Living in the Colorado high country is pure joy. Baking in it isn’t. High altitude makes cookies spread in the pan, cakes fall and few baked goods turn out as they do at sea level. This column presents recipes and tips to make baking in the mountains successful.

Potica is the apple pie of Eastern Europe. Everyone loves it, everyone makes it and it’s a regular at holidays and celebrations. Sometimes called bread, other times cake, it’s a pretty pastry, featuring a walnut and dried fruit filling cradled in tender, buttery dough. Serve it at brunch, with coffee or tea, or warm with a drizzle of rum sauce for dessert. There are numerous recipes for it. This one layers the filling in a mildly sweet vanilla cake batter, creating a lovely contrast between the two. If you’re seeking authenticity, use only raisins in the filling. If you’re after a more complex taste, try a mixture of dried fruit.

Potica bundt cake

Make in a 6-cup Bundt pan. Adjusted for altitudes of 7,500 feet and above.

Filling

• 3 tablespoons raisins or a combination of dried fruit
• 2 tablespoons of rum, brandy, or orange juice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon walnuts
• 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour, spoon and level
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup superfine granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
• 1 cup sour cream

Rum sauce, optional 

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1-2 tablespoons dark rum, to taste
• Confectioners’ sugar, optional 

Get ready: Preheat the oven to 345, with a rack in the lowest position. Generously grease your pan with a baking spray that contains flour.

Make the filling: Place the raisins/dried fruit in a small bowl with the rum, brandy, or orange juice (whichever you are using). Cover the bowl and microwave for one minute at medium power. Remove the bowl from the oven, uncover, and set it aside to cool. When it’s cool, put the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and flour in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the walnuts are finely chopped. Add the cooled raisins/dried fruit and any liquid left in their bowl. Process only until the fruit is coarsely chopped and distributed evenly in the mixture. Set this aside. If not making the cake immediately, cover and refrigerate.

Make the cake:  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk until well combined and aerated. Set this aside. Cut the butter into small pieces, add them and the sugar to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until blended and light. Add one egg and the canola oil and beat until blended. Add the second egg and the vanilla and blend again. Alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, add the flour and sour cream. Mix only until a smooth, thick batter forms. Don’t overbeat.

Fill pan: Spread a thin layer of cake batter in the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing and leveling it; make sure it fully covers the bottom. Make a ribbon of half of the filling in the center of the batter, keeping it away from the pan sides or center. Repeat this step with half of the remaining batter and the rest of the filling. Add another layer of batter, completely covering the second layer of filling but leaving at least 1¼ inches exposed at the top of the pan. You may have a little batter left over but don’t overfill the pan.

Bake and cool: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the batter is set and golden. This should take about 30 minutes, but check earlier. Don’t over bake or you’ll lose the cake’s lovely texture. Remove and cool on a rack. When completely cool, invert the pan onto a platter or cardboard cake circle and gently remove the pan. 

Prepare the rum/brandy sauce, if using: Combine the brown sugar, water, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan and stir until well combined. Place on stovetop and stir over medium heat until it boils and thickens slightly. Reduce heat and simmer for a minute or two. Add the marmalade and stir until melted and blended. Stir in one tablespoon rum or brandy, taste, and add more if desired. Strain and set aside to cool. Store at cool room temperature for up to two days. Stir before serving.

Serve: Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve at room temperature or warm slightly and serve with a drizzle of room-temperature rum sauce. Store, covered in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Vera Dawson’s column “High Country Baking” publishes biweekly in the Summit Daily News. Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks. Her recipes have been tested in her kitchen in Frisco, where she’s lived since 1991, and altered until they work at elevation. Contact her at [email protected].