Almost every European country has its own variation of Easter bread. In Poland, that’s the Babka Wielkanocna, although it’s more a cake-bread cross than bread alone.
The uniqueness of Babka is a filling of rum-soaked raisins and a unique shape that comes from a bundt loaf pan.
Babka wielkanocna (literally, Easter cake) is one of the most delicious Polish recipes to make and a portion of staple Polish food, known widely elsewhere in the world.
The traditional Easter babka recipe – distinguished by the (excessively) high number of egg yolks used in its making — is simple enough for a self taught home cook. We’ve shared our easy Polish Easter babka recipe for you below (with fewer egg yolks and less sugar!).
Easter Babka Wielkanocna: An Overview
As we said before, Polish Babka is more of a bread than a cake, owing to its yeast component (which makes it quite similar to Italian panettone). It’s easy to make and consists of the usual components of bread, with some dessert elements as well. What really sets it apart, though, are the rum-soaked raisins inside it.
Babka originated in 19th-century Eastern Europe, primarily in Jewish communities. Although it is sometimes thought of as a cake, Easter babka is, in truth, more of yeast bread.
Other variations of Babka (basically, non Easter babka) come in a braided, twisted sort of shape and can include different fillings, toppings, and flavors like chocolate, fruit jam, or cinnamon.
The Polish Babka Wielkanocna is a specialty of Polish cuisine and is served mainly during Easter. In fact, the Babka takes center stage on any Polish Easter spread.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t bake a babka whenever you want. Here’s how!
What You’ll Need to Bake Polish Easter Babka
Ingredients
- 1 cup raisins
- Rum or brandy
- 1 pack of dry yeast
- ¾ cup of sugar
- ¼ cup of warm water
- ¾ cup of melted butter
- 4 ½ cups of flour
- 2 tablespoons of orange or lemon zest
- 3 eggs (we’re using eggs instead of egg yolks)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of warm milk
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs
- Powdered sugar
Equipment
- Bundt pan
- Stand mixer or electric mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
How to Bake a Traditional Babka
Step 1: Prepare Your Rum-Soaked Raisins
To begin, take a small bowl to mix all your raisins with the rum. Ideally, you want to soak the raisins for about two hours.
Alternatively, you can place your bowl of rum soaked raisins in the oven for a minute. This is only to be done when you’re running short on time because it does affect the taste of your Babka.
Step 2: Prepare the Yeast
Next, you will mix your dry yeast with some warm water to activate it. You will know your yeast is ready once it gains a foamy texture.
Step 3: Create the Batter
Now it’s time to start mixing your butter, warm milk, vanilla essence, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Use a stand mixer or electric mixer to incorporate all the ingredients thoroughly. Keep this up till your mixture cools.
Crack open all 3 of the eggs and drop them into the mixture. Then, take the previously made yeast mixture, along with your flour, and drop it into the bowl.
Using a whisker, start beating the contents of the bowl until it reaches a thick creamy consistency. This is probably the best time to take a long lick of the spoon to taste the creamy sweet batter.
Once the batter has reached your preferred consistency level, you can add the lemon zest (a few drops of lemon juice also works) and your rum soaked raisins. Be sure to strain the raisins and leave the rum in a separate container for drizzling on top of the cake.
Step 3: Bake the Babka!
Next, you’ll get the bundt pan ready to begin the baking process. To do so, you will need to butter the base of the pan well and sprinkle in your dry breadcrumbs. This is a very important step because using less butter will make the cake stick to the pan.
Take your prepared pan and slowly pour all the batter into it. Cover the top with a piece of cloth and let the batter sit for an hour. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
You will notice a gradual rise in the batter, mainly because the dried yeast creates gas bubbles inside your mixture.
After your Babka batter has risen for an hour, it’s time to put it inside the oven. Set the timer to 45 minutes and place your pan inside.
Step 4: Prepare the Rum Syrup
While your Babka is in the oven, prepare the rum syrup that you will pour over it.
Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 2 tablespoons of rum in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Once the mixture has come to a boil, swirl the liquid until you notice the sugar completely dissolves. Then remove the saucepan from the stove.
Step 5: Finish up
Once you’re done preparing your syrup, check on your Babka. Once the timer hits zero and your Babka is fully baked, you’ll need to let it cool for about 10-12 minutes before it can finally be served.
Before removing the Babka from the pan, you might need to slice off a thin layer from the top. This will allow your Bundt cake to sit level on the plate and is only necessary when your Babka does not have an even rise.
Finally, poke tiny holes on the top of the cake and drizzle your syrup over it. Alternatively, you can also dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving. And that’s it — your babka wielkanocna is ready!
Final Words
Polish Babka is a staple in every Polish household on Easter. It is a truly special dessert drizzled with icing and laced with syrup. We find this yeast bread is best served alongside tea or coffee, but it works just as well as an after-meal treat!
We hope that this guide has helped you achieve perfection in your Polish baking adventure. Good luck!
Based on 9 Review(s)
