Easter cake Romanian style

Today we bring you the recipe for the famous Romanian cozonac

Mihaela Ignătescu, 05.05.2024, 12:02

It’s Easter for Christian orthodox and Greek Catholic believers in Romania, so today we bring you the recipe of a staple this time of the year: the famous and delicious cozonac, our traditional Easter pound cake.
Let’s start with the ingredients.

For the dough you will need:
– 1 kg (about 7 cups) all-purpose flour
– 200 g (about 1 cup) granulated sugar
– 250 ml (1 cup) warm milk
– 100 g (about 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
– 3 large eggs
– 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
– Zest of 1 lemon
– Zest of 1 orange
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– A pinch of salt

For the filling make sure you have:
– 200 g (about 1 cup) chopped walnuts
– 150 g (about 3/4 cup) granulated sugar
– 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– Zest of 1 lemon
– Zest of 1 orange
– 100 ml (about 1/3 cup) milk

For brushing:
– 1 egg yolk
– 1 tablespoon milk

And now, here is how you should prepare it:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, and salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
4. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1-2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
6. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, lemon zest, orange zest, and milk. Mix until well combined.
7. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it into two equal parts.
8. Roll out each half of the dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
9. Spread the filling evenly over each rectangle of dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges.
10. Starting from one long side, roll up each rectangle tightly into a log.
11. Place the rolled logs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam side down, and shape them into a ring or braid.
12. Cover the shaped cozonaci with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes.
13. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
14. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and milk. Brush the tops of the kozonacs with the egg wash.
15. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
16. Allow the cakes to cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Enjoy your delicious Romanian cozonac!