Recipe(tried): Ukrainian Tsvibak (Ukrainian Holiday Bread)

This is a recipe I have searched for a long time. My mother made this for Easter and Christmas when I was little and then stopped making it when my brother and nephews became allergic to nuts and all the eggs. :( She then lost the recipe. This was one of my favorite Ukrainian holiday bread recipes and I have been searching for years for this recipe. Just recently she found it again!! YEAH! I thought I would share it with you all.

I am translating the recipe from Ukrainian and adding my notes as well.

Halyna

UKRAINIAN TSVIBAK
Source: Our Life - Nashe Zhitya, June 1962

6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon chopped candied orange peel*
1/2 cup golden raisins - Optional (not in original recipe but my mother always added)

Heat oven to 325 degrees F (original recipe said 320F).

Grease and flour very well one 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Chop nuts and prepare raisins if adding (original recipe said to toss with some butter and rub to make sure all pieces were separated. I just tossed lightly with some extra powdered sugar or flour.)

Beat egg yolks and powdered sugar until white; set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg white until they form still peaks.

To the egg yolk mixture, add the flour and egg whites by spoonfuls and mix lightly. Mix very gently. At end mix in gently the nuts, orange peel, and/or raisins. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake in 325 degrees F oven. Original recipe said to bake for 45 minutes. Mine baked for about an hour and a half. Keep checking. When knife or skewer comes out clean it is done. :)

*You can use orange or lemon zest shavings. You could also just use a teaspoon of orange juice for flavor if you don't like the "bits".

The original recipe was very sketchy. Since I just made this today I have relied a lot on my experience today and my memories of many years ago (and a frantic call to MOM LOL)

For those of you who are curious to what this taste like - well, it is sort of like a pound cake but a bit more chewy.
For me, its pure memories.......