Easter cakes are ritual pastries in the Orthodox Church. This is a tall rich bread symbolizing the rebirth of Jesus Christ. Easter cakes are prepared for the main Christian holiday - Easter. Together with colored eggs and cottage cheese Easter, they are the main dishes of the Easter festive table.
History and symbolism of the Easter cake
According to Christian tradition, leavened bread (artos) is baked for Easter - the main holiday of all Christians. It depicts a cross and a crown of thorns - symbols of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
On the first Easter day, along with the procession of the cross, the artos is carried around the church, then it is left on the lectern, and the whole week the artos is in the church, and on the holy week, leavened bread is distributed to all believers. Artos symbolizes the bread of life.
Easter cakes are the home counterpart of artos. They are baked during Holy Week: they put yeast dough on Maundy Thursday, bake them on Friday, and then light them up in the church. Easter cakes are prepared using yeast, which replaces the Old Testament unleavened bread. Thus, the cake still symbolizes the transition from the Old to the New Testament.
Scientists believe that the roots of Easter cake go back to paganism, where tall bread with eggs were symbols of the god of fertility and masculinity - Phallus. Therefore, eating Easter cake has another meaning - the path from pagan obscurantism to the bright Resurrection.
Many folk signs are associated with Easter cakes. It is believed that if the cakes are a success - the year will be successful, and if the dough does not fit, or the baking is cracked, misfortune is inevitable.
Ready-made Easter cakes are illuminated in the temple. Orthodox Christians begin Easter with a prayer and a piece of cake. Only after this do the believers begin the festive meal. Easter cakes are eaten all through Easter week, it is customary to exchange them, bring them on a visit, give them to relatives and friends, transfer them to orphanages and hospitals.
The recipe for an old Easter cake "Princely"
Traditionally, Easter cakes are made from a very rich yeast dough. To bake one of the main symbols of Easter - Easter cake - according to an old recipe, you need to take the following products:
- 2, 5 glasses of milk;
- 100 grams of yeast;
- 7 eggs;
- 3 yolks;
- 3 glasses of sugar;
- 350 grams of creamy margarine;
- 2 dessert spoons of brandy;
- 1 cup raisins;
- 0.5 cups of vegetable oil;
- 2.5 kilograms of flour;
- 0.5 nutmeg;
- a pinch of salt;
- vanillin;
- cloves;
- cinnamon.
Following tradition, before preparing the cake dough, read a prayer, wash the kitchen, cleanse your hands, thoughts and soul, and only then proceed directly to cooking. Nothing should get in the way. It is believed that a bad mood, quarrels and feuds in the family can harm baked goods.
In the recipe for "Princely" Easter cake, the amount of flour is given approximately. It must be added as much as the dough will take, which should be soft and elastic.
First of all, make a brew. To do this, take a little warm milk, add 100 grams of yeast and a little flour. Stir and place in a warm place for 30-40 minutes.
Pour some of the flour into the rest of the warm milk and mix thoroughly so that there are no lumps. Then add eggs, beaten with sugar, melted butter margarine, cognac, grated nutmeg and the rest of the spices and dough.
Mix everything well, gradually adding vegetable oil. Then cover with a clean towel and leave in a warm place to come up. When the dough rises, knead it and let rise 2 more times. One of the secrets of good baking is that the dough must stand very well.
Sort the raisins, rinse, steam in hot water and put in the dough on the second rise.
Divide the prepared dough into molds. Fill them 1/3 full. Let rise and place in a preheated oven. Bake the cakes at 180 ° C until tender.
The baking time depends on the thickness and quality of the dough, as well as the capabilities of the oven. A large cake is usually baked for about an hour. It should be remembered that the first time you can open the oven door no earlier than half an hour after the start of cooking. Otherwise, the dough may settle and the cake will not work.
After baking, decorate the cakes with icing. It will require:
- 1 cup granulated sugar;
- 2 egg whites;
- 1 glass of water.
Mix sugar and water and simmer until caramelized. Beat the whites into a cool foam and pour the sugar syrup into them. Stir, put on fire and heat. Cover the finished cakes with glaze.
