Italian yeast bundt cake with fruit and apricots

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Crumble the yeast into 2 tbsp of the sugar. Add 3–4 tbsp of the warm milk, 2 tbsp of the flour, and 1 packet of vanilla sugar, and mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes, until small bubbles appear on the surface.

   

2. Sift 260 g of the flour into a bowl, pour in the remaining warm milk, and stir to form a sticky paste. Add the prepared yeast mixture.

   Knead until smooth and no longer sticking to your hands, then let rise in a warm place for 1–2 hours.

3. Add the remaining flour and sugar, the eggs, egg yolks, nutmeg, cardamom, and lemon zest to the risen dough. Knead until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth, then let rise in a warm place for another 2 hours.

   Meanwhile, chop the dried apricots and candied fruit into small pieces and mix with the raisins. If you want to add nuts to the cake, chop those into smaller pieces as well.

   

4. Knead the dough again, then briefly knead in the prepared fruit and optional nuts, just until evenly distributed. Place in a buttered bundt pan and let rise in a warm place for another hour. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45–50 minutes.

   

5. Before putting the cake in the oven, you can brush it with beaten egg white and sprinkle with nuts, or simply brush it with egg yolk.

   

6. Brush the baked cake with warmed jam thinned with a little water, if desired, and decorate with the remaining nuts or dried fruit.

   

7. Serve the cake with hot chocolate, hot cocoa, coffee, or tea.

   

Tip: When chopping sticky dried apricots and candied fruit, dip the knife in flour occasionally to keep the pieces from clumping together. Fill the pan no more than halfway, as the dough will rise considerably during the final rise.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Talianska kysnutá bábovka s kandizovaným ovocím a marhuľami