Ryzon Baba

What's a Baba anyway? Alternatively known as a Babavka, or a Babka, a Baba is a rich cake soaked in liquor, usually rum. This recipe, by Mrs.Percy Duvall, was the first prize winner in the 1916 Ryzon Baking Cookbook.

4 eggs - not separated
1 1/2 level cupfuls sugar
1/2 level teaspoonful salt
1 1/2 cupfuls sweet milk
3 level cupfuls flour
2 level teasponfuls Ryzon*
1/2 level teaspoonful powdered mace
1/2 cupful butter
1/2 cupful shredded candied citron peel

SAUCE
1 level cupful sugar
1/2 cupful water
1 wineglassful rum

Beat eggs and sugar together until very light, add salt, milk, flour sifted with Ryzon*, and mace, add citron. Melt butter in large well-greased turkshead baking pan. When melted, add butter carefully to batter and pour into mold. Bake in a steady fairly hot oven for one hour taking care to turn cake several times.
Sauce: Put sugar and water into saucepan, bring to boil and cook until syrup spins a thread or 218 degrees F. Then add rum and cool slightly. Dip baba into syrup while it is hot. (*Ryzon Baking Powder)
--- from the Ryzon Baking Book, 1916

[see cornbread recipe from same cookbook]

[by the Ryzon Baking Book at OldCookbooks.com]