Easter cake with candied fruits
8 servings
240 minutes
Easter kulich with candied fruits is a fragrant and tender festive treat traditionally prepared for Easter in Russian cuisine. Its origins date back to ancient times when kulich symbolized wealth and prosperity. The delicate dough enriched with butter, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and saffron acquires a unique flavor, while candied fruits and raisins add sweet fruity notes. Kulich has an airy, soft texture, and the subtle hints of rum in the dried fruits give it an exquisite aroma. This treat is not only delicious but also symbolic: it is served on the festive table as a sign of joy and rebirth. Perfect for tea drinking, especially with honey or butter. Proper preparation ensures its long freshness, while the golden crust makes it incredibly appetizing.
1
First, we prepare the dough starter. Slightly warm the milk (the necessary temperature can be easily felt with a finger, meaning the finger should not feel anything when dipped in the milk). Crumble fresh yeast. Then combine all the starter ingredients in a deep pot, cover with a clean towel, and leave in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 15-20 minutes.
- Milk: 375 ml
- Fresh yeast: 50 g
2
Meanwhile, we prepare the dough: in a large pot, we cream the softened butter with sugar. We add the yolks one by one, adding the next only after the previous one is fully incorporated. Then we add all the spices and salt.
- Butter: 300 g
- Sugar: 245 g
- Egg yolk: 12 pieces
- Vanillin: to taste
- Ground nutmeg: to taste
- Ground cinnamon: to taste
- Saffron: pinch
- Lemon zest: 1 piece
- Salt: 5 g
3
Soak the raisins and candied fruits in rum or cognac (about 50 ml). Sift all the flour, preferably twice.
- Raisin: 150 g
- Candied fruit: to taste
- Dark rum: to taste
4
Gradually add flour to the cream and yolk mixture, incorporating the dough. Knead until the dough easily pulls away from the sides of the pot. You can grease your hands with vegetable oil to make kneading easier. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes.
- Wheat flour: 900 g
- Vegetable oil: to taste
5
Add raisins and candied fruits to the dough and knead it a second time. Let the dough rise for 20 minutes. During this time, the dough should double in size.
- Raisin: 150 g
- Candied fruit: to taste
6
Preparing the molds. It's better to bake these kulichs large to avoid drying out. Grease the mold with vegetable oil (refined, odorless!) and sprinkle with semolina (semolina is better than flour in this case). Or line with parchment paper greased with butter.
- Vegetable oil: to taste
- Semolina: to taste
7
We place the dough in molds to 1/3 and let it rise again by 2 times.
8
We place the kulich in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180 degrees. Bake for another 45-50 minutes. Check readiness with a wooden stick as usual. It's important not to overbake the kulich, or they will be dry. Remove from the mold when they cool.