Bake to the USSR: The Keks Edition

I baked a soviet loaf using a recipe from 1980. The taste took me straight back to the USSR, to my childhood

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Once upon a time, when butter came in solid blocks, and nostalgia came in slices, there was a loaf that brought families together. I believe it was originally called the “Stolichny Keks” (Capital Loaf) and sold in bakeries.

On long winter evenings, a pot of Indian tea would be brewed, the loaf sliced. We’d unwrap a few “Little Bear in the North” candies — those iconic chocolate treats that feel as cold and majestic as their name suggests. And then came endless conversations about absolutely nothing. When winter lasts only six months a year, chatting about nothing with your dearest ones can really make the time fly.

And if you don’t mind, I prefer to call this loaf “keks” to keep the cultural nuance.

Now, let’s get started.

Alright, here’s how it goes: Take 250 grams of soft, slightly melted butter and cream it with a cup of sugar (a standard faceted glass cup, if you’re wondering). Now, crack 4 eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Pop the whites into the fridge, and mix the yolks into the butter-sugar blend. Add a teaspoon of…