Mrs. Crandell’s “Baba” or Polish Guest Cake

Finding this recipe is the first time I’ve ever heard of Baba cake or a turk’s head pan.  I had to Google both.  This cake doesn’t sound like it is what I found by looking up Baba cake.  The turk’s head pan turns out to be a bundt pan.  I’ve put a link to the pan that I found.

Recipe

Four eggs, not separated, one and one-half level cupfuls sugar, one-half level teaspoonful salt, one and one-half cupfuls (three-quarters pint) sweet milk, three level cupfuls (three-quarters pound) flour, two level teaspoonfuls baking powder one-half level teaspoonful mace, one-half cupful (one-fourth pound) butter, one-half cupful shredded candied citron peel.  Sauce: One one-half cupful water, one-half teaspoonful vanilla extract and one half teaspoon lemon extract.

For cake: Beat eggs and sugar together until very light; removed beater; add salt, mace, flour, sifted with baking powder, milk and citron.  Melt butter in large turk’s head baking pan (with a central opening).  When melted add butter carefully to batter and pour batter into molds.

Bake in a stead, fairly hot oven for hour, taking care to turn cake several times.  This mixture is a thin batter and requires slower oven than the usual rusk.  When done turn cake on a plate on which it is to be serve.

For sauce: Put sugar an water into enameled saucepan; bring to boiling point and boil until sugar spins a thread or 218 degrees F. hy candy thermometer.  Add extracts and cool slightly.  Ladle syrup over the cake while it is hot.  Fruit juice may be used in place of the extracts, or a chocolate sauce may be used for those who prefer it.  Sufficient for one large cake.

Mrs. M. J. Crandell, Pine Lodge, Santa Cruz – San Francisco Chornicle – 21 Mar 1920

Print

Baba Cake by Mrs. Crandell

Baba or Polish Guest Cake recipe from 1920

Course Cake

Cuisine Polish

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp mace
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup candied citron peel
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract

Instructions

1. For cake: Beat eggs and sugar together until very light; removed beater; add salt, mace, flour, sifted with baking powder, milk and citron.  Melt butter in large turk's head baking pan (with a central opening).  When melted add butter carefully to batter and pour batter into molds.

2. Bake in a stead, fairly hot oven for hour, taking care to turn cake several times.  This mixture is a thin batter and requires slower oven than the usual rusk.  When done turn cake on a plate on which it is to be serve.

3. For sauce: Put sugar and water into enameled saucepan; bring to boiling point and boil until sugar spins a thread or 218 degrees F. hy candy thermometer.  Add extracts and cool slightly.  Ladle syrup over the cake while it is hot.  Fruit juice may be used in place of the extracts,or a chocolate sauce may be used for those who prefer it.  Sufficient for one large cake.