European Easter Cake | Home Cooking Journey

European Easter Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
for homemade cheese:
- 3 litres whole milk
- juice of 3 lemons
- about 300g natural yogurt
~~~
for dough:
- 500g flour
- 4 egg yolks
- 300ml milk
- 3 tbsp oil
- 30g fresh or 14g dry yeast
- 100g melted butter
- 100g sugar
- orange / lemon zest
- pinch of salt
~~~
for filling:
- 400g of the homemade cheese
- 50g softened butter
- 30g semolina
- 100g sour cream
- 1 tbsp flour
- 70g sugar
- 2 - 3 eggs
- 50g raisins soaked in rum
- lemon / orange zest
- 1 pack vanila sugar (30g)
- pinch of salt

Method:

Make homemade cheese first ( one day ahead): Bring milk to a boil. Then add lemon juice. Continue stirring and it should start to separate. Add yogurt (a high fat yogurt is best).

Turn off heat and prepare cheesecloth or (we used a clean pillow case sheet) with a bowl underneath. Drain overnight. This makes 500 - 600g, we'll need only 400g for this recipe, you can eat the rest.

Next day make the dough: Take 5 tbsp of the total 500g flour and pour 100ml boiling hot milk (of the total 300ml). Mix and leave to cool a bit. Separately, stir the yeast, a tsp of the sugar and 2 tbsp of the milk which should be just warm. Pour on top of the flour and milk mixture. Cover and leave for 15-20min.

Meanwhile, beat egg yolks and a pinch of salt with a fork. Add rest of sugar, lemon /orange zest, oil, and half the melted butter. Beat well and pour this egg yolk mixture over the proofed yeast mixture.

Now add rest of the flour and milk. Knead for 15 minutes with your hand by punching the dough with your fist. Add rest of melted butter (the other 50g). Continue kneading for couple more minutes. Cover and leave in a warm place for 20-30min.

Take half the dough and press into a buttered 1.5 L dish (23cm or bigger). With remaining dough, braid in 3 or 4 to make a crown. You might need to make 2 sets of 6 or 8 because it is easier. Leave space in the middle where the filling will go.

Make filling: With a fork, work the homemade cheese till resembles small crumbs and is no longer a lump. Add semolina, sour cream, softened butter, flour, sugar, raisins soaked in rum, lemon and orange zest, vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Add one egg at a time, you might need 2 or 3 eggs. It should be soft but not liquidy.

Pour this over the prepared tin with dough. Brush with egg beaten with milk (eggwash) and bake in preheated oven at 190°C for 10 minutes then at 180°C for another 40-45 minutes. Gas 5 for first 10 minutes then Gas 4 for another 40-45 minutes.

Serve either warm or cold out of the fridge (come to room temperature first).



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