Romanian-style Baba

Description
In Romanian: Baba in stil romanesc

Ingredients

 * 1 lb / 500 g flour
 * 1 cup milk
 * 4 eggs
 * 5 oz / 150 g butter or margarine
 * ¾ cup sugar
 * ¼ teaspoon salt
 * 4 oz / 100 g raisins
 * 1 teaspoon vanilla
 * 1½ oz / 40 g yeast,
 * shortening to grease the dish

Syrup

 * ¼ cup sugar
 * ¾ cup water
 * 4 tablespoons wine
 * ½ teaspoon rum essence

Directions

 * 1) Mix the yeast with ½ cup tepid milk, add some flour and knead well to make a stiff dough.
 * 2) Gather into a ball and make 3 – 4 indentations with a knife.
 * 3) Place the dough in a pot with 3 qts / 3 l tepid water.
 * 4) Cover and keep in a warm place.
 * 5) After 40 – 50 minutes when the dough rises above and doubles in volume, remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl.
 * 6) Add tepid melted butter or margarine, salt, yolks beaten with sugar and vanilla and whipped egg whites.
 * 7) Knead well, adding the remaining flour and milk.
 * 8) The resulting dough should not be too stiff.
 * 9) Cover and leave in a warm place to rise.
 * 10) After it doubles again, add the raisins, mix and then place in a greased pan.
 * 11) Cover and leave in a warm place until the dough fills ¾ of the pan.
 * 12) Bake at slow heat for 30 – 40 minutes.
 * 13) Test with a wooden pick.
 * 14) Carefully remove from the pan so that it does not break.
 * 15) Place on a large plate and let cool without disturbing.
 * 16) In the meantime, prepare the syrup.
 * 17) Boil the water with the sugar, add the wine and rum.
 * 18) Pour this syrup (hot) over the cake, turning it so that the syrup gets everywhere.