Yeast-Risen Coffee Cake

Name: Yeast-Risen Coffee Cake (Babka)
Yield: One 10-inch tube cake, about 20 servings
Cuisine: Polish
Ingredients: 1 cup whole blanched almonds, cut into quarters; 1 cup dark raisins; 12 large egg yolks; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest; 1 teaspoon salt; ¾ cup sugar; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off); 4 teaspoons active dry yeast; 1¼ cups milk

Babka

Preparation info

One 10 inch tube cake, about
20
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

A Baker's Tour

By Nick Malgieri

Published 2005

About

This is a particularly light, flavorful version of an eastern European standard. Some versions of babka are rolled up with a filling before being placed in the pan, but this one simply mixes all the ingredients together. That makes it easier to prepare.

Ingredients

Sponge

1¼ cups milk
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups

Europe
Italy
Poland
Dessert
Eastern Europe
Mediterranean
Vegetarian
Cake

Method

For the sponge, warm the milk in a saucepan over low heat until it is just lukewarm, about 110 degrees. Pour the milk into a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. Stir in the flour and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the sponge rise until it is doubled, about 30 minutes.
After the sponge has risen, beat the butter, sugar, and salt in an electric mixer with