Romanian Spongecake

(Cozonac)

Ingredients

1 kg Flour
250 gr Sugar
450 gr Milk
5 Eggs
60 gr fresh yeast
300 gr Belgian butter
500 gr walnuts
200 gr Turkish Delight
150 gr Belgian chocolate
30 gr candied orange
30 gr lemon peel

Method

1. Mix the yeast with 100 ml of milk and three tablespoons of flour. Allow the mixture to rise until it doubles in volume.
2. Boil the milk together with the sugar, then mix until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Mix the yolks with the salt.
4. Put the flour in a bowl and pour in the egg yolks slowly, mixing well, then add the milk, the melted sugar and the butter and the candied orange peel. Knead well until you get a homogeneous, consistent and elastic mixture.
5. Then leave the mixture to rise for about an hour.
6. Take a piece of the mixture, spread it well and put it over the nut cream with Belgian chocolate, Turkish Delight and raisins then roll everything together. Cut the roll in two along its length and then weave the two parts together and brush with egg.
7. Then put in a pan pre-lined with butter and flour and leave to rise for about two hours.
8. When the cake has risen, put the pan in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour at 160 degrees.