Bucovina cake

Bucovina Cake – a traditional recipe that brings joy and warmth to every home. This delicious, large, and fluffy dessert is a symbol of holidays and family moments. Whether you choose to fill it with nuts, cocoa, raisins, or even chocolate, the Bucovina cake will surely be the star of your festive table.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Rising time: 2 hours
Baking time: 45-50 minutes
Total: 3 hours
Number of servings: 12-14

Ingredients for the dough:
- 1 kg type 000 flour
- 250 ml lukewarm milk
- 200 g sugar
- 100 g melted butter
- 5 eggs (4 for the dough, 1 for brushing)
- 50 g fresh yeast
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 vanilla essence
- zest of one lemon

Ingredients for the filling:
- 300 g ground walnuts
- 150 g sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 100 g raisins (optional)
- 1 rum essence (optional)

Step-by-step preparation:

1. Start by activating the yeast. In a small bowl, add the crumbled fresh yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 3-4 tablespoons of lukewarm milk. Mix and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until it becomes frothy.

2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and add the salt, the remaining sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla essence. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the activated yeast, the 4 eggs, and the melted butter. Start mixing the ingredients with a spatula, gradually adding the lukewarm milk until you get a smooth dough.

3. Knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes until it becomes elastic and smooth. Cover it with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.

4. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Mix the ground walnuts with the sugar and cocoa. If desired, you can also add raisins and rum essence for extra flavor.

5. Once the dough has risen, turn it onto a floured surface and divide it into two or three parts, depending on how many cakes you want to make. Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle, then evenly sprinkle the filling over the entire surface.

6. Roll each rectangle tightly, making sure the filling stays well wrapped. Place the rolls in buttered loaf pans, leaving a little space between them to rise.

7. Cover the pans with a towel and let them rise again for 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

8. Before baking, brush the cakes with beaten egg for a golden and appetizing crust. Bake them in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

9. Once ready, let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serving suggestion: You can serve the Bucovina cake alongside a cup of tea or coffee, and for an extra touch of flavor, add a spoonful of fruit jam or a chocolate glaze on top.

Possible variations: Instead of a walnut filling, you can use poppy seeds, chocolate, or even candied fruits for a more exotic cake. You can also experiment with spices like cinnamon or cardamom to give it a fragrant note.

The Bucovina cake is not just a dessert, but a true tradition that blends flavor with nostalgia. Prepare it with love and enjoy every slice with your loved ones!

Apart from the milk, all ingredients should be taken out the night before and brought to room temperature, including the yeast. The sugar is mixed with the lemon and orange zest, essences, salt, vinegar, egg yolks, and egg whites, covered with plastic wrap, and left at room temperature. This will enhance the color of the egg yolks and infuse the flavors. 2-3 tablespoons of flour are scalded with half a cup of boiling milk, mixed vigorously to avoid lumps, and allowed to reach room temperature. The yeast is liquefied with 2 teaspoons of sugar and then mixed with the scalded flour and left to rise for 15 minutes. It is important not to exceed the time, otherwise, the yeast will lose its potency. The flour is sifted into a large bowl, the egg yolks with sugar are added, 3/4 of the milk (do not add all the milk at once), and the butter is melted separately with the oil. Mix well and start kneading by folding, occasionally adding melted butter. The most important factor for a successful dough is its consistency, whether you are making donuts or sweet bread. It should be soft, slightly sticky so that after adding the fats, it becomes compact, with a uniform, homogeneous, and elastic appearance: if you press it with your finger, the dough should quickly return to its original shape. In total, no more than 30 minutes of kneading is necessary, and if you have a bread machine or a food processor, even better. It is placed in an oiled bowl and covered with plastic wrap or a clean towel, kept away from large temperature variations. Being a heavy, rich dough, it will take three hours to rise well, so do not rush, and if it is not very warm in the kitchen, it may take even longer. In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing finely ground walnuts with sugar, stiff egg whites, and rum essence. After it has risen, the dough is divided into two parts (for 2 sweet breads) and then further divided into two if you want to braid them. They are spread with plenty of filling almost to the edges, rolled up, braided, and then placed in trays to rise for another 45 minutes. After they have risen, they are brushed with egg yolk, sprinkled with poppy seeds and granulated sugar, and halves of walnuts are added for decoration. They are baked for approximately 50 minutes, even an hour, depending on the oven; I test them with a skewer, which I insert exactly in the middle of the sweet bread. It should come out clean, not moist at all. If you don’t like powdered sugar, when you take them out of the oven, rub a cube of butter over the crust to soften it. Enjoy your meal! The Bucovina sweet bread recipe was proposed by the bride on the recipe forum.

 Ingredients: 1 kg flour 00011 egg yolks 2 egg whites 300 g sugar 1 pack butter 80% fat 50 ml sunflower oil 300-400 ml milk 2 cubes fresh yeast (50 g) zest of one lemon and one orange 50 ml rum (or a vial) and a vial of vanilla essence 1 full teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon vinegar filling: 500 g walnuts 250 g sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 6-7 beaten egg whites 1 vial of rum essence

 Tags:  recipes for sweet bread walnut cake fluffy sweet bread