Cake Ingredients:
- 1 envelope of active yeast
- 13/4 cup warm milk
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- 3 eggs, separated per directions
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 TBSP grated lemon rind
- 3 - 3.75 cups flour
- ½ up raisins (optional)
Filling Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2.5 TBSP unsalted butter or margarine
- 1 egg white (from separated cake ingredients)
Streusel Ingredients :
- ½ cup brown or white sugar
- 2 TBSP butter or margarine
- 2 TBSP flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped nuts (I love pecans!)
- egg wash (egg white + little water)
Dissolve yeast in a small amount of warm milk. Add remaining milk, 1 tsp sugar, salt and 1 cup of flour; blend well. Set aside to rise. Cream remaining sugar with butter/margarine. Add 3 egg yolks and 2 egg whites (reserve third egg white for filling). Blend yeast mixture with creamed mixture and beat thoroughly. Mix in lemon zest, raisins and 2 cups flour until smooth. Batter should be thick and not stick to your fingers; add flour as necessary. Let rise in refrigerator overnight or on counter until doubled in size.
While rising, combine all filling ingredients until smooth; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine all streusel ingredients until thoroughly crumbled; set aside.
After batter has risen (and returned to room temperature), roll out on a floured surface into a large, thin rectangle (about 14" x 20"). Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 2" border. Roll up the dough on the long edge so that you have a long roll. Slice in two. Roll each half into a slightly longer roll, then wind into a “figure eight,” and place in greased loaf pans.
Brush dough with egg wash, then top with streusel. Allow to rise until doubled in height (about another 1-2 hours). Bake in 375 oven until browned (about 45 min).
Enjoy your bobka - Elaine may call cinnamon bobka the “lesser bobka,” but it’s my favorite!