Babka drozdzowa z rodzynkami is a traditional Polish yeast-based cake filled with raisins that’s popular for Easter! Easy to make, this tall bundt cake tastes perfect when drizzled with glazed sugar and sprinkled with raisins!
What Is Babka Drożdżowa Z Rodzynkami?
Easter celebrations will have Polish tables filled with mazureks and babkas of all types.
But what is a babka?
A babka is a bundt shaped Easter cake that got it’s name from the pleated folds that look like the skirts our grandmothers used to wear in centuries past.
Of course, another story goes that in the 16th century, Queen Bona Sforza missed the Italian panettone a lot and wanted her chefs to make something like it. What they ended up making was the babka!
The Polish babka is of course different from what is called a babka in the US. That American version of babka is actually a strucla in Poland.
Babkas can be made plain or with a variety of flavors, from lemon or marble to filled with raisins. The babka filled with raisins that we’ll make today is called babka drozdzowa z rodzynkami. (baab-kuh drawh-dgoh-vah z roh-dzeen-kah-me.)
What Are The Different Types Of Babka?
There are many types of Polish babka bundt cakes. Some popular versions are:
- Babka Pomaranczowa – Orange Babka
- Babka Bananowa (Banana Bundt Cake)
- Babka Cytrynowa – Lemon Babka
- Babka Ziemnaczana – Potato Babka
- Babka Herbaciana (Tea Bundt Cake)
- Babka Marmurkowa – Marble Babka
- Babka Makowa (Poppy seed babka cake)
- Babka Orzechowa z Rodzynkami (Walnut and raisin Babka)
- Babka Majonezowa (Mayonnaise Babka)
- Yeast Babka With Raisins
How To Make Polish Babka With Raisins?
Polish raisin babka is easy to make. Start by proofing the yeast and soaking the raisins in milk. Prepare the babka dough and mix in the raisins with it.
Let the dough rest till it triples in size. After a few hours, grease the bundt tray , pour in the batter, and bake the cake for 45 minutes.
Once the babka has cooled, cover it with glazed sugar and sprinkle with raisins! Cut into slices and serve!
Tips For Making The Best Polish Raisin Babka!
- You can use any raisins of your choice – golden raisins, dark raisins, red raisins, or a mix of raisins.
- Make sure you buy seedless raisins!
- Add chopped walnuts to the babka dough to make babka orzechowa z rodzynkami.
- Don’t worry if you don’t have a bundt pan. You can make babka in a regular pan. The shape will be different but the taste is still fantastic!
- It is not essential to top the babka with a glaze!
- If not serving kids, you can soak the raisins in rum or brandy.
- You can top the babka with raisins, candied peel, or lemon zest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Babka Drożdżowa Z Rodzynkami
What Is The Difference Between Panettone And Babka?
Panettone is an Italian sweet bread that’s usually shaped like a tall cupola. Babka on the other hand is an Eastern European cake that’s shaped like a bundt. The panettone is made with candied peel, raisins and lemon zest, while the babka can have a number of different flavors.
What Is The Difference Between Povitica And Babka?
The povitica is an Eastern European yeast-based bread, usually from Croatia or Slovenia that’s filled with nuts, honey, jam or more. It’s similar to the Polish makowiec roll. Babka on the other hand is a yeast-based bundt cake made with lemon zest, raisins, or more.
What To Decorate The Babka With?
Babka can be decorated with any of the following:
- icing sugar
- sugar glaze with sprinkles
- sugar glaze with raisins
- chocolate sauce
- nuts
- dried fruits
Can You Eat Babka For Breakfast?
Babka is a rich Polish dish with a rich crumb that’s a cross between bread and a cake. So it’s perfect for breakfast. You can also eat it as a snack or dessert.
How To Store Polish Raisin Babka?
Store the raisin babka in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for 3 months. If served from the refrigerator, it can be served straight away. If serving from the freezer, it’s best to reheat in an oven or microwave before serving.
Polish Raisin Babka Recipe [Babka Drożdżowa Z Rodzynkami]
Polish Raisin Babka Recipe (Babka Drożdżowa Z Rodzynkami)
Babka drozdzowa z rodzynkami is a traditional Polish yeast-based cake filled with raisins that's popular for Easter! Easy to make, this tall Polish Easter bundt cake tastes perfect when drizzled with glazed sugar and sprinkled with raisins!
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500g) of all-purpose flour
- 1 oz of instant yeast / 2 oz of fresh yeast
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 stick (110g) of butter
- 5 oz (150g) of raisins
- ½ cup (100g) of sugar
Glaze
- ½ cup of icing sugar
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
Instructions
- Warm up the milk.
- Mix ½ cup of milk with yeast, 1 tbsp of sugar, and 1 tbsp of flour. Leave for 15 minutes.
- Cover raisins with the remaining ½ cup of milk.
- Beat butter with sugar until they change the color to whitish.
- Add egg yolks, milk from the raisins, and beat again.
- Coat raisins with flour.
- Sift the flour and add it to the dough.
- Using your hand, mix all the ingredients together.
- Place the dough in a big bowl, then cover it with a clean kitchen cloth.
- Place the bowl in a warm place and wait until the dough triples its size (it should take about 1-2h).
- Preheat the oven to 338°F / 170°C.
- Grease the bundt pan with butter or oil, then sprinkle it with breadcrumbs and pour the dough into it.
- Bake for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Cover the cold babka with sugar glaze (mix the icing sugar with lemon juice until it changes into a glaze).
Notes
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 288Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 27mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 4gSugar: 16gProtein: 10g
These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix
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Did you like this Polish raisin babka recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
10 Responses
I love love love your site thank you
Thanks Patricia!!
will give this recipe a try….i remember my mother making babka [but never in a bundt pan] and with a cinnamon/sugar crumb topping….wish i had the recipe….ate it plain…to me it never needed butter or jelly…have had some “store bought” that weren’t bad, but not like mom’s
recipe calls for oven at 338 degrees….can’t do this with my oven…..should i increase it to 350 and bake a little shorter time? or decrease the oven to 325 and bake a little longer??? 6 of one/ 1/2 dozen of the other????
Yes, increase to 340 or 350 and bake shorter.
Does the recipe use 1oz instant yeast AND 2oz fresh yeast
Or is it 1oz instant yeast OR 2oz fresh yeast?
Thank you
It’s either 1oz instant yeast OR 2oz fresh yeast.
well i finally made this ?babka?….worst thing i have ever made in 75 years!!!! what a waste of ingredients….nothing like the babkas i’m familiar with….not cakey…not bready…but didn’t taste bad…i’m really so disappointed….so looked forward to it….i’m sure my mother and grandmother are both spinning in their graves!!!!but instead of throwing it in the garbage, i’ll throw it out for the birds and other wild life
This sounds exactly like my husband’s grandmother’s babka and I can’t wait to try it.
My question for you is, do I just mix the dough with my hands or does it need to be kneaded? Any tips on the consistency it should be are most welcome.
I’d love to make this for Easter. Thanks
Yes, it’s best to knead yeast dough with your hands. Why? Because the hands are warm and yeast grows perfectly in the warm environment.
You can try to mix using a spoon or food processor as well but the most traditional way is to do it manually!