Moldovan "Baba Neagra" Cake - Recipe 1

Elena Butuc

Today, I'm excited to introduce the Moldovan "Baba Neagra" Cake, a unique dessert exclusive to Northern Moldova. This cake, translated as "Black Baba", is more than just a simple treat; it's a testament to culinary ingenuity. Achieving its distinct black color not from cocoa but from a reaction of oil, baking soda, and buttermilk during a prolonged baking process, this cake is a marvel. Typically baked in a wood oven alongside stuffed cabbage and other baked goods, I've managed to replicate these conditions in a conventional oven using aluminum foil for thermal insulation.

The Baba Neagra Cake, with its well-baked pudding-like texture, is soft, porous, and elastic, melting tantalizingly in the mouth. It's commonly served with Baba Alba (sweet noodle pudding) as a delightful contrast.

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Ingredients

Metric US

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Egg

10 pieces

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White flour

2 cups

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Sunflower oil

200 ml

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Baking soda

1.5 tbsp

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Sugar

300 g

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Buttermilk/Youghurt/Kefir

250 ml

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Milk

500 ml

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Vodka

25 ml

optional

Step by step

Step 1

Suitable for a pandispan tray, 28-30cm in diameter. Wrap the tray in 2-3 layers of aluminum foil, covering the bottom and edges, and place baking paper at the bottom of the tray.

Step 2

Beat the eggs thoroughly, preferably with a mixer.

Step 3

Mix flour with baking soda in a larger bowl.

Step 4

Stir in sugar and oil.

Step 5

Add and mix milk thoroughly with a whisk.

Step 6

Blend in buttermilk/kefir/yogurt, and vodka if using, ensuring no lumps.

Step 7

Lastly, add beaten eggs and mix well.

Step 8

The batter will be more liquid, like a pancake batter.

Step 9

Transfer it into the prepared tray.

Step 10

Cover with aluminum foil on top, avoiding contact with the dough. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 2 hours, then at 100 degrees for another 2 hours. Alternatively, use a wood oven for 2-3 hours. Start at 18:00; by 23:00, turn off the oven (remove the foil) and let it cool slowly until morning.

I usually start doing it around 18.00, at 23.00 I turn off the oven (remove the foil from above) and let it cool slowly in the oven until morning.