Eight years ago I was living in Poland and my old friend Donek gave me recipe for a babka that he assured me would be delicious. Promptly, I tried out the recipe and, sure enough, it was it was everything Donek had promised. I shared the recipe with a few people and in a casual way referred to it as Donek's Babka. I had simply written down the recipe and attached the most convenient label for the sake of memory.
Six years later, I was now living in Canada. I continued to stay in touch with my friends in Poland as much as was possible via the internet. One day I received a call from a friend who simply started the conversation with how she had discovered a fabulous recipe for a babka. Breathlessly, she described it as Donek's Babka — but she had no idea it could have been the Donek that we both knew. Donek is a rare name in Poland, but I guess there was an established quality to the recipe that made her doubt it could have been created by someone she knew. We laughed and thought that perhaps one day it would be famous, published in a book or featured on some celebrity chef show, and no one would be sure who Donek was and how it had all started.
This is, I suppose, my small way to add to that story. I will share Donek's Babka with you, and one day, who knows...
Ingredients
* 5 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 cups flour
* 1 (15 gm) packet vanilla sugar
* 3 tsp. baking soda
* 1 cup corn oil
* 1 cup ginger soda
* 1 Tbsp. extract of malt
* 2 Tbsp. cacao
Preparation
Run the flour through a sieve to ensure that its consistency is smooth and then set it aside.
Separate the eggs into whites and yolks in two bowls. Proceed to whisk the egg yolks and then the egg whites into a froth. This will require thorough continuous mixing for a few minutes. While continuing to beat the egg whites, gradually add the flour. Then, add the egg yolk, which you have already whisked, to the egg white and flour mixture. Continue to add the flour and mix.
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