Lemon Cherry Babka #BundtBakers

When I saw this recipe for a Polish Lemon Babka, posted by my friend Carlee of Cooking with Carlee, I knew that I had found my cake for Bundt Bakers this month.

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

This month's party is being hosted by Sneha of Sneha's Recipes.  Sneha chose the theme Cherries and invited us to "bake a bundt filled, flavored or topped with fresh or dried cherries or even cherry jam".


Each year around Easter and Christmas my husband starts reminiscing about "Bacci Bread".  See Babka means Grandmother in Polish.  My husbands family called his Grandmother Bacci, hence Bacci Bread = Babka.

Carlee described this dish by saying (I'm ad libbing here) "if bread and cake had a baby, it would be this creation".  That made me laugh and it also very true.  This is more of a cake made with yeast than it is a bread.

I adapted this recipe by exchanging dried cherries for the raisins so that it would fit the theme for this event.  I also soaked my cherries in rum rather than water.....that is a throwback to my Grandma who always used rum to soak her fruit for cakes and breads.

Other than that I followed the recipe pretty closely and it turned out perfectly.  Frank took a bite and said "oh yeah, this one's a keeper".  That made me very happy.  Thank you Carlee for the recipe and thank you Sneha for choosing this wonderful theme.

Lemon Cherry Babka
adapted from Cooking with Carlee

1/2 c. warm milk (105-110*)
3 eggs, room temperature
1 pkg. instant yeast
pinch of salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. flour
1/2 c. dried cherries, soaked in rum overnight

Syrup:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1 t. lemon extract

Glaze:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1/2 t. lemon extract

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the milk, eggs, yeast and flour.  Blend in the sugar and butter.  Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.  Drain the cherries and fold them into the batter.

Cover and let sit for an hour before turning into a bundt pan that has been treated with baking spray.  Cover and let sit for another half an hour before baking in a preheated 350* oven for half an hour.

While cake is baking make a simple syrup by combining the sugar, water and lemon extract in a small pan over med high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove cake from oven and place bundt pan onto a wire rack.  Poke holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer.  Pour the syrup over the cake and let sit for 20 minutes for the syrup to be absorbed and the cake to cool.  Turn the cake onto a serving platter and let cool completely.

Stir together the powdered sugar, milk and lemon extract.  Drizzle over the cooled cake.  Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired.  Print Recipe

More Cherry Bundts

• Apple, Poppyseed and Cherry Bundt Cake from Katinspajz
• Banana Split Bundt Cake from Patty's Cake
• Bundt Cake Chocolate and Cherries from Merce`s Cake
• Cherry Brownie Bundtlets from Food Lust People Love
• Cherry-Port Swirled Bundt Cake with Almond Streusel from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Cherries Zebra Bundt Cake from PatyCo.Candy bar
• Chocolate Cherry Bundtlets from Sweet Sensations
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake from The Queen of Scones
• Glazed Cherry Coconut Cake from Sneha's Recipe
• Lemon Cherry Babka from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemon Maraschino Buttermilk Bundt Cake from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Mary Berry Cherry Cake from Palatable Pastime
• Shirley Temple Bundt Cake from Cookaholic Wife
• White Chocolate Bundt Cake with Black Cherry Jam from I Love Bundt Cakes