BY BARBARA ROLEK
The SPRUCE
This recipe for Polish babka is soaked with a rum syrup when it is cool.
What You'll Need
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Sponge:
1 cup warm milk (no hotter than 110 degrees)
2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Batter:
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
11 tablespoons (1 stick + 3 tablespoons) melted and cooled butter
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Rum Syrup:
1 cup water
7 ounces / 200 g
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dark rum
How to Make It
To make the sponge: Heat the milk. Add yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and mix with a fork. Set aside in a warm place to become foamy, about 15 minutes.
[post_ads]To make the batter: In a separate bowl, whip together eggs, 1 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes. Add the melted and cooled butter and yeast mixture, combining well. Add 2 3/4 cups flour and, using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or the regular beaters on a hand-held mixer, beat until well combined, about 5 minutes. The dough will be loose. Scrape down the sides. Cover and let rise in the same bowl in a warm place for 30 minutes.
To bake: Place rack in the middle of oven and heat to 325 degrees. Coat a large babka pan or 10-inch Bundt pan (or 2 smaller pans) with cooking spray and fill with batter. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Bake 30 minutes. Allow to cool 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the rum syrup: Boil 1 cup water with superfine sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. When sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the rum. Poke holes all over the cake with a toothpick and saturate the cake with the rum syrup. Decorate with jelly beans or other candy Easter eggs.
