. The dough was
put into babka moulds and covered with linen cloths, since a cold
babka did not grow and could not be baked thoroughly. Therefore, the
kitchen windows and doors were made airtight to avoid draughts. The
risen babkas were carefully placed in the baking oven. Finally, when
they were taken out of the hot oven on a wooden spade, frequently
there were dramatic cries and tears: a babka that was too brown or
had collapsed meant loss of face. When the babkas were taken out,
they were carefully placed on an eiderdown so they would not be
crushed while cooling. Everyone spoke in whispers since any noise
could also harm the delicate cake. The cooked babkas were beautifully
and liberally iced."
Cake:
1 envelope dry yeast
1/2 cup half-and-half, lukewarm
cup granulated sugar (divided)
2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting pan (divided)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon (yellow part only)
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup raisins
Vegetable oil
Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon rum or lemon juice
To make cake: Dissolve yeast in half-and-half. Combine with half the
sugar and 1 cup flour and let double in size, about 30 minutes. Add
the rest of the sugar, the remaining 1 cup flour, eggs, vanilla,
almond extract, grated lemon and melted butter and knead until
smooth. Add the raisins, while continuing to knead.
Grease babka pan (or Bundt pan or regular loaf pan) with vegetable
oil and dust with flour. Place dough in pan, cover with a clean cloth
and leave in a very warm, draft-free place until doubled in size,
about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes. When cool, remove from pan and drizzle with icing.
To make icing: Mix powdered sugar and rum.
Calories: 254 per cake with icing (10% from protein, 69% from
carbohydrate, 20% from fat, 1% from alcohol)
Protein: 6.5 grams
Total fat: 5.5 grams
Saturated fat: 2.7 grams
Cholesterol: 90 mg
Sodium: 47 mg
Carbohydrate: 43.5 grams
Fiber: 1.3 grams
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 meat, 1 fat
From "The Best of Polish Cooking"
List of Ingredients
Instructions
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