Easter Babka With Icing

ElaineAnn's Note:

An easier version of the traditional Polish Babka.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

Dough

• 1 (1⁄16; ounce) envelope dry yeast
• ½ cup light cream or ½ cup half-and-half
• 1⁄3; cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind , grated
• 1 tablespoon butter , melted
• ¼ cup raisins

Icing

• ½ cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon rum or 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in cream.
2. Combine with half the sugar and flour and let double in size.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients except the raisins and knead until smooth.
4. Add raisins, while continuing to knead.
5. Grease and flour babka pan (or tube pan). Place dough in pan, cover with a clean cloth, and leave in a very warm, draft-free place until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes. When cool, remove from pan.
7. Mix icing ingredients well and drizzle over babka.

Reviews

[lauralie41]

This is a very moist and lovely babka but I also had a bit of a problem with the dough. My half and half was expired so I used Half and Half Substitute, used half the sugar and 1 cup of flour for steps 1 and 2. After the mixture doubled in size I followed step 3 but I had a loose sticky dough that did not feel just right. I added an additional cup of flour and that did the trick. My babka did not have much flavor though and I think because I added the extra cup of flour and did not double the vanilla, almond extract, and lemon rind that was the problem. I tagged this for the Please Review My Recipe Game and needed to get my review submitted but would like to make this again as I am sure it would be a wonderful treat!

[iris5555]

I had some problems with this. There was no way I could knead the batter that resulted when I followed steps 1 through 3. I know babka usually results in a sticky dough, but I would have had to add much more flour to achieve a workable dough.